The Denver Broncos roster might just be the best in the NFL, and there is still the 2026 NFL Draft left to make some more notable changes. In the free agency market, Denver could also make some strides there as well following the draft.
After trading for Jaylen Waddle, Denver does not have a first or a third-round pick this year. While it's not ideal that Denver's draft capital is limited, adding someone like Waddle was a huge, needle-moving trade that is going to work out immediately.
Besides the obvious needs like tight end, running back, and inside linebacker, which are once again the weakest positions on the roster, Denver should also seek to target this forgotten position as a very sad reality slowly creeps up.
Denver Broncos stud left tackle Garett Bolles is getting older and will need to be replaced at some point
As good as Garett Bolles was in 2025 for the Broncos, he's not only getting up there in age, but the Broncos have also not drafted an offensive tackle since Bolles himself, way back in 2017. Bolles, set to play in his age-34 season in 2026, was one of the worst left tackles in the NFL across his first three seasons.
A switch flipped in 2020, though, as Bolles earned second-team All-Pro honors and established himself as one of the league's best. Ever since then, Bolles has been a top left tackle in the NFL, having his best season in 2025, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.
He's not missed a game since the 2022 season, and he's always been an elite athlete for the position. Frankly, Bolles plays a lot younger than he really is, but Father Time is undefeated, and while there's no reason to believe his play is going to regress in 2026, he's soon hitting his mid-30s.
Bolles has over 130 career games under his belt and does have a lot of tread on the tires. Broadly, though, Denver's draft strategy at the tackle position has been a bit odd. Despite fielding one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, they've taken just one tackle since the 2017 NFL Draft.
Not only is this not sustainble, but even Mike McGlinchey is getting up there in age. Without the first-round pick, though, Denver may have to opt for more developmental prospects at the position, which still could work out.
Bolles himself may still have multiple years of high-end play left, so his sustained success could still afford Denver more time to find an eventual succession plan. We've seen this team hit a home run with developing draft picks in Luke Wattenberg and Quinn Meinerz, and given that the tackle spots are more important, simply getting a prospect into the building could already be seen as a win.
Not only are the tackle spots worth monitoring, but left guard Ben Powers is a free agent following the season. The Broncos offensive line has been great in each year of the Sean Payton era that I almost think we just assume it's going to remain that way. And as of now, the Broncos are primed to field the same starting five along the offensive line for the third year in a row, which is bonkers.
There is going to be a transition along this unit in the near future, and with Bolles' situation specifically, it's definitely a sad reality that will soon develop. He's an aging player and someone the Broncos have to begin preparing for life after.