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Denver Broncos roster overview after the 2018 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

ENGLEWOOD, CO - APRIL 27: President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway, left, and Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, right, present their 1st round draft pick Bradley Chubb, center, with a Broncos jersey at Dove Valley April 27, 2018. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
ENGLEWOOD, CO - APRIL 27: President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway, left, and Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, right, present their 1st round draft pick Bradley Chubb, center, with a Broncos jersey at Dove Valley April 27, 2018. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /
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Allen Barbre
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 31: Denver Broncos players, including Allen Barbre #73, Nelson Adams #61, Ronald Leary #65, Marlon Brown #15, and Lorenzo Doss #37 walk off the field after warm ups before a preseason NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

OFFENSIVE GUARD

The Broncos made a big money free agent signing in 2017 that paid huge dividends, adding Ronald Leary to the mix.

Leary started last year at right guard because the team felt Max Garcia was better on the left side than on the right, but Leary is expected to move back to the left side this offseason, and Garcia will have to compete for a job on the right side.

Connor McGovern may be the strongest player on the entire team, and the Broncos loved what they saw from him at center last offseason while Matt Paradis recovered from double hip surgery.

McGovern’s elite strength and athleticism could be the difference between him and other players competing for jobs at guard. He showed promise at the end of last season as a possible starting candidate.

The Broncos also drafted Sam Jones in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and the thought is that he will come in and compete for a backup job initially at right or left guard, but many evaluators felt like he had starting potential at the next level.

The Broncos also re-signed Billy Turner this offseason, a player they feel can provide depth at both guard and tackle.

Other names at guard for the Broncos:

Jeremiah Poutasi: Former third round pick of the Tennessee Titans who played at Utah and has big time power. Still only 25, Poutasi was thought at one point to have starter potential. Can he realized it in Denver?

CENTER

The Broncos have a couple of players who are likely to be on the opening day roster at the center position right now, and one wild card as an undrafted free agent.

Matt Paradis signed his restricted free agent tender, and enters his fifth season with the Broncos and fourth as the team’s starter.

Paradis has proven himself as one of the best and toughest centers in the NFL, starting every game and playing every snap over the past three years.

He should be backed up by J.J. Dielman, another former Utah Utes offensive lineman who caught the Broncos’ eye in the draft last year.

After Dielman was drafted by the Bengals, the Broncos tried to claim him off waivers at final cuts but were unable to get him as the Los Angeles Rams had a higher waiver priority.

They finally got him later in the season and have specifically mentioned him by name this offseason when talking about some young players they’re excited about.

In undrafted free agency, the Broncos got a good one in TCU’s Austin Schlottmann, who is likely a candidate for the practice squad. If he can add 10-15 pounds to his frame, he could be another nice find.

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