John Elway explains picking Garett Bolles over Ryan Ramczyk
Denver Broncos general manager John Elway made Garett Bolles the first offensive tackle drafted in 2017. Why did he take him over Ryan Ramczyk?
The Denver Broncos made Garett Bolles the top offensive lineman picked in the 2017 NFL Draft, but why did they pick him over Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk?
Leading up to the day of the first round, it seemed almost every analyst was projecting the Broncos to take Ramczyk, another player with just one year of division one experience and another who had an excellent 2016 season.
Ramczyk, on tape, looked like a starting left tackle in the league, but was nowhere near as physical and ‘nasty’ as Garett Bolles. The difference in athletic ability was also apparent. Head coach Vance Joseph and general manager John Elway spoke on the decision to pick Bolles over Ramczyk, who ended up going 32nd overall to the New Orleans Saints.
"“They’re both very solid players. They’re both different. Bolles is more of a leaner, an athletic tackle. Ramczyk was more of a powerful run-blocker, and in my opinion, a pass-protector secondly.”— Broncos head coach Vance Joseph (quotes courtesy Denver Broncos PR)"
John Elway went a little bit more in-depth on the decision, and why the team prioritized Bolles:
"“I think athletically, the ceiling is much higher on Bolles. We really like that ability and the explosiveness that he has. One of the key things too, not only to get that kind of athlete at tackle with that size, but also the mentality that he’s going to bring. I think he brings a great mentality to that offensive line that needed a jolt. He’s a perfect fit for what we’ve done in free agency and what we’ve brought in. If Garett turns out to be what we think he is, he solves a big problem for us for a long time, and that’s that left tackle. You know how valuable that is, any tackle for that matter. We really feel like we’re fortunate that he was there.”"
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There’s no doubt the physical upside with Bolles is higher than any other tackle in this draft. At 297 pounds, Bolles ran a 4.97 second 40-yard dash and showed incredible movement skills for a man of his size and length. He almost looked like a big tight end running around at the Scouting Combine.
Actually, come to think of it, throwing him a pass isn’t a terrible idea…
All joking aside, if the Broncos were going to take a tackle in this year’s draft, I don’t think they could have done any better. Bolles has slick movement skills, great feet, excellent speed, and a nasty streak. The big issues with him coming out were core strength and D1 experience.
I think as he gets to work over the next few months, we could see him come to camp over 300 pounds and I fully expect him to be the day one starter.