Broncos roster review: Offensive tackle Garett Bolles

Garett Bolles was the 20th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and he’s still going strong with the team that drafted him. In fact, he’s embarking on a new chapter of his career — protecting Russell Wilson.

Measurables, Sacks Allowed, & Pressures Allowed

Height: 6’5 // Weight: 300 // Arms: 34 inches // Hands: 9 ¹⁄₂ inches

Experience: 5 years (2022 will be his 6th)

Total Games Played: 77 (2017-2021)

Total Games Missed: 4

Sacks & Pressures

• 2021: Five sacks, 22 pressures
• 2020: Zero sacks, 13 pressures
• 2019: Four sacks, 31 pressures
• 2018: Two sacks, 29 pressures
• 2017: Eight sacks, 51 pressures

What he brings to Denver

Bolles is a powerhouse and he’s rarely injured, which cannot be understated in the NFL. This guy has played 77 games across five seasons. His positional skill started developing at higher rates under Mike Munchak, who joined in 2019 as the offensive line coach.

#72 now has an opportunity to protect Russell Wilson, and he’s looking forward to the opportunity. “Guys look at me, and I have to do my job,” he said about it, “When I do my job, everyone else plays better. It gives ‘3’ (QB Russell Wilson) enough time to be back there and to fire to our star receivers or give the ball to our running back’s hands.”

“Consistency is a huge thing for us,” he continued, “The more consistency we have, the better we will be down the road.”

The drawbacks

In the beginning of his career, Bolles was issued a number of holding penalties (45 in the first three years). He also allowed eight sacks and over 50 pressures in his rookie year. He had similar numbers the next few years, and the team opted not to pick up his fifth year option.

Bolles then had to step up and prove himself in 2020, and he did, which is why he got a contract extension and is still on the team. 2021 saw more sacks (five!) but with no penalties. So take from that what you will.

Conclusion

I think Garett Bolles is a shoe-in for this role. If he’s not the starting LT in the 2022 season, I’m going to be very surprised. And he might be just in time to protect Russell Wilson straight into a playoff appearance.