Broncos Draft Wisconsin-Whitewater OL Quinn Meinerz at Pick 98 in Round 3
After trading back twice in the third round of the NFL draft, the Denver Broncos finally settled in and made a pick, selecting Wisconsin interior offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz at pick 98.
It's hard enough to garner NFL attention as a small-school prospect but Meinerz had to agonize over the Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater 2020 football season being canceled due to the pandemic and how that might affect his draft stock this year. Fortunately, he stayed in shape and continued to grind through what was a very tumultuous 2020 calendar year.
The opportunity to really prove that missing the 2020 college football season didn't impact him negatively as an NFL prospect came when Meinerz received an invitation to compete in the Reese's Senior Bowl. Once there, and under the tutelage and scrutiny of NFL coaches, GMs, and scouts, the kid from Hartford, MI, knocked it out of the park.
Mile High Huddle's Luke Patterson was there on-location to see Meinerz compete up-close in Mobile, AL. What Patterson gleaned from watching Meinerz for a whole week's worth of practices going against the best senior defensive line talent in the country, most of whom hailed from elite D1 schools, helps illuminate why the Broncos took a small-schooler with a premium-round pick.
Meinerz has an elite level of awareness that allows him to utilize his raw strength to move grown men against their will. Many times, the former Warhawk commanded the huddle and set the tone for the entire practice. In the pit where offensive and defensive linemen work multiple drills including one-on-ones, Meinerz dominated in almost every aspect from pass protection to run blocking.
His powerful punch, hand replacement, and lower body drive allow him to not only absorb larger defenders but keep them at bay. In team drills, it was evident that all of the National Team’s running backs preferred to run behind center during inside handoffs.
Meinerz has a lot of similarities to Colorado native and Super Bowl-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneer center Ryan Jensen. Meinerz has a lot of versatility and could easily play guard in addition to center.
Meinerz’s fundamentals and technique are impressive, but it’s his controlled aggression and high motor that have the scouting community buzzing. This reinforces the fact that talent can come from anywhere, including from universities and players that you might not have heard of.
Patteron's insight matches that of MHH's senior draft analyst Erick Trickel, who ranked Meinerz as his No. 5 interior O-line prospect in the entire 2021 class. Meinerz enters an O-line room in Denver teeming with talent.
He'll have to compete with the likes of 2020 third-rounder Lloyd Cushenberry III and sixth-rounder Netane Muti for a seat at the table. But if the Broncos' interior trio repeats with the same lineup in 2021, with Dalton Risner, Cushenberry, and Graham Glasgow, Meinerz will serve as one handy depth piece to go along with Muti as Denver's swing guys.
Depending on the future of Risner and Glasgow resolve over the next two years, the Broncos have a talented guard duo waiting in the wings to potentially grasp the torch and carry it forward under O-line coach Mike Munchak.
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