Broncos’ OT Duo Receives Revealing NFL Ranking as Pass Protectors

How have Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey held up in pass protection as a tandem this year?

Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles (72) and right tackle Mike McGlinchey (69) | Derek Regensburger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Denver Broncos have only relinquished five sacks on Bo Nix through five weeks, tied for the second-fewest in the NFL. This comes after Nix finished the 2024 season with the third-fewest sacks in the NFL, quite amazing considering he was a rookie.

The Philadelphia Eagles managed to get to Nix twice in Week 5, which has skewed the numbers. He was only sacked three times through the first quarter of the 2025 regular season.

A big reason for this has been the elite play of Broncos' left tackle Garett Bolles, who's made a strong early case for the NFL's maiden Protector of the Year award. However, as great as Bolles has been, Broncos' right tackle Mike McGlinchey may not be getting the recognition he deserves for the unit's exceedingly low sack numbers.

According to The 33rd Team, both Broncos tackles are in the top-5 for playing the most pass-blocking snaps this season without relinquishing a sack. San Francisco's Trent Williams leads the way with 215 snaps without allowing a snack, followed by Kansas City's Jawaan Taylor (2014), with McGlinchey checking in at third with 195 and Bolles at fourth with 194.

1. Trent Williams, SF - 215 snaps
2. Jawaan Taylor, KC - 214 snaps
3. Mike McGlinchey, DEN - 195 snaps
4. Garett Bolles, DEN - 194 snaps
5. Anton Harrison, JAX - 172 snaps

Most pass blocking snaps at LT/RT without allowing a sack this season:

Trent Williams, SF - 215
Jawaan Taylor, KC - 214
Mike McGlinchey, DEN - 195
Garett Bolles, DEN - 194
Anton Harrison, JAX - 172 pic.twitter.com/THOeB5Zqv5

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) October 7, 2025

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Sep 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) react after a play during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. | William Navarro-Imagn Images

I think The 33rd Team's numbers are slightly off here. According to Pro Football Focus, Bolles has played 210 pass-blocking snaps this season, while McGlinchey stands with 209 on the season.

Neither tackle has allowed a sack, so not only are the pass-blocking snaps seemingly inaccurate, but Bolles should be ahead of McGlinchey in The 33rd Team's ranking. PFF has Williams at 229 pass-blocking snaps.

Regardless, the point remains: the Broncos' offensive tackles are doing yeoman's work protecting Nix. Now, it's worth mentioning that a quarterback like Nix is a tremendous boon to offensive linemen.

A Tough Sack

One of the traits that the Broncos identified and coveted in Nix as an NFL draft prospect was his propensity for avoiding sacks and negative plays. He does a good job of diagnosing things pre-snap, and once the ball moves, he strives to stay on schedule with his throws, and when it's not there, he's got the mobility to bail the pocket, buy time, and avoid the rush.

Offensive linemen love blocking for a quarterback like Nix. He's usually where he's supposed to be.

This shouldn't take away from how good Bolles and McGlinchey have been, though. A ninth-year pro, Bolles was the Broncos' first-round pick back in 2017, and the team rewarded him with his third contract last December.

McGlinchey was a San Francisco 49ers first-round pick in 2018. He joined the Broncos in 2023 as part of Sean Payton's first free-agent class as head coach.

Versatility at Offensive Tackle

Both Bolles and McGlinchey have plus-athleticism, and have been good as run blockers, too. However, Bolles has been more consistent on the ground this season than his counterpart, McGlinchey.

All things considered, the Broncos have a lot of money tied up in their bookend tackles, and for good reason. Keeping Nix upright and healthy is paramount to the Broncos achieving their goals in 2025.

Beyond 2025, both tackles are under contract for the foreseeable future. That's the good news.

The Bad News

The bad news is that Broncos left guard Ben Powers recently suffered a biceps injury that landed him on injured reserve. The soonest he'll be available is December.

We're not sure yet who's going to step in for Powers, whether it's Matt Peart or Alex Palczewski. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how it impacts the efficacy of Bolles, who's gotten used to playing next to a savvy veteran like Powers since 2023.

That was another giant boon for the Broncos entering this season: they returned all five O-line starters. That chemistry and cohesion has been a blessing for the starting five, but it's about to be shaken up with the insertion of a new contributor.

We'll see how it shakes out. Hopefully, Bolles doesn't have to do much heavy lifting for whichever player is tapped to be the Broncos' new left guard.