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Good morning, Broncos Country!
Pro Football Focus is at it again, but this time its rankings are favorable to the Broncos, so I’m not going to complain - but I will question ;)
PFF ranks the Broncos’ offensive line at No. 12 in the NFL, projecting the following starting lineup:
Left tackle: Garett Bolles
Left guard: Ronald Leary
Center: Connor McGovern
Right guard: Dalton Risner
Right tackle: Ja’Wuan James
Arguably the best thing this offensive line has going for it - besides bringing in Hall-of-Famer Mike Munchak as its position coach - is the two newest players.
With the free agency addition of James and the draft pick of Risner, the line will not only be significantly better than last season but also some of the more formidable players for defenders to get around/through this season.
PFF called the James’ acquisition a “strong move,” less for any stellar play but specifically for his consistently good play - something highly coveted in the NFL.
But it’s the second-round draft pick of Risner that really has this o-line improving over 2018. The former Kansas State guard - and also Wiggins, Colorado, native - held an 87 overall PFF college grade throughout his four years and even hit above 90 in overall and pass-blocking grades during his senior year. That’s why PFF called him the “most intriguing” offensive line change for the Broncos.
"The most intriguing prospect along the Broncos’ offensive line, and likely the one with the highest ceiling, is former Kansas State offensive tackle Dalton Risner." #BroncosCountry https://t.co/7R4RZjhtwl pic.twitter.com/ebGD2lPqdz
— PFF DEN Broncos (@PFF_Broncos) July 10, 2019
The biggest hopes will come as former first-round pick Bolles will be expected to make a big jump at left tackle that he has two years under his belt, and Leary will hopefully be able to remain healthy enough throughout the season to keep his guard spot from becoming a turnstile again.
But the biggest question mark will undoubtedly be McGovern as coaches and fans will be hoping he has made a gigantic leap in experience and performance over last season’s emergency fill-in at center when Matt Paradis went down with a season-ending injury.
Losing Paradis to free agency was one of John Elway’s few mistakes this offseason, in my opinion, but I’m hoping McGovern has gotten the necessary chops to make a big jump in his play this season, which will go a long way in predicting how good this offensive line will be.
With seven games under his belt and top-notch coaching from Munchak - plus a horrific PFF grade out of the way - McGovern should be able to improve significantly on his sub-39 pass-blocking grade for 2018.
LT Garett Bolles' late-season improvement should give Broncos reason to hope in 2019!
— PFF DEN Broncos (@PFF_Broncos) July 1, 2019
PFF's Daniel Rymer explains why this and the addition of Mike Munchak should help Denver’s offensive line in a big way: https://t.co/PKVEwtAhzK pic.twitter.com/ngdDHVo7wr
Whether this line is a top 12 unit in the NFL is anyone’s guess at this point (c’mon PFF, we know you don’t really have any idea!) but given that it finished 24th overall by PFF’s ranking following Week 17 last season due to a very inexperienced McGovern at center, a mishmash of Elijah Wilkinson and Max Garcia to cover for Leary plus Billy Turner in for Jared Veldheer - it does not seem farfetched that the Broncos’ ranking moves up significantly in 2019.
Even if the Broncos have to dip into the reserves with Wilkinson, Chaz Green and Don Barclay, overall the group should be more experienced and with slightly better talent than recent seasons could offer.
And in case you’re wondering how the Broncos’ AFC West rivals fare in the rankings, the talent-rich Chargers are likely to suffer behind an offensive line anchored by Russell Okung and Michael Schofield for a 29th overall ranking while the Raiders aren’t much better with a predicted 26th overall ranking. All good news for the Broncos.
The Chiefs boast the best line in the division after the Broncos, with a 17th-ranked o-line behind possibly the league’s best right tackle in Michael Schwartz and solid left tackle Eric Fisher.
But between you and me, if the Broncos’ line just protects quarterback Joe Flacco long enough to get a decent pass downfield, all of it will be a thrilling improvement.
Horse Tracks
NFL offensive line rankings: All 32 teams’ units entering 2019 | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | Pro Football Focus
PFF’s senior analysts unveil PFF’s 32-team NFL offensive line rankings for the 2019 NFL season.
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Even with additions of Munchak, James and Risner, Bolles is key to improved o-line | 9news.com
Garett Bolles has started all 32 games at left tackle since he was Broncos' first-round draft pick in 2017.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes wins ESPY award for “Best NFL Player” - Arrowhead Pride
It sucks that we have to admit this is true.
2019 NFL triplets rankings: Saints, Chargers, Browns top the list - NFL.com
Broncos at 29. Pffft. Whatevs.