Breaking down the Broncos' offensive line options in the 2019 NFL Draft

As we continue to go through our position previews for the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s time to take on one of the biggest need areas on the Denver Broncos roster, the offensive line.

With often-injured and highly-paid left guard Ronald Leary struggling to stay on the field and two huge question marks at center and right guard, adding depth and competition is a must for the Broncos in the three days of the draft. 

Beyond guard and center, the Broncos have two unknowns at tackle, as Garett Bolles has shown flashes but also been maddeningly inconsistent on the left side, while new addition Ja’Wuan James is a seasoned vet, but far from a sure thing in his first season in Orange & Blue. Having a long-term replacement for either would be wise.

With all that, here are 15 names Denver should consider to finally fix their line, with an eye on the interior.

Two for the price of one

Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

There isn’t a better investment to be made on the offensive line for the Broncos than Williams, who would solve a multitude of problems.

Easily the best lineman in college football the last two seasons, Williams is a rock-solid, smooth blocker, with movement skills and versatility. That versatility is where so much of his value lies in Denver, as he could immediately upgrade the right guard position and be a nice insurance policy at left tackle if Bolles doesn’t improve in year three.

The first-team All American is consistently balanced, with strong hands and plenty of ability in pass protection. He started as a true freshman at Alabama—a rare feat—and made a smooth transition to the left side where he’s anchored the Tide’s line for the past two seasons.

Williams would likely be gone before the Broncos 10th selection if not for his 33 5/8 inch arms, which are on the short side, but not so short that he’ll have to play inside. He also didn’t test off the charts in Indianapolis but has shown plenty of athleticism to play in a zone-blocking scheme. The more concerning thing about Williams is that he’s not a true mauler and isn’t an otherworldly athlete, but he’s as solid as they come and could patch up holes on all five spots of an offensive line, despite not having a truly elite trait.

He’d be far from the sexiest pick the Broncos could make at 10 but would allow Denver to instantly upgrade their blocking up front, and not have to worry about fixing their tackle position in the future, no small feat.

Dalton Risner, RT, Kansas State

The under-recruited Wiggins, Colorado product is one of the best stories in the draft, after getting to Manhattan, Kansas, redshirting for a year, starting at center and right tackle, earning All-American honors and the 2018 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year award.

Risner is also a three-year captain—which should be particularly appealing for Denver—and one of the most engaging prospects in this entire draft. He plays with a nasty streak, will do damage when blocking on the second level, and has adequate length with a solid base and balance in pass protection.

Unlike Williams, he doesn’t profile to be elite enough in pass pro to play left tackle but could patch holes at the four other spots on the line. He’d be an ideal guard but showed enough against top competition on tape, and at the Senior Bowl, to stay at right tackle and be a strong starter.

Risner’s versatility makes him very enticing as does his upside as a center or guard. He’d be a prime target in a trade-up scenario from 41, and a fine pick, if by some miracle, he were to drop.

While Risner and Williams could be outstanding if converted inside, and still have the ability to play tackle, tackles like Andre Dillard or Jaawan Taylor, who are ranked in the same range as Williams, don’t have the same versatility, which is why we’re not mentioning them here in this position preview. They’re also most likely to be taken too high for the Broncos to trade up to get them and would be too rich at 10.

The perfect fit

Garrett Bradbury, OC, NC State

The top center in the country, Bradbury is the perfect fit for Rich Scangarello’s zone-blocking scheme, with otherworldly athleticism for the position. There isn’t another interior lineman that comes close to the Wolfpack leader as a second-level blocker.

Bradbury is a hard-nosed competitor with outstanding lateral mobility to get to his spots in wide-zone looks and could even play guard at the next level, as long as he’s in the right scheme.

He carries a first-round grade for us and should be a lock to go in the top 30 picks— especially with all the Sean McVay disciples around the league running more zone—he’d be an ideal target in a trade-up from 41 or a trade-down at 10.

Options on day two

Chris Lindstrom, OG, Boston College

A true mauler who’s absolutely dominated the pre-draft process, Lindstrom has proved he’s more than just a power blocker and is scheme versatile with intriguing lateral mobility. He’ll need to work on getting to the second level and destroying defenders in space, but there are some promising skills there.

He’s simply nasty and is as strong as they come off the line, creating easy push. Lindstrom is offensive-tackle sized, a position he played just before this past season, and very competent in pass protection. He did some of his best work against Clemson’s talented front. Just watch him here at right guard, as he takes on a blitzer and then anchors the best nose tackle in the draft class on 3rd-and-15.

If Lindstrom were to drop to the second round, he’d be an immediate upgrade over right guard Elijah Wilkinson, profiling as an immediate starter.

Erik McCoy, OC, Texas A&M

McCoy is another combine and Senior Bowl standout who had a solid season last year, though he might be a bit overrated after his pre-draft showings.

He’s a solid blocker who’s had his flashes against some of the best competition he’s faced but also looked less mobile than how he tested. The talent’s there, but he has to refine areas like his awareness when picking up extra rushers and balance.

He has ideal size to play either center or guard and the raw skills to be a high-end starter on the interior for years to come, with the upside for more if developed by a top offensive-line coach. 

Elgton Jenkins, OC, Mississippi State

Jenkins was the best center in the SEC last season and is fluid in space when blocking at the second level, which makes him particularly appealing in the Mile High City.

He’s also strong at the point of attack, has a stout frame and could easily profile at guard, as well. His mobility, balance, and awareness in pass protection, all key traits for a center, are impressive as well.

His stock seems to be all over the place right now, and while he wouldn’t be one of the flashiest picks to go on day two, he could easily become a high-end starter for a decade who ends up having a better career than some of the more hyped prospects on this list.

Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State

Howard was impressive at the Senior Bowl for a small-school kid who needed to look good, showing off his length, mobility, and balance in pass protection and some decent strength at the point of attack.

He’s a former high-school quarterback who played both tackle spots with an impressive IQ. His stock is soaring right now, and he might not even be available by the Broncos early round-two selection after an eye-opening combine.

He’s another swing tackle option who could be plugged in at guard in his first year and groomed to be a bookend in the near future. He has a high ceiling, though he comes with some risk and wasn’t always the most consistent in college.

Beau Benzschawel, OG, Wisconsin

One of three Wisconsin lineman who could go in the top-100 picks, Benzschawel has been durable—49 consecutive career starts—and received a multitude of awards including back-to-back All-American honors.

Wisconsin’s right guard is hard-nosed and vicious on the move, where he’s a standout run blocker. He has a long frame that will help him in pass protection but lacks a bit of lateral quickness, which hurt him when he faced more nimble defensive linemen.

Connor McGovern, OG, Penn State

McGovern, who is unrelated to the Broncos starting center, has very intriguing upside and has shown tremendous flashes throughout his career, though never fully living up to his lofty expectations.

Having started at center and right guard, he’s versatile and was an anchor for the Nittany Lions offense, especially as a run blocker. His length and athleticism make him very intriguing for Denver’s scheme, though as a junior who declared early he’ll need to be coached up. Fellow Penn-State man Mike Munchak would certainly be up to that task.

Dru Samia, OG, Oklahoma

Samia comes from Lincoln Riley’s explosive offense, where he was put on the move a ton and simply destroyed linebackers in space. A very powerful run blocker, Samia isn’t the most athletic and has a compact build.

His performance in the National Semifinal against Alabama left something to be desired as he’s not the most fleet-footed pass protector and was even overpowered by Quentin Williams and Co. on a handful of occasions.

Michael Deiter, OL, Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s starting left tackle in 2017, Deiter made the transition to guard and was solid last year. His upside in pass protection is very appealing much like his versatility, as he could essentially play in any of the five spots on the line.

In games where the Badgers couldn’t simply run the ball down defense’s throats, Deiter didn’t always look clean, as his balance suffered and he doesn’t have the most powerful anchor. His upside as a tackle is his greatest selling point, as he isn’t a mauler at guard. He’ll need to be developed but would be an intriguing fit in Denver’s new scheme. 

Michael Jordan, OC, Ohio State

Jordan is another Big Ten lineman on the list who had a quietly strong season as the Buckeyes starting center. He has great size for the position and is powerful at the point of attack, with a strong anchor in pass protection where he can simply engulf opposing defenders.

As a true junior, he started 41 consecutive games and was part of some incredible teams at Ohio State from 2016-to-2018. Jordan’s a fantastic athlete with traits that would translate well at guard too. He might not come with the fanfare others on the list have but could be a steal on day two and projects to be a solid starter with the upside for more—here he is getting to the second level and taking down Devin Bush who still manages to make a tackle off the ground.

Chuma Edoga, RT, USC

Edoga had an up and down career with the Trojans but has helped himself a lot in the pre-draft process. Starting at right tackle in the Pac-12, he projects best at guard, though he has the adequate athleticism to stick at tackle if developed.

He has the requisite length and some very intriguing upside as an athletic blocker who’d fit well in a zone scheme.

Day-three gems

Casey Tucker, OG, Arizona State

We scouted Tucker live this season, in a showing where the former five-star offensive tackle represented himself well at left guard for the Sun Devils.

Tucker is a mauler with ideal size and a bit of a nasty streak. He’s a graduate transfer who never quite lived up to the recruiting hype he had as a top-tackle at Stanford. His pedigree is easy to see and playing inside seems to have really revived him. His run blocking is unquestioned, and given his size and strength, he can be solid in pass protection too. 

Gavin Wiggins, LG, Youngstown State

Wiggins is an absolute unknown in mainstream draft circles but was impossible to miss when watching him against Khalen Saunders and Western Illinois. Wiggins is a no-nonsense offensive lineman who doesn’t look the smoothest but gets the job done and can really overpower finesse lineman.

When put on the move, Wiggins mauled defenders at the second-level and his pro day results confirm that he’s a strong athlete. He checks off lots of boxes and would be a valuable depth piece early on, who could be developed into a starter once he adjusts to the big step up in competition coming from the FCS.