Broncos roster review: linebacker Andre Mintze

The Denver Broncos have ample depth at the edge rusher position with starters Von Miller and Bradley Chubb anchoring the edge. With Malik Reed being yet another undrafted standout shoring up the reserve role, there is plenty of competition behind those three.

One of those guys competing for a spot is an undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt, Andre Mintze.

Andre Mintze’s profile

Height: 6’3”
Weight: 247 lbs
Age: 22 years old
Experience: Rookie
College: Vanderbilt

The good

Mintze is a hardworking player who seemingly overachieved in 2020, which is how he landed on the radar for teams like Denver. He was a team captain and very active in his local community. He checks every box on the character side of things.

As for a pass rusher, he has a variety of pass rush moves that help him get around opposing tackles. He will need to continue developing various pass rush techniques to carry his game up into the NFL level of competition. His work ethic is very strong, so there is a good chance we’ll see him develop into quality depth at the position.

The bad

He is a pure edge rusher. You won’t want to see him in coverage or out in space. While he does lack an elite Von Miller-like first step, Mintze backs that up with a variety of pass rush techniques that help him get after the quarterback and beat his assignments.

He was undrafted for a reason. The athleticism and high ceiling isn’t there, but he has shown the potential to overcome that through solid technique.

Final thoughts

Who knows if Andre Mintze makes the team this year, but I won’t discount that the Broncos have a recent history of success finding quality edge rusher talent in the undrafted free agent market. That makes me think we’ll see Mintze on the practice squad at least for the 2021 season and who knows where that will take him in his NFL career from there.