The Denver Broncos haven’t drafted and developed an offensive tackle since selecting Garett Bolles in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. While the Broncos have a strong starting duo with Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, finding a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft who could potentially take over for one of them down the road would be wise to consider.
A prospect Broncos Country should get familiar with is Boston College left tackle Jude Bowry. With just two years of starting experience, Bowry is a little
rough around the edges. However, NFL teams will be impressed with his physicality, athleticism and upside.
He isn’t a Day 1 starter, but the Broncos don’t need him to be. They just need to be convinced he has the talent to eventually become that type of player down the road. It’s a key reason the franchise brought him in for a closer look with a 30 visit during the pre-draft process.
Let’s take a deeper dive into Bowry, his strengths and weaknesses, and when the Broncos should consider selecting him in April.
Player Profile: Jude Bowry — Offensive Tackle — Boston College
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 314 pounds | Arm Length: 33-3/4” | Hand Size: 10-3/4” | Age: 22 Years Old
40-yard dash: 5.08 seconds | 10-yard split: 1.75 seconds | Vertical: 34-1/2” | Broad Jump: 9’-7”
No bench press or agility testing at NFL Combine or Boston College’s Pro Day.
Statistics at Boston College: 31 games played, 23 starts: 21 at left tackle, 2 at right tackle.
Film Room & Highlights
Hart’s Scouting Report
Positives:
- Athletic tackle with good traits and ability to block on the move and get to the second level
- Tape shows good footwork and quick feet and a player who gets good depth in his kick slides
- Pass protection is relatively sound with just three sacks allowed in his collegiate career
- Boston College averaged 5.3 yards per carry in ‘25 and 6.0 yards per carry in ‘24 running behind him
- Only flagged for three penalties in his two years as a starter
- Lauded by his teammates and coaches for his leadership and character
Negatives:
- Lacks hefty experience with just 23 total starts and less than 1,400 career snaps
- Despite run blocking success, isn’t as strong of a finisher in the run game as one would hope
- Occasionally has issues being beaten by opposing defensive lineman on the inside
- Struggled versus his peers in Mobile during the Senior Bowl
- Wasn’t fully healthy for his ‘25 campaign and only played in 9 games
Hart’s Projection: Top 100 Selection (Late Day 2, Early Day 3 Value)
Why the Denver Broncos should consider drafting Bowry
As mentioned earlier, it’s been a long time since the Broncos have drafted and developed an offensive tackle. The current coaching and scouting staff deserve a lot of credit for finding several gems as undrafted free agents. However, it’s time to them to seriously start thinking about the future. Perhaps this draft is the one they do that.
Bowry isn’t quite there yet to hit the ground running as a rookie. However, talent evaluators and offensive line coaches will be enamored with his physical traits with the hope he can grow to be a complete player and quality starter in the NFL. The league puts a premium on pass protectors and that’s a strength of Bowry’s despite some flaws in technique and limited experience.
I feel he has a good shot of coming off the board late on Day 2 or early on Day 3. If available, I think he would be worth Denver considering in the fourth round if available—just like I had said with Penn State’s Drew Shelton in my profile on him earlier last week.
