Finding Broncos: 10 Offensive Tackle Prospects to Develop
When was the last time the Denver Broncos drafted an offensive tackle? That would be Garett Bolles back in 2017, drafted with the No. 20 overall pick.
Since then, the Broncos have drafted seven offensive linemen; four were viewed more as centers than guards, but all were interior players. Despite playing tackle in college, Dalton Risner was never going to be a tackle in the NFL and was drafted as a guard.
That's a long time to go without adding an offensive tackle, even to develop, and it's led to some questionable financial investments in free agency. It's past time Denver rectifies that.
The Broncos need to take a tackle in the 2024 NFL draft. Denver could be moving on from Bolles, and the team doesn't have a replacement.
If the Broncos do move on, the need to find a replacement grows exponentially. If Bolles isn't moved, he's still entering the final year of his deal, so the team needs to develop a potential replacement. The Broncos also can add someone with the intent of moving on from Mike McGlinchey in 2025 if he doesn't turn it around this upcoming season.
The good news for the Broncos is that the 2024 draft has plenty of tackles. It's one of the stronger draft classes for tackles in recent years and has plenty of options who can start day one, though some will need time to grow and develop.
There are also plenty of tackle options who could use that year or two to sit and grow with their mechanics or add mass to their frame. So, let's look at some of Denver's options in this talented tackle class.
Joe Alt | Notre Dame
Olumuyiwa Fashanu | Penn State
Jordan Morgan | Arizona
Tyler Guyton | Oklahoma
Christian Jones | Texas
Kiran Amegadjie | Yale
Patrick Paul | Houston
Kingsley Suamataia | BYU
Matt Goncalves | Pittsburgh
Javon Foster | Missouri
When watching the Senior Bowl practices, Javon Foster was a pleasant surprise. His tape was good, but he rose to the occasion of the Senior Bowl and had very few losses.
On top of that, Foster showed better handling of certain things that were a bit problematic on tape. He used his length well to help him win, and he was quicker to drop and anchor than in college, showing he was putting in the work with trainers.
Foster is praised for his football IQ and ability to read and recognize things on the field. Now, he does need to turn some of his weight into muscle and work on getting a little stronger for the NFL.
NFL coaches will also want to work on cleaning up Foster's footwork, which frequently works against his upper body, and help teach him how to use his length better.
Bottom Line
This isn't a bad year to need help at the position, and the Broncos should capitalize on it, even with their limited draft picks, at the moment. Of course, they could always add more by moving a few players, and one of them could be Bolles, making the need for a tackle grow.
It could also be a good idea to add a pair of tackles from this class and try to set up the future tackle duo.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!