Broncos Draft Mississippi State DL Marquiss Spencer with Pick 253 in Round 7
The Denver Broncos punctuated the 2021 NFL draft by bolstering the defensive line. With pick 253 in the seventh round, the Broncos selected Mississippi State's Marquiss Spencer.
At 6-foot-4 and 301 pounds, Spencer brings some interesting talent to the table but he comes with some weight-management concerns and a hit-or-miss motor. However, he finished the 2020 season with 17 stops, 8.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble. He even picked off a pass.
Under the wing of Broncos' venerated D-line coach Bill Kollar, Spencer will soon face a do-or-die situation where a lackluster motor will not be tolerated. If any team can make something of Spencer, it's the Broncos for the reason alone.
Spencer will join a D-line in Denver that has some top-heavy talent in Shelby Harris, Mike Purcell, and Dre'Mont Jones at the top, with 2020 third-rounder McTelvin Agim, Shamar Stephen, Deshawn Williams, Deyon Sizer, Isaiah Mack, and Jonathan Harris.
Defensive linemen typically thrive under Kollar, true, but also under the schematic acumen of head coach Vic Fangio. Kollar helped turn Malik Jackson into a Pro Bowler and World Champ, extracted Derek Wolfe's best seasons, and was a big proponent of Shelby Harris becoming a top-tier free agent whom the Broncos ultimately paid.
There's no guarantee Spencer's trajectory will follow but if anyone can mine the utmost out of his potential, it's the combined coaching expertise of Kollar and Fangio.
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