Denver Broncos: Dalton Risner depth chart impact for 2019

The Denver Broncos got an instant starter with offensive lineman Dalton Risner in the 2019 NFL Draft. Where does he fit in?

The Denver Broncos entered the 2019 NFL Draft with a number of areas of need, but none more pressing than their need for a starting interior offensive lineman.

It didn’t matter if the Broncos got a guard, center, or someone who could play one or the other — they needed a player who could step in and start right away on the offensive line.

Everyone in Broncos Country wanted the team to draft Dalton Risner after he sprinted over to John Elway at the 2019 Senior Bowl to introduce himself. Risner, a Wiggins, CO native, grew up a Broncos fan and wanted badly to play for the team. He made no secret about that.

Even if the Broncos couldn’t get Risner, this draft class was full of guys who could step in and start day one.

As fate would have it, the Broncos were able to secure Risner — a player many thought could go in the first round — at pick no. 41 overall in the second round. He was the 10th offensive lineman selected, and I’m going to be sure to remind people of that until his playing days are over.

He was way better than the 10th best offensive lineman in this year’s draft.

Risner affects the Broncos’ current depth chart as much as any other draft pick in this class, but how?

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ pre-draft depth chart on the offensive line by position with a couple of key reserves noted.

LT: Garett Bolles
LG: Ron Leary
C: Connor McGovern
RG: Elijah Wilkinson
RT: Ja’Wuan James
6th man: Sam Jones
7th: Austin Schlottmann

Enter Dalton Risner, who shakes things up considerably on this line.

As you can see above, the Broncos’ offensive line depth is, well, not exactly the highest quality. They desperately needed to push some guys down a spot on the depth chart and they did exactly that.

Everyone thought Leary would stay at left guard with Risner taking over on the right side (he played right tackle in college) but it seems the Broncos are trying something out with Risner on the left side.

Here’s how Risner affects the depth chart:

LT Garett Bolles
LG: Dalton Risner
C: Connor McGovern
RG: Ron Leary
RT: Ja’Wuan James
6th man: Elijah Wilkinson
7th: Sam Jones

Risner makes the starting five look drastically different. If the Broncos can work with that unit the entire season, that’s going to be a heck of a group coached by Mike Munchak.

Of course, getting everyone to play a full 16 game slate is another matter entirely. Ron Leary, in particular, has struggled to stay healthy since coming to the Broncos on a big money free agent contract and could be in a ‘prove it’ year of his contract.

Putting Bolles and Risner on the left side means the Broncos have their own version of the Bash Brothers on that side where the outside zone run game is going to be poetry in motion for us Broncos fans and a grotesque display of aggression to opponents.

Risner changes the game for the Broncos, regardless of where he’s lined up. They are extremely fortunate he was still there with the 41st pick in the NFL Draft.