Finding Broncos: Atonio Mafi | IOL

Measurements

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 338 pounds
Arms: 32-5/8 inches
Hands: 10-3/8 inches

Pros

Plenty of power to Mafi's game
Strength is in his upper and lower body
He loves to finish blocks and has the right attitude
Showed quick development to settle in on offense, after starting as a nose tackle
Has a wide body that makes it hard to get by him with limited space
Has the grip strength to latch onto defenders
Has a strong anchor to give up push to leverage, even with a higher pad level
Does well climbing vertically, even with his feet not being quick
Does a great job of coming to balance before contact on the move
Has plenty of instances on tape of effectively blocking two defenders with his size, mass, and power
When he anchors, the rep is done for the defender 90% of the time
Fires off the snap quickly
Plays with good lower body bend and balance

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Cons

Pad level is inconsistent and needs to be corrected
Doesn't have great lateral agility, which could limit his scheme versatility
His feet are heavy and lumbering
Powerful punch, but the placement hurts the effectiveness
Hand technique is a mess
Has had issues keeping his weight in check, with 330-340 lbs being the ideal spot
Lacks versatility in scheme and position

Overview

Mafi is a powerfully built guard who doesn't offer up scheme versatility. However, there is enough to start him immediately in a gap scheme.

Mafui is a big man who generates a lot of drive with his lower body strength at the point of attack. His pass protection is still a work in progress, with improvement needed with his hand technique. He wasn't a full-time starter on offense until 2022, when he allowed three sacks and 18 pressures.

Mafi switched to offense in 2020 but only played 105 snaps before splitting time in 2021, so there is a lack of general experience on the offensive side of the ball.

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos must rework their offensive line with at least three new starters. There is also a focus on improving the running game to help take the pressure off Russell Wilson. Mafi can be precisely what the Broncos need to replace Dalton Risner as the left guard.

Head coach Sean Payton runs a mixture of schemes on offense, but he has loved power on the inside of his units. With the pieces the Broncos have, they're built for a gap scheme, which is ideal for Mafi. He is also a plug-and-play option in that scheme.

Mafi wouldn't be ideal for when Payton mixes in outsize zone concepts, but he won't be a complete hindrance, though not ideal. It would give Denver a pair of maulers in the run game to generate push in the middle. Mafi wasn't invited to the NFL Combine, so who knows where he gets drafted, but he currently projects as a late-Day 2 or early-Day 3 prospect.

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