The Denver Broncos have proven they can beat the best of the best, so facing a brutal six-game stretch to start off the 2026 season isn't the end of the world. But if they're going to thrive during that six-game stretch, one area of the team is going to help make it happen more than the others: The offensive line.
The Broncos have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and enviable continuity. Almost the entire offensive line for the Broncos has been together since the 2023 season, and this will be their third full season together as a starting five unit. The Broncos not only have continuity on their offensive line, but they have top-tier players as well.
ESPN's Mike Clay, a senior NFL writer and prognosticator, recently ranked all 32 NFL offensive lines along with each individual offensive lineman for every team. His conclusions should give every Denver Broncos fan confidence about the team's start of the season, which includes six of the best opponents the NFL could have thrown at Denver.
ESPN calls Denver Broncos' offensive line the best in the NFL entering 2026
Current 2026 NFL Offensive Line projected starters: pic.twitter.com/oGq7k4anGY
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 12, 2026
If you open up Clay's graphic here and look closely at the Broncos, you'll see the unit is rated #1 in the league overall, and that every player up front is well above the league average (5.0). The lowest-rated player on the Broncos' offensive line is starting guard Ben Powers, whose absence last season was notable when he went down with a biceps injury that required two months to recover from.
And it makes a lot of sense that the Broncos have the #1 ranked offensive line in the NFL, because the Broncos have invested over $96 million in average annual value in their offensive line, the 2nd-most in the entire league (per Spotrac).
What's become abundantly clear from the start of the Sean Payton era is that investing in the offensive line is a non-negotiable. Payton is of the belief that the offensive line permeates through the entire building, and if that's a weak link on the team, it's going to affect every other part of the operation.
Frankly, he's correct.
We've seen the Denver Broncos overcome one of the most egregious dead cap hits in NFL history over the past two seasons with an offensive line that is outstanding and a quarterback who complements them really well with his ability to avoid getting sacked.
The Broncos' first six games of the 2026 season are against the Chiefs, Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Chargers, and Seahawks. There is not a team in the NFL with a tougher stretch of six games to open the season, so much so that Colin Cowherd is of the opinion that the NFL is punishing Sean Payton for some reason.
And for the Broncos to weather that storm, and even find success in that stretch, they are going to need the offensive line to live up to this lofty billing as the best in the NFL.