Two Solutions to the Broncos' Left Tackle Woes Revealed
John Elway and the Denver Broncos have to make a change. Well, they have to make multiple changes, but the one I am talking about is at left tackle.
Garett Bolles lacks any sort of consistency to be relied upon as a future left tackle in Denver. The Broncos need better and more consistent play from the position going forward.
Now, I am in the mindset that Denver shouldn’t just give up on Bolles and cut him after this year. The Broncos should keep him as a backup, and see if Mike Munchak can actually develop him. Of course, Denver shouldn’t pick up Bolles' fifth-year option and if he doesn’t start getting things together in year four, let him go in 2021.
Basically, Bolles has shown enough flashes to merit the exploration of whether the team can help get him more consistent and be a good offensive lineman. I doubt that happens, but it is worth giving him a shot, while he backs up the other offensive tackles.
Because let’s face it, Denver’s tackle depth is atrocious. At least Bolles has experience as a starter and has had flashes of good play.
Denver doesn’t have anyone on the roster to take over the left tackle spot, which speaks to the team's depth issues. This is a huge need, and thankfully there are some great tackle prospects in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. Hopefully, the Broncos can land one of them.
At the top of the class, you find Georgia's Andrew Thomas and Iowa's Tristan Wirfs. They are the top two tackles in the class, and the order draftniks have them in will vary. They each have their pros that are worthy of that top spot, but also their cons that make them not so worthy of No. 1 status.
A lot of where Thomas and Wirfs get ranked will be decided basically by preference. I prefer Thomas because I view him as a bit safer of a pick, and farther along technically than Wirfs, as well as having more experience at left tackle than Wirfs, and the transition from right to left is harder than some fans think.
Thomas has good versatility, which doesn’t get mentioned because he is viewed as a franchise left tackle, but he has the skills to move elsewhere if he doesn’t cut it at left tackle for some reason.
Meanwhile, my colleague Nick Kendell has Wirfs as his No. 1 offensive tackle. Kendell's take was, “While Thomas may have the bump from better exposure and better technique, Wirfs is the better prospect. From positional versatility, projecting at any offensive line spot besides center, to scheme versatility, equally viable in zone or gap, on top of being one of the best athletes in the entire game, Wirfs' upside under Munchak is close to limitless.”
These tackles are a step above the rest, and the Broncos could do a lot worse than end up with one of them. Landing either of them would be a huge step not just for the offensive line, but the offense as a whole.
It would be a step toward building the nest around Drew Lock in 2020, which I talked about last week. For my full insight on Thomas and Wirfs, watch the video above.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
