The Denver Broncos shook things up this off-season with some of their NFL Free Agency moves. After losing three offensive tackles in free agency, is Denver’s depth enough?
State of the Denver Broncos offensive tackle depth
The Denver Broncos offensive line is hoping to bounce back in a massive way this upcoming season under new head coach Sean Payton and offensive line coach Zach Strief.
Perhaps one of the most important off-season additions was adding veteran offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey to the roster. In NFL Free Agency, general manager George Paton helped reinforced Payton’s needs to turn the offense around this upcoming season.
McGlinchey will start at right tackle for the Broncos while Garett Bolles returns coming off of a season-ending leg injury from last season. Denver will go into 2023 with two strong fits, but the bigger question for the tackle position lies within their depth.
Last season, Denver had Bolles, Billy Turner, Calvin Anderson, and Cam Fleming as their top offensive tackle options during training camp.
Injuries derailed Turner’s stint in Denver during camp which held him out of making his Broncos debut until Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Anderson was shafted by Denver’s coaching staff and former offensive line coach Butch Barry and Fleming started a good portion of the season despite missing some time due to injury.
On top of that, Bolles suffered a broken leg in Denver’s Week 5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Turner, Anderson, and Fleming all departed in free agency and the depth at offensive tackle today isn’t quite as strong from an experience standpoint behind Bolles and McGlinchey.
Isaiah Prince is the most intriguing name to watch in terms of depth.
Prince was signed to a futures contract with the Broncos in February and could be one of the top backups at offensive tackle.
He’s played in 19 career games and has started six games. He spent his first season with the Miami Dolphins before being claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019.
In 2020, Prince opted out of the season due to COVID concerns. Upon his return to the Bengals in 2022, he was placed on injured reserve before being activated for them in the playoffs in 2023.
While his experience contains a small sample size, his 6’7 305lb frame could be what Zach Strief and Payton are looking for as they formulate the Broncos offensive identity to be physically imposing.
Behind Prince, the depth is very questionable at best. Quinn Bailey, Will Sherman, Christian DiLauro, and Hunter Thedford fill out the remaining depth.
Bailey has been on the Broncos roster and practice squad since 2019 and signed his ERFA tender while Sherman joined the team last season.
There’s a legitimate chance that Payton and Paton will look at an offensive tackle with the 67th or 68th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Some options that could be considered are BYU’s Blake Freeland and Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron have been some names who have been available in various mock drafts.
Regardless, the Denver Broncos need to strongly consider boosting their depth at offensive tackle with somebody who is capable of stepping in and starting in the event Bolles or McGlinchey were to miss any time with an injury in 2023.
