Broncos Player Profile: Graham Glasgow #61 | Interior Offensive Line
One of the Denver Broncos' moves over the past couple of years to fix their offensive line was to bring in Graham Glasgow from the Detroit Lions. His play on the field has been strong and brings good versatility, but he may not have a starting job for the 2022 season.
With the plethora of options, the Broncos have for their interior offensive line, what is in store for Glasgow? Let's dive into his resume to find the answer.
Biography
Glasgow will be turning 30 in August. He was born in Illinois and went a little north and east for college at the University of Michigan.
College Career
Glasgow had to fight for his spot on the Michigan roster as he was initially a walk-on in 2011, but he earned a scholarship in the spring of 2013. During his time there, he appeared in 42 games, starting 37. He saw starting action as a center as well as a guard.
Nine of his 15 starts at center came in 2013, but he was moved to guard for the 2014 season. He started games on both the right and left side and played exceptionally well.
During the 2014 season, he allowed 10 total pressures and one sack. However, he graded out well from Pro Football Focus with an overall grade of 81.7, 82.7 in run-blocking, and 75.6 in pass protection.
Glasgow's final season of 2015 was all at center, and he allowed 10 pressures again but no sacks. Furthermore, the grades from PFF were great, with only one game grade below 60.
Glasgow's grades for the whole season were better in run-blocking (85.5) and pass protection (76.2) but worse overall (80.9). The drop in his overall could be due to being called for eight penalties, with zero penalties in 2014.
Draft
Glasgow had a promising collegiate career and was viewed as a late day-two/early day-three pick. He was invited to the Combine, where he put together a solid day by testing well outside the bench press and vertical jump. His relative athletic score was 8.56 for a guard but dropped to 7.97 when running as a center.
In the 2016 NFL draft, Glasgow was the 95th overall pick going to the Lions.
Professional Career
Glasgow saw the field as a rookie, which was a rough showing. His overall grade was 53.7, and he allowed 30 total pressures and three sacks playing as a guard and center. However, there were flashes that landed him a starting job for 2017.
In 2017, Glasgow saw action as a guard and center again, and his grades improved. His overall went to a 70.6, run-blocking increased almost 12 points to 66.3, and pass blocking from 63.1 to 71.8. However, he still allowed three sacks with 26 total pressures.
For the 2018 season, Glasgow settled in at one spot as he found himself as the starting center. His play overall settled some as he allowed 15 total pressures and one sack, and all of his grades again improved. While he wasn't viewed as one of the top interior offensive linemen in the NFL, he was on his way to being above-average.
2019 was his final year in Detroit, and he was back to seeing time as a center and guard again, though only 84 of his 872 snaps came as a center. He allowed 25 total pressures with zero sacks as his pass-blocking grade dropped, but overall and run-blocking continued to improve.
After the 2019 season, the Broncos brought him in as they needed help on their offensive line, and he settled down into the right guard position. However, his grades across the board dropped for the 2020 season as he allowed 15 total pressures and one sack.
There was no question he struggled, but despite that, he was still the second-best lineman out there for the Broncos. That is due to how everyone else struggled that season and Glasgow was average.
The pressure was on, and Glasgow struggled in the 2021 season. While he dealt with nicks, dings, and other issues before suffering a season-ending injury, he played 384 snaps on offense. During that time, he allowed 13 pressures and two sacks as his grades dropped.
After the season, GM George Paton restructured Glasgow's deal to keep him in Denver, at least for the 2022 season.
2022 Outlook
Quinn Meinerz has taken the right guard spot from Glasgow, but he still has a chance to be a starter. However, Glasgow is still working his way back from injury, so he has a lot of ground to cover.
Glasgow will be part of the competition at the center position, but there may be some issues with his height as he is 6-foot-6. Lloyd Cushenberry III has struggled more than Glasgow has the last two years. It has been a while since Glasgow has played center, but he may be easier to trust than Cushenberry.
Glasgow also has a chance to find himself as the starter at left guard. Dalton Risner is the incumbent and current favorite to be the starter, but there are so many moving pieces, and he isn't cemented there.
Not only is Glasgow part of the equation at left guard, but Billy Turner, Tom Compton, and maybe even Natane Muti are also in play. In addition, Denver reportedly tried to trade Risner during the draft, and perhaps the team will do so again during training camp or preseason.
If Glasgow ends up a starter this season, it'll likely be at left guard, but the center is still a possibility. That is barring injury, which, knock on wood, the Broncos have a good year in terms of health.
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