For a few years now, the Denver Broncos have been built through the trenches on both sides of the football. In typical Sean Payton fashion, he values controlling the line of scrimmage and having a stable and dependable running game, which necessitates a strong group blocking for his running backs and quarterback.
With an emphasis on controlling the line of scrimmage, the Broncos have constructed the best and most consistent offensive line in football. With three homegrown starters, only one of whom was a first-round selection, and two home-run free agency signings, Denver’s line is the deepest in the game. This past season, Denver had two All-Pro starters in Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz.
After only starting five offensive linemen last year, the Broncos needed to dip into their reserves this year. In total, the Broncos started nine offensive linemen this year, and almost needed a tenth for the AFC title game. The group needed to put more in this year than they did last year,
Assigning grades for key Broncos offensive linemen
Offensive Tackles Garret Bolles and Mike McGlinchey: A+
The strength of the Broncos' offensive line this year was their duo of starting tackles, which might have been the best in all of football. Bolles was an All-Pro, a finalist for the new Protector of the Year Award, and saw the most success of his Broncos career. On the opposite side of the line, Mike McGlinchey was once again one of the best run blocking tackles in football, and this year produced a better pass blocking season than he typically does.
Offensive Guards Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz: A-
Much like Bolles, Meinerz was an All-Pro yet again in 2025. He has cemented himself as arguably the best guard in all of football, and his protection up the middle is a major reason that Bo Nix was the least sacked 17-game starting quarterback this season. Ben Powers performed well this year, but missed half of the season due to injury. Had he been able to stay on the field, this grade could have been higher for the Broncos' guards.
Center Luke Wattenberg: B
Luke Wattenberg is not exactly a super-inspiring option at center, but he is solid and seemingly has a strong rapport with Nix. His solid work was rewarded with a new four-year deal that pays him $12 million a season, a modest price for a solid starting center. Like Powers, he missed a few games this season but returned before the season ended.
Backups Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski: B-
When injury necessitated, the Broncos turned to Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski for extended runs of starts. Palczewski started ten games for the Broncos this season, all of them coming in relief of Powers. His work was fairly strong and could allow the Broncos to move on from Powers ahead of free agency to save cap space. As for Forsyth, the drop off from Palczewski was noticeable, but he was solid enough that it didn't cost the Broncos any games.