Examining the Broncos' Best Option at Center for 2022
The center of an offensive line tends to get little to no recognition, that is unless he doesn't pull his weight.
With Russell Wilson leading the Broncos, he’ll need someone he can trust snapping him the ball. Who on the roster has the best chance to start and lead the Broncos offensive line?
Lloyd Cushenberry has been the Broncos' starting center for the last two seasons and has been a mediocre option. While his availability isn’t in question, his caliber of play leaves much to be desired. His lack of strength allows more powerful interior rushers to dominate him.
He was a bottom-three center for most of his rookie campaign and slightly improved last year to bottom 5-10, which isn’t very encouraging. However, new quarterback Russell Wilson’s endorsement is encouraging, and he's got that. Now Lloyd needs to show up and show out at training camp.
Graham Glasgow is a versatile option on the interior of the o-line. He only missed two games for the four years he played in Detroit at guard and center. The same can’t be said for his tenure with Denver.
He missed three games in 2020 and 10 more the following year due to a season-ending ankle injury in a win against Dallas. Glasgow also suffered from A-fib, an irregular heartbeat, during Week 1.
When he's on the field, he is an excellent pass blocker, ranking third in pass-blocking efficiency by Pro Football Focus in 2020. Something else worth noting is his 6-foot-6 stature could factor into him not getting the starting nod because of Wilson's height … or lack thereof.
Luke Wattenberg was selected in the third round of this year's draft. Wattenberg played left guard and center during his time with the Washington Huskies. His athleticism and aggression make him an intriguing option.
In the run game, his aggression is front and center (no pun intended) where he consistently climbs to the next level to take on defenders. While he has some desirable tools, he’ll likely spend a year developing in Hackett’s system.
Denver doesn’t have the sexiest options at the center, but we are talking about the pivot position. Cushenberry is likely the starter for the 2022 season due to his availability and his improvement last year — albeit minimal but an improvement nonetheless.
But Cushenberry must step up to at least a top-20 center if he wishes to keep his starting gig going forward.
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