Why the Denver Broncos don’t need to draft offensive line

The Denver Broncos have been linked to some offensive linemen in this year’s NFL draft, but don’t necessarily need to draft one.

One of the biggest underrated moves made by the Denver Broncos during the 2019 offseason was hiring Hall of Fame offensive lineman Mike Munchak to coach the unit.

The guy that has taken the most heat from Broncos fans is left tackle Garett Bolles. The Broncos selected Bolles in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. That was the only time anybody wanted his name to be called.

Unfortunately, his name has been called plenty of times on the field. He has been guilty of 16 total penalties, with six being declined. Yes, that needs to end. But we need to give him time.

A big factor in why the team should hold off on drafting an offensive lineman is the change at quarterback.

While Joe Flacco started the season, he gave up 26 sacks. He was like a statue out on the field. Then, the inevitable happened: He got hurt.

Brandon Allen played three games for the Broncos and was sacked nine times.

Enter Drew Lock, rookie, Missouri.

Lock played the final five games for the Broncos and was sacked just five times. If you do the math, that is just one per game.

So, why the decline in sacks given up? The answer is mobility. Lock’s ability to escape pressure is far superior to Flacco’s is. It’s not even close. With Flacco no longer in the Mile High City, the emergence for drafting replacement offensive linemen has very much declined.

What if one of the starting five get hurt, you ask? The Broncos need to keep developing the players that they have. They currently have Bolles and Ja’Wuan James locked in at left and right tackle, respectively.

Beyond the starters at tackle are: Jake Rodgers (who was briefly with the Steelers along with Munchak, and played in 14 games), Quinn Bailey, Ka’John Armstrong, and Calvin Anderson.

Austin Schlottman and Elijah Wilkinson are also among the group. Schlottman is capable of playing both guard and center, while Wilkinson can play guard and tackle.

Second-year guard Dalton Risner also has the ability to play right tackle, as he played three seasons there during his college days at Kansas State.

At center they have Patrick Morris, who they are very high on. They also signed guard Graham Glasgow, who can play both guard positions, as well as center.

Building a foundation —a unit— takes time. It is very encouraging that a player in Bolles improved so much with the right coaching. We cannot lose hope just yet.

The team put an emphasis on bringing in players on the offensive line that were versatile. They wanted players who could play multiple positions.

Give the Broncos some time to develop the players that they currently have. While some players in this year’s draft are tempting, the team should not keep swapping players in and out.

They need consistency on this team and a big help is going to be Munchak, even if it takes a couple more years. Continuity is key.