We all know that the Broncos boast the best offensive line in the league, and one of its best qualities is the depth in that room. Most of the depth however is at the interior offensive line position. They have their starting guards and center locked down and there’s still Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski that can fill in whenever needed. The tackle spot is something they need to address though.
Garrett Bolles should have won Protector of the Year and seems like he keeps getting better the longer
he plays, but that can’t last forever. And Mike McGlinchey is a good, quality right tackle, but they need to be thinking about their future cornerstone, in the case of Bolles, or look to upgrade in the case of McGlinchey.
The good news is that there’s not an urgent need, which means Denver can wait for a preferable opportunity to arise, or one thing I’ve been a proponent of doing the last couple of seasons is them grabbing a physical freak and allowing Zach Strief to refine that athlete.
Let’s take a look at one guy who fits the bill.
Paul Rubelt
UCF | 6’10”, 310 lbs. | 6 year collegiate career
Bio
The Frankfurt, Germany native came over to the States in 2020 after playing for the Frankfurt-Oder Red Cocks American football club while he was in high school.
His tenure at UCF saw him secure a starting spot on the line as a redshirt sophomore and from there he became one of the most reliable starters. He was pretty good in pass protection and in 2024 as a redshirt senior he played a big role as UCF put up the nation’s fifth-best rushing offense. Rubelt also was named as a team captain in 2025.
An added bonus is that he was able to play both left and right tackle during the same season.
And besides his athletic prowess, he’s a smart guy. Every year of college he earned some sort of conference academic honors and was even a part of UCF’s student-athlete advisory committee in 2023.
Film
Final thoughts
Rubelt fits the mold for what I’m looking for. He’s huge and athletic, has the smarts to play offensive line, and he shows the proper leadership qualities you’d want in a lineman. I’d love for the Broncos to pick him up late in the draft, or if he falls out of it, then he must be a top UDFA target.
