Denver Broncos roster: Right tackle projections
The Denver Broncos are slowly starting to group together a very solid offensive line, but the right tackle position still has long-term questions.
More offensive line content? More offensive line content. The Denver Broncos are finally starting to bring some consistency and skill to their offensive line.
Between free agency and the NFL Draft, John Elway and new General Manager George Paton have pieced together a plethora of very skilled men to finally bring some much-needed stability to the offensive line.
As the regular season swiftly approaches, the right tackle battle still appears to be a dead heat, with Bobby Massie and Calvin Anderson vying for the top spot.
Even though Massie is very solid and Anderson appears to have loads of potential, there’s no guarantee that either player will be the long-term option that the team has been looking for.
With that said, it’s never too early to look at potential long-term options for the Denver Broncos’ starting right tackle position.
Obviously, it can’t be ruled out that either Massie or Anderson can be the long-term option for the team. Even though Massie is one of the older players on the team, he only just turned 32, and the shelf life for offensive linemen in the NFL is usually much longer than other positions.
It’s not out of the realm to think that if Massie wins the starting job, he can keep it long-term.
Calvin Anderson is only 25 and can most definitely become the long-term option as well, but, again, there’s no guarantee. He’s entering his third year with the team, and in my opinion, if he can’t establish himself this year, it’s unlikely he will at all, especially learning under Mike Munchak.
What are the options for right tackle that aren’t currently on the roster?
As for 2022 free agency, there are a couple of viable options that could make sense.
The first one is Trent Brown, the former Raiders right tackle who never truly found stability in Las Vegas, and Morgan Moses, the long-time Washington right tackle who recently signed with the Jets.
Truth be told, as it stands now, there aren’t any more viable options on the free agent market next year who would provide a clear upgrade from what the team has now.
I personally would not mind Morgan Moses, and I am baffled that he lasted so long on the open market. Once upon a time, Moses once signed a $38 million extension with Washington, so he clearly has desirable services.
He’s also two years younger than Massie, who will most likely be our starter, so that’s certainly a plus.
Overall though, if the Massie/Anderson experiment doesn’t work for Denver in 2021, the 2022 free agent options aren’t spectacular.
Seeing as George Paton appears to have had a very good first draft for the Denver Broncos, finding a long-term right tackle option the more conventional way is very possible.
With 2022 mock drafts slowly beginning to fill our social media feeds, it’s never too early to look prepare for next April.
Some names that I have seen gain traction early are Evan Neal from Alabama and Rasheed Walker from Penn State
Neal is an interesting prospect. Standing at a massive 6’7″, 350 pounds, has actually played guard and tackle for the Crimson Tide. Neal appears to be the best OL prospect for the 2022 draft, so he may be out of the Broncos’ reach, but a tackle duo of Garett Bolles and Even Neal would be absolutely nasty.
The second player who I have seen mentioned a few times is Rasheed Walker from Penn State. Walker stands at 6’6″, 320 pounds, and is set to begin his redshirt junior year for the Nittany Lions.
His draft profile from Pro Football Network is very impressive, concluding that he is perhaps the best tackle prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft.
As we progress further into the season, we’ll start to see some of these players up close.
The Denver Broncos haven’t invested much into their right tackle situation in the draft, so it’ll be interesting to see how George Paton approaches the position this offseason.
Personally, I could not care less who the long-term option at right tackle ends up being, as long as they can play.
The Broncos have a chance to take this team to the next level. Some of John Elway’s final draft picks are turning out to be excellent players, and the team is set to have a lot of cap space next year.
The team is set up to contend for the long-term, and it’s imperative that the last couple of question marks get answered–quarterback is obvious, but having a viable right tackle is something that cannot be overlooked.