ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Yep, you read the headline right. Garett Bolles. All-Pro.
And this shouldn’t be a debate either.
The case for Garett Bolles to be an All-Pro is simple. He was arguably the best offensive tackle in the NFL. At worst, he was a top-four offensive tackle in the league. And there are four offensive tackles given All-Pro honors every year.
Bolles has gone 572 pass plays this season without giving up a sack, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s by far the longest sack-less streak in the NFL for a tackle.
The former first-round pick has allowed only five hurries. That’s one hurry every three games. To put that in perspective, Pro Bowl tackle Eric Fisher has allowed over four times that.
Pressures? Same story. Bolles has allowed 13 pressures through 16 weeks. Pro Bowl tackle Fisher has allowed nearly triple that number. Only David Bakhtiari has allowed fewer pressures than Bolles among Pro Bowl tackles this year.
End of story. All-Pro Garett Bolles.
But, of course, there is more.
Bolles wasn’t just a top tackle this year. His performance in 2020 has graded out as one of the best single seasons for a tackle in the NFL over the past five years.
Since 2015—the season the Broncos won Super Bowl 50—only two of the 20 All-Pro tackles haven’t given up a sack for an entire year. With an All-Pro nod this year and one more clean game on Sunday, Bolles would be the third.
Entering the final week of the season, Bolles’ five hurries allowed is tied for the fewest among all 20 All-Pro tackles in the past five years. In fact, Ronnie Stanley (5) in 2019 and Bakhtiari (9) in 2017 are the only two that allowed single-digit hurries in their All-Pro seasons.
To no surprise, Bolles is also among the best of the All-Pros since 2015 in pressures allowed. Through 15 games, Bolles has allowed 13 pressures. Only Stanley (6) in 2019 and Bakhtiari (12) in 2017 had fewer.
No. 72 in Orange & Blue is having a season for the half-decade. It’s easy to give him his due for 2020.
He’s graded out as the crème de la crème too.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bolles has the fourth-best overall tackle grade among All-Pro selections since the 2015 season. Protecting three different quarterbacks—or four including Kendall Hinton—he’s had the ninth-best pass grade in that time span. His run grade is in the top three too.
Bolles hasn’t had a cakewalk to a fantastic season, either. He’s gone up against teams with the likes of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros Jadeveon Clowney, Shaq Barrett and Joey Bosa, to name a few.
The 28-year old could very well follow in the footsteps of his fellow teammate Justin Simmons. Last year, much like Bolles in 2020, Simmons was snubbed from his first Pro Bowl. Weeks later, he was named an All-Pro. Bolles could be staring at the exact same situation as Simmons one year delayed.
After signing Bolles to a four-year, $68 million contract on Nov. 28, John Elway would love it if his first-round tackle followed the same path as Simmons and topped off an All-Pro honor this year with a Pro Bowl season in 2021.
This year, Garett Bolles has already made his case. He’s worthy of being an All-Pro.
