Broncos GM Shares Vision for Rookie Offensive Lineman

A position-flexible player.

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo (OL26) during the / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Gargiulo was announced as an offensive guard when his 2024 NFL Draft card was read last month. Shortly after, his selecting team — the Denver Broncos — warned against putting the former Ivy Leaguer in any one positional box.

“I think that he is a guard who can swing inside," general manager George Paton said. "He’s played center. [He is a] Yale transfer, really smart, tough, physical. Kind of fits our mold. So we think it’s a good get for where we got him.”

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Drafted No. 256 overall, Gargiulo began his collegiate career at Yale, starting 25 games (a majority of which at left tackle) for the Bulldogs from 2018-2022. The 6-foot-5, 318-pound lineman transferred to South Carolina in 2023, playing both guard and center across 12 appearances.

"The former multi-position starter at Yale proved he could hop into the SEC and make a solid contribution to the Gamecocks' offensive front," NFL.com draft czar Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting profile. "He has the size, length and play strength for center/guard roster flexibility. He's not a body mover, but he's also not a basic stalemate blocker. His body control, patience and core strength show up in pass pro and as a run blocker, and he's athletic enough to make blocks in space. The tape won't blow you away, but he's consistent, with an above-average feel for finding positioning to wall off interior defenders. Gargiulo's physical traits and position flexibility could earn him a backup role on a roster."

Garguilo should spend his rookie Broncos campaign getting in where he fits in, competing for a backup role behind entrenched guards Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz and presumed starting center Alex Forsyth.

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