Denver Broncos 2018 NFL Draft and free agency needs

2. Offensive Tackle

Current players under contract: Garett Bolles, Menelik Watson, Cyrus Kouandjio

Impending Free Agents: Donald Stephenson (void), Elijah Wilkinson (ERFA)

Once again, the Broncos’ offensive line play was not ideal in 2017 despite drafting Garett Bolles in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Denver opted once again for a cheaper option in free agency in Menelik Watson to play right tackle, and that idea crashed and burned. Donald Stephenson proved he was not the answer, and Allen Barbre — who has played some right tackle before — was clearly not cut out for it either.

Basically, the Broncos tried every option they could at right tackle, and in my eyes, only one player played well all year. That player was Cyrus Kouandjio, who happened to sign a two-year contract when he came over to the Broncos.

Kouandjio is only 24 years old, so I’m intrigued by the possibility of him getting healthy for a full offseason and showing what he can do in the starting lineup (he’s a former second round pick) but I’d be shocked if the Broncos didn’t spend a high draft pick on the tackle position in the 2018 NFL Draft.

This year’s free agent class at tackle is not good as of right now. The best player available is New England’s Nate Solder, who is a Colorado native and could potentially find the Broncos to be an attractive option.

Before we see what teams cut what players, we don’t know the entirety of this year’s tackle group, and the Broncos have to plan accordingly.

Thankfully, this year’s draft class at tackle looks stellar and the Broncos will be able to get a player in the first, second, or even third round that could start for them day one.

What will the Broncos do?

If the Broncos opt for a quarterback in free agency, I would not be shocked to see a tackle picked in the first round. Whether that’s with the 5th overall pick or in a trade down, I’m not sure at this point, but I could see that being a likely scenario.

Players like Orlando Brown, Connor Williams, Mike McGlinchey, Jamarco Jones, and a number of others make sense at different junctures of the first round.

If I had it my way, the Broncos would let go of Menelik Watson, and steer clear of free agency while looking to this year’s draft class for a tackle. Depending on who they take, they could move Garett Bolles to the right side where he’d be protected by Ron Leary at the right guard spot.