With the Denver Broncos offseason kicking off, it is a great time to step back, take a look at the roster, and play a little armchair GM leading up to all of the excitement of possible free-agent signings, trades, and, of course, the NFL Draft.
All of this is my personal opinion based on my tried-and-true eye test of what I’ve seen from these players on the field this season. For the sake of brevity, I’ll be leaving out guys who didn’t see the field in any significant way in 2025 and most Unrestricted
Free Agents. This is meant to be a very high-level view of the roster and not a nuts-and-bolts review of each player (we’ll do that later in the year at an individual level), so I encourage you all to look at it through that lens.
I think it is important here to say that judging offensive line quality is probably one of the hardest things to do as an NFL analyst at any level. There’s no stat tracking that definitely speaks to a specific player’s quality, as most useful stats are group-oriented. I also do not for one second acknowledge any ratings from the more popular player rating websites out there. They do not pass the sniff test nor seem to be consistent with what we see from game to game.
That being said, enjoy the discussion, join the subjective debate, and share your thoughts (good or bad) in the comments.
Let me give a tip of the hat to ftnfantasy.com for their information on snap percentages and www.overthecap.com for their information on current contracts for all players.
Next up, we’ll examine the offensive line and determine what holes the Broncos should look to fill in the 2026 NFL offseason.
Player Rating Key:
1 – Project / developmental – lacking the necessary skills to contribute as it stands today
2 – Backup quality – Can play, but isn’t a guy you want out there every snap
3 – Average starter – Doesn’t bring anything special to the table, but can do the job
4 – Good starter – An above-average talent
5 – Blue chip player – Top 10 talent in the NFL at what he does
Unit Rating Key:
1 – Critical Need – lack of talent at starter and depth
2 – Lacking at least one starter
3 – Mediocre need
4 – Solid talent and depth
5 – Elite talent level
Interior Linemen:
Luke Wattenburg – 4
Contract Details
Luke Wattenburg took a big step forward in my mind in 2025. Even with an injury sidelining him for three games, I think he showed growth as a player. Wattenburg showed the most improvement in his run blocking this year compared to last, from what I saw, which solidifies his starting spot on this roster. Center was a position in question for me last season, and I’m always excited to see a player develop and grow into a strong fit at a position of need for us.
Quinn Meinerz – 5
Contract Details
Quinn Meinerz came out of the 2025 season as a 2nd-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler. He’s earned it and is still arguably the NFL’s best guard. Quinn is a dominating force, especially when run blocking. Quinn is a class act, a long-time starter, and a foundational part of the Denver Broncos football team.
Ben Powers – 3
Contract Details
Ben Powers is a good player, but if there’s one spot on the offensive line that I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change at, it is left guard. Powers is a fairly expensive player who doesn’t hit the bar consistently from game to game. I honestly thought our line played just as well, if not better, when he was out for 9 weeks in the middle of the season.
Alex Palczewski – 4
Contract Details
Alex Palczewski is one of the most intriguing linemen on the roster. He’s our swing tackle, but he absolutely killed it at guard for the better part of 9 weeks. That’s versatility, which goes a long way in the NFL. What it says to me more than anything is that the Broncos coaches know that the quality of play is there for Palczewski. Will he transition to guard in 2026? Is he the future at tackle? It is fun to see a young player developing after a few years and stepping up to account well for himself when he gets an opportunity. I think he’s a player who looks like he’s ready for a starting role any time now, which allows the team to possibly cut one of their more expensive linemen and go young to save cap space.
Unit Rating – 4
On one hand, this is the best pass-blocking line in the NFL. On the other hand, Bo Nix likely accounts for a lot of that. The run game lacked this year, and while I think that’s more due to a lack of talent at runningback than the line, they still have plenty of room to improve. For this offense to level up, they really need to open up better lanes more consistently for the running game. All of this sounds fairly negative, but unit ratings to me are about whether we have good players on the roster, and I think the answer to that is a resounding, “Yes.”
Tackles:
Garett Bolles – 5
Contract Details
Garett Bolles played an elite season in 2025. I can easily argue he was the best left tackle in the NFL. This guy is an All-Pro for a reason and is a huge factor in our offensive production in those close games. He’s a 9-year pro who is in the prime of his career and killing it every week. Bolles is one of the best feel-good stories of the Broncos franchise, and it has been a joy to see him bust his ass for years to achieve this level of greatness.
Mike McGlinchey – 3
Contract Details
The big reason McGlinchey doesn’t rate higher to me is the lack of quality run blocking at the right end gaps. While the tight end comes into play here at times, or the back will be responsible for blocking, it is an area where we haven’t seen the kind of consistency we need in order for the run game to be more successful. I will say that his pass protection is excellent, which is the big reason he’s a mainstay for this team. The run blocking you live with and scheme around when you have a right tackle who is keeping your quarterback safe.
Matt Peart – 1
Contract Details
Matt Peart got put in for one game last season and looked completely out of his depth, which is surprising given that he’s an NFL veteran. It could have been just a bad day, but I’d think he’s a cut this offseason. If he’s not, then Sean Payton is in love with the stability he provides as a backup on a cheap contract.
Frank Crum – 2
Contract Details
Frank Crum is one of the most interesting depth players on the roster. He provides this team with a valuable swing tackle that is developing while also coming in quite a bit as an extra offensive lineman in the offensive big packages. He even scored a touchdown on one of these plays at the goal line in the playoffs. I see a ton of athleticism, versatility, and a bright future for Crum on this team. I’d rate him higher, but we just haven’t seen a ton of him playing at tackle to know if he’s starter quality.
Unit Rating – 4
The Broncos could run it back this year with our tackle group and be absolutely fine. I also believe we could either drop Peart and draft a guy to develop. Either path is going to work out for the team. Palczewski is a player who impacts this unit as well, given that he’s listed as a tackle. The Broncos’ offense wasn’t much to write home about last season, but their line was one of the best in football, and their tackles were a really big part of why they had success.
Defensive roster status overall – 4
- Defensive Linemen: 4.5
- Outside Linebackers: 5
- Inside Linebackers: 1
- Cornerbacks: 4
- Safety: 3
Special Teams status overall – 5
Offensive roster status overall
- Interior Linemen: 4
- Tackles: 4
