Broncos roster review: Offensive guard Netane Muti

The Denver Broncos used their sixth round pick to select former Fresno State offensive guard Netane Muti. He had the talent to be a top 50 pick, but his extensive injury history led to him being a late round pick. Using a sixth on an insanely talented player with injury concerns is exactly what you should do with a sixth or seventh round pick.

#73 Netane Muti, OG
Age 21. 6’3”, 315 lbs.
College: Fresno State

Muti was a three-year starter and was dominant at times when healthy. He can be a great developmental player for Denver as they continue to revamp their offensive line.

The Good

There is a lot of potential with Netane Muti, which is why Broncos fans graded out this pick as an A (43%) or a B (37%) in our post-pick poll on draft weekend. One of his biggest traits is his strength. He benched 225 pounds an insane 44 times at the NFL Combine, which was the most reps by any player at the Combine since 2012.

As an interior lineman, he has the strength to overpower defensive lineman. The power he puts on through his hands is enough to knock defenders off balance and Muti has the athleticism to carry on through the next block.

In his one healthy season (2017), Muti started all 14 games and earned honorable mention 2017 All-Mountain West Conference honors. The video below is a nice breakdown of his positives on the field.

The Bad

Everyone knows about his injury history, so I won’t delve into that heavily. He has only had one full season followed by back-to-back injury riddled seasons. So that is a concern, but as a sixth round pick he won’t be asked to come in and start day one.

Some of his other issues have to deal with pass protection. His technique in that area will need development, but with Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak running things there he should have ever opportunity to improve there as he serves a backup role early in his career. He also shows some inconsistent body control when he leaves his base. That can be improved by better footwork, which will take time as he works on his craft at the NFL level.

If you really want to get into some film sessions, I found this video on YouTube that is about an hour long. There is a lot of good in there, but the analyst spends a fair amount of time looking at every facet of Muti’s game.

Final Word

I really like this draft pick. Muti is definitely raw and isn’t a starter-caliber player right now, but if he can remain healthy and work on his craft he could be.

With Graham Glasgow and Dalton Risner locking down the starting guard positions, Muti won’t be asked to do much on the field in his rookie season - maybe not even his sophomore season. Which means he’ll be able to work with Mike Munchak and develop his game. I have high hopes for Muti down the road.

What do you think of Netane Muti, Broncos Country?