After having analyzed the Denver Broncos options on the interior offensive line in the 2018 NFL Draft, we’re getting into the offensive tackle class.

Even with the addition of veteran Jared Veldheer, the Broncos need to ensure they have a deeper rotation and more youth at offensive tackle next season. The addition of Garett Bolles in last years draft doesn’t change that, as the right side is still a huge question mark long-term.

While there might not be any options at five, there’s some decent depth in this class, and plenty of options for the Broncos from round two and beyond.

We’ve already addressed the need areas at quarterback, running back, receivers and tight ends, and inside linebacker as well, so click on those links if you need to get caught up.

Let’s get into the OTs.

Trade-down options

Connor Williams, OT/G, Texas

Williams was the best left tackle in all of college football back in 2016. Better than Garett Bolles, Ryan Ramczyk, or Cam Robinson, who all went high in last years draft and had pretty good rookie seasons. 

In adapting to a new offense, Williams struggled to start off the year and then got injured mid-season in 2017, forcing his stock to take a real hit. Maybe more detrimental to his draft status is his arm length—on the short side at 33 inches—which is a concern for some. With that being said, it’s the same exact arm length that Jared Veldheer possesses, so that might be a bit overblown.

Williams isn’t a realistic candidate at pick No. 5, but he would be a tremendous pick if the Broncos were to trade down and snatch him up in the later part of the first round. 

Day-two options

There are other potential tackles we could talk about here, like Mike McGlinchey or Kolton Miller, but they don’t feel like targets for the Broncos, as they’re very likely to go in the mid-to-late first round. They are, however, another couple of names to keep an eye on.

Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

Brown’s stock has taken a huge hit after a disastrous combine, in which he put up truly poor numbers. At 6-foot-8 and 345 pounds, no one would’ve expected him to perform well, but given how poorly he showed, his lack of athleticism is troublesome.

On film, he shows more mobility than you’d expect, especially when put on the move, where he can toss people around.

He uses his length extraordinarily well in pass protection and was a high-level performer in college. He’ll simply engulf defenders once he gets his hands on them, and is hard to get around in pass protection, thanks to his size. 

The big issue with Brown is his conditioning, as he can get tired and starts to get sloppy with his footwork, which completely ruins him.

Bill Musgrave’s offense utilized some big tackles like Austin Howard back with the Oakland Raiders, and Brown would fit that mold. Though he’s certainly not for everyone, as a pick in the third round, he could present good value. 

Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State

Rankin, like Bolles, is a former JUCO transfer, who burst onto the NFL scene with a couple really solid seasons in the SEC. Particularly in 2017, he showed significant improvement starting at left tackle for the Bulldogs.

He has a strong base that allows him to create easy push in the run game, while his technique and balance seemed much improved. In pass protection, he still needs to refine some things—much like Bolles—but has some nice movement skills.

His length isn’t great, however, which makes him a bit of a question mark at tackle in the NFL, with some projecting him at center. His potential role versatility is appealing, and his road-grader mentality could make him a very intriguing right tackle, with the option to move inside if he doesn’t play well enough as an OT.

Like many of these day two prospects, he’d be a bit of a reach in the early second round, but could be a nice pickup by the early third. There’s a lot of room for him to grow still.

Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon

We saw Crosby live when watching Josh Allen against Oregon this season, and then got another full viewing of him down in Mobile.

He won’t fill highlight reels with his movement skills, but he is a smooth mover with good athleticism in pass protection. He might suffer against the top edge rushers he’ll face, but he’s certainly a good athlete, as he confirmed at the combine.

Crosby’s big selling point—and you might be seeing a trend here—is his run blocking, as he stays low to the ground, has a really strong base, and is a true people mover. At 325 pounds, he’s simply a handful for opposing defenders to take on. 

If converted to guard, I could see him becoming a high-end player, but he has the size and athleticism to be tried out at tackle first. In a sense, he’s an unspectacular prospect, though, he’s a surefire starter at guard at the very worst, so he’s a safe pick.

Jamarco Jones, OT, Ohio State

Jones is really interesting, as the tape’s never matched his true potential or the flashes he’s shown, though he made significant strides by the end of the year. He has tons of upside, though he was a bit underwhelming at the combine.

Jones has good length and has a bit of a nasty streak in the running game. His physicality is really promising, and he doesn’t need as much work as others. He can battle in pass protection, too, with room to grow.

Once he puts things together, he could be a really interesting starter. He simply looks the part and would be a really intriguing pick in the top 100. Who knows, he might just become Denver’s right tackle of the future.

Brian O’Neil, OT, Pittsburgh

O’Neil is full of upside and played well against Bradley Chubb when he faced off with the presumptive top edge rusher of the class. He’s also an elite athlete at the position. Not to mention, he’s a very smart kid and impressed me when I spoke to him at the Senior Bowl.

The problem is he has very uneven tape and isn’t the strongest in his upper body—his hand technique must improve. O’Neil’s regularly had issues anchoring against powerful lineman and being aggressive at the point of attack. He also has trouble holding his own on run blocks. He was fairly disappointing at the Senior Bowl, getting regularly beat on one-on-one drills, showing the same issues he’d shown on tape. 

His upside is significant, but he’s a classic boom-or-bust prospect. He’ll likely go fairly high in the draft and would be a risky, but intriguing, selection for the Broncos.

Will Richardson, RT, NC State

Richardson is a natural right tackle who can really get things done as a run blocker. He has a wide base and can create some nice holes for the ground game. The big NC State tackle also has great length, which allows him to be quite serviceable in pass protection.

He doesn’t have great upside, is limited to playing on the right side, and can be a bit sloppy with his footwork at times, too, but Richardson could be a decent starter who plugs a big hole on the Broncos line, even if he’s unspectacular. 

Geron Christian, OT, Louisville

Christian has great length, with massive arms and enticing upside. Though, like O’Neil, he’ll likely get over drafted based on potential. His tape was uneven on a pretty bad line for Louisville this season, and he can get sloppy with his footwork. 

Christian can also overextend in pass protection and isn’t always a road grader against the run. His athleticism is not great for NFL standards, either.

However, he’s got the tools to start at left tackle, which should raise his stock and make offensive line coaches pound the table for his selection.

Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan

Okorafor made a name for himself in 2016 as he started at left tackle—forcing Carolina Panthers’ second rounder, Taylor Moton, to play on the right side. His claim to fame is holding his own a year ago against T.J. Watt, in their bowl game. 

His 2017 tape isn’t nearly as impressive, as he looked sloppy at times. He didn’t show a great kick step or good bend in pass protection. He also didn’t have the best combine, but he moves well on tape when he’s got his lower body working right and has enough upside still to go in the top 100.

If he can get back to his 2016 form, he could be a steal, but I’m skeptical.

Lesser known sleepers

Desmond Harrison, OT, West Georgia

There’s a fairly deep group of small-school tackles in this class with noticeable upside and intrigue—wether it is Wagner’s Greg Senat, Humboldt State’s Alex Cappa, or Stony Brook’s Timon Paris. However, no one stands out more than Harrison, who’s a special athlete and plays with truly nasty intentions.

Watch his film, and it’s easy to see how he’s still raw, but man, this guy tries to impose his will on every single play. He’s just a brawler who plays football in a different way, seeking out physical contact all game long. 

More appealing, Harrison is a really promising athlete who ran a sub-five second 40-yard dash. Combine his mentality and athleticism, and you’re talking about a raw prospect who could turn out to be the best tackle of the group in a few seasons.

A pick in the top 100 seems very warranted, and Denver might want to pull the trigger in the early third round to ensure they get him. 

Joseph Noteboom, OT, TCU

Noteboom won’t blow anyone away, but he’s very sound in just about all areas and promises to be an underrated starter, who can be found in the later rounds. He has good size and surprised at the combine running a sub-five second 40-yard dash.

Noteboom looked pretty good at the Senior Bowl, making few mistakes. If he lasts into the fourth or fifth round, he’d be a nice pick for Denver. He could start off as a swing tackle and be turned into a starter down the road.

He’s one of the few day-three tackles who could actually be developed into a starter at the position.