5 IOL Prospects Broncos Could Draft to Replace Ben Powers

The Denver Broncos have built a good offensive line, but their depth remains a question, and they are approaching a crossroads. The Broncos are set to lose left guard Ben Powers after this season, and they'll have to decide on Mike McGlinchey's future, and whether to part ways with him a year early or keep him for 2027.

For now, we at least know the circumstances surrounding Powers and him entering a contract year, which means the Broncos may be looking for a depth piece in the draft who could start in 2027. The good news is that this draft has plenty of options along the offensive line that project best at guard.

Today, I'm highlighting five interior offensive linemen with condensed scouting reports in our annual Finding Broncos draft series. We'll weigh the pros and cons and assess each prospect's fit.

Pros

Zuhn has plenty of experience with nearly 3,300 snaps played. All but 126 of them came at left tackle.

He started for four years and showed up consistently and reliably, allowing only 74 pressures and nine sacks, with 10 penalties in those four years.

Zuhn has a quick-fire step off the snap and can torque power through his hips. There is a more than good enough anchor to drop and hold off bull rushes, which is why many project him moving inside. The hand technique is there, and he shows he understands its importance, including his punch, in controlling blocks.

Cons

Zuhn projects inside with some issues on the outside in terms of quickness. His kickslide can be delayed, which makes his quickness issues stand out even more. He will need a smaller working area inside as a guard to limit the issues here.

The overall athleticism and quickness are questionable. Can Zuhn unlock it when pulling or climbing to the second level? He also lacks the length to work outside, and some longer interior guys can give him issues if he doesn’t start protecting his chest more.

Fit With the Broncos

Zuhn would be a good fit to give Denver another depth piece on the inside, while being taught to play guard as a potential starter in 2027 as a Powers replacement. Denver wouldn’t have to worry about Zuhn flipping sides, as he was a left tackle, and he could provide that left-side depth at guard and tackle.

Grade

Billy Schrauth. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

Schrauth has that mentality you want from a guard, where he looks to dominate his opponents physically. He is also a leader and isn’t afraid of holding those around him accountable for their mistakes. The football IQ is there, and he shows it with his work in double teams, climbing, and pulling.

Now, Schrauth has plenty of strength throughout his body and the grip strength to latch on and stall defenders. He delivers a physical punch that can jolt defenders, and when the bull rush is coming, he has a powerful anchor to stall them in their tracks.

Cons

While Schrauth shows the IQ when climbing and pulling, he doesn’t have the quickness or athleticism to use it that way frequently. He has issues with quickness, as quicker interior defenders can strain his edges, giving him difficulty. There is also questionable ability to recover from early losses in the rep.

There are plenty of medical concerns, as Schrauth missed multiple games over the last two years and hasn’t played even 1,400 snaps in three years.

Fit With the Broncos

Schrauth is a natural left guard who would probably be a second or third-round prospect if not for the time missed for injuries. If Denver is good with the medicals, he could be a potential steal with the ability to be a 10-year starter at guard.

Grade

Jeremiah Wright. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Pros

Wright is a big, physical, mauling guard with plenty of experience at Auburn. He has long arms for a guard and broad shoulders, giving him a big wingspan, which is even more important for offensive linemen. There is no questioning the power he plays with, both when driving and when dropping to anchor.

When Wright gets a chance to finish his blocks, he takes it, and he looks to punish jumpers. He is a tone-setter on the offensive line and plays with an excellent base and sound footwork. There is surprisingly good movement for someone of his size and build.

Cons

Wright is a physical mauling guard who struggles in pass protection, where blockers must be more passive and reactive than aggressive. There are also questions about his versatility beyond right guard; even with 321 snaps at left guard, those snaps went poorly.

For as punishing as Wright is, he has to improve his engagement, starting with his punch. He also has serious issues with quickness, and even with his wingspan, he struggles to protect the edges. His foot quickness also makes it difficult for him to mirror defenders and keep his frame in their way.

Fit With the Broncos

Can Wright play on the left side? The scheme fit is there, but the Broncos don’t need a right guard, and flipping sides isn’t easy.

Grade

Anez Cooper. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Pros

There is plenty of experience with over 3,100 snaps played over the last four years at Miami. Cooper has a great build with exceptional length for a guard, and a powerful punch that fires quickly and gets the engagement before the defender can get to him.

Cooper has solid footwork and climbs to the second level quite well, with the awareness to catch incoming defenders. The physical punishing mentality is there, and he isn’t a guy you want to meet coming downhill as he pulls. When he gets hands-on, he is extremely difficult to break free from with plenty of grip strength.

Cons

Is Cooper more than a right guard? He has played 16 snaps at right tackle and only two snaps at left guard. He also has to learn when to let go, as he is a penalty machine with holding calls because he doesn’t let go. His pad level and bend also lead to issues when anchoring or generating push in the run game.

Cooper has his length, and it covers up a lot of bad habits, like reaching for contact, playing shoulders ahead of his feet, and not keeping his feet live. When working in a small area, he can be slow to read and recognize a defender's movements.

Fit With the Broncos

There is a similar issue with Cooper's fit as with Wright's. The scheme is there, but can he handle flipping sides to being a left guard when almost all of his experience comes on the right?

Grade

Chris Adams. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

Adams was a left tackle for Memphis the last two years, but projects inside at the NFL level. Before Memphis, he was at Old Dominion and started 39 games in four years between the two schools. He knows how to use his hands independently to increase the overall effectiveness of his hand technique.

Adams has a good punch that hits with solid power and good timing. He has shown he can torque power and generate movement when needed. When climbing or pulling, he does so with good technique and body control, with the vision to hit his landmarks and see incoming defenders.

Cons

Adams gave up 15 sacks and 70 pressures, with nine sacks and 27 pressures in 2025. He is also a penalty machine, with 17 penalties in his two years at Memphis. His projection is inside at guard, where he has never played a snap, so there will be a learning curve.

Adams's feet are slow and often stall, rather than stay alive and move. He has a bad habit of looking off his blocks when engaged, and then is late to react to their movements.

When in pass protection, Adams's body doesn’t work in unison, and the body control isn’t there. He rises as the block continues and has shown himself to be easy to toss aside.

Fit With the Broncos

The scheme fit for Denver isn’t there with Adams. He is more of a move blocker and is a complete projection to the inside.

Even with a year of development, Adams may not be ready to start, especially for the scheme Denver employs.

Grade

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