Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of NFL draft previews as it relates to the Broncos.
Monday: Quarterbacks | Tuesday: Running backs | Wednesday: Wide receivers | Thursday: Tight ends
Today: Offensive line
Broncos in-house offseason moves: Signed RT Mike McGlinchey (five years, $87.5 million), G Ben Powers (four years, $52.5 million), G/C Kyle Fuller (one year, $1.08 million).
Under contract: McGlinchey, Powers, Fuller, Garett Bolles (two years), Lloyd Cushenberry (one year), Quinn Meinerz (two years), Luke Wattenberg (three years), Isaiah Prince (one year), Quinn Bailey (one year), Parker Ferguson (one year), Christian DiLauro (one year), Will Sherman (one year), Hunter Thedford (one year).
Need scale (1-10): 7. If the Broncos are comfortable with Cushenberry and/or Fuller at center, they don’t have a glaring need in the 2023 lineup. However, this group needs more young talent overall, particularly at tackle. In 2024, Bolles’ cap number is $20 million, McGlinchey’s is $18.5 million and Powers’ is $15.25 million. Can Denver add to its interior depth and find a left tackle to develop, or with five picks will general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton have to choose one or the other?
Top Five
1. Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State: Spent 2022 playing left tackle and protecting potential No. 1 pick C.J. Stroud’s blindside. Measured 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds at the Combine and could be the first offensive lineman off the board.
2. Peter Skoronski, Northwestern: A potential top-10 pick, the only knock on Skoronski is he doesn’t have the ideal length to play left tackle in the NFL. He dominated in college, though, at 6-4 and 313 with 32 ¼-inch arms. If he’s not a tackle, he’s a standout, plug-and-play guard.
3. Broderick Jones, Georgia: Played left tackle in 2022, but was his first full year starting. Athletic tackle prospect at 6-5 and 311 pounds. Like Johnson and Skoronski, a three-year college player, so youth (21 when the season starts) is on his side.
4. O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida: A massive guard at 6-5 and 330, Torrence transferred from Louisiana to Florida and excelled in both places. Interior linemen aren’t valued as high as tackles, typically, but Torrence will have a chance to get picked in the first round or early on Day 2.
5. Darnell Wright, Tennessee: In a world where Denver had its first-round pick and didn’t sign Mike McGlinchey, Wright would be getting all kinds of run as a potential future right tackle. Instead, the 6-5, 330-pounder will likely land late in the first or early in the second with a team looking to solidify its right side.
Broncos’ Options
The Broncos only have five draft picks and don’t get to their first pair until the top of the third round. A look at five possibilities for Denver.
1. John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota: The Broncos may have to trade up if they want Schmitz, but centers don’t typically get drafted high and if one or two go before him, he could slide toward the top of Round 3. How does Denver really feel about its center spot? There are several other Big Ten options — Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann, Ohio State’s Luke Wypler and Michigan’s Olusegun Oluwatimi among them.
2. Blake Freeland, BYU: Can the Broncos hit on a developmental tackle in the third round or later? Stashing one for a year as Garett Bolles enters a crossroads season seems like a natural play. Freeland is big (6-8 and 302) and played both tackle spots in college. He and McGlinchey down the road could be twin tackle towers.
3. Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion: Played mostly right tackle in college. At 6-6 and 320, could potentially provide depth at multiple positions up front for Denver while grooming for a starting role down the road. Teams may be reluctant to project a move to left tackle for someone who hasn’t played it previously.
4. Jordan McFadden, Clemson: The Broncos brass saw McFadden in person for the Tigers at least once in 2022, against South Carolina. Just 6-2, but has long arms (34 inches at the Combine), so he could stick at tackle or could end up a guard while providing depth at potentially four spots. First-team All-ACC as Clemson’s left tackle in 2022.
5. Jake Witt, Northern Michigan: A Broncos 30 visitor and potential Day 3 swing for the fences, Witt has played on the offensive line for just more than a year. Former basketball player who NMU listed at 6-7 and 282. Denver could put him with offensive line coach Zach Strief — a former seventh-rounder himself — and hope the lottery ticket hits.
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