Broncos roster review: offensive tackle Demontrey Jacobs

New Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton wasted little time following his hiring upgrading one of his new team’s weakest areas in 2022, the offensive line.

The team made big-time splashes with the signing of Ben Powers at guard and Mike McGlinchey at tackle, but there was some belief the team could make further upgrades in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, after only drafting Alex Forsyth, a center out of Oregon, in the seventh round, no other rookie offensive lineman would be taken.

Therefore, while the team appears set with immediate impact and veteran presence in the trenches on the offensive side of the ball, youth will have a chance to show what they have during training camp. Three offensive tackles were signed as undrafted free agents by the Broncos, one being Demontrey Jacobs, a tall and long prospect formerly of South Florida.

Player Profile (based on pro day)

Height: 6’6” | Weight: 312 pounds

Arm Length: 36” | Vertical: 26” | 40-yard dash: 5.17 seconds

Age: 24 | Experience: Rookie season

2022 stats

There is not much reporting to be found on Jacobs’ career, other than he started at Grambling State before transferring to USF and has 23 career starts. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Offensive linemen are those most likely to NOT want to hear their names called during a game, as it typically would mean they messed up somewhere, and that too can be the case when reviewing a college linemen. The less that is known, the less likely it is that he was a screw up, and given the Broncos interest in him, he may have more to give than some may have initially realized

Broncos offensive tackle Demontrey Jacobs’ 2023 outlook

The Broncos appear set with their starting offensive line unit, with really only center Lloyd Cushenberry III being the main question mark. The team also has experienced guys like Kyle Fuller, Luke Wattenberg, and Cameron Fleming backing them up, so it will take one hell of a training camp for an undrafted rookie to break his way into the 53-man roster.

However, Jacobs does possess some freakish physical attributes, such as his arm length and height, and has an excellent trait of staying light and quick on his feet despite his size.

One of the biggest red flags that could’ve been held against him was the fact USF went 1-11 last season and was a complete mess on offense. He’ll need to prove he’s an exception to that mess and that he was in fact a diamond among the rubble for him to have a shot.

Final Thoughts

Jacobs has an uphill battle to make the roster, but he has his foot in the door. That is the first step in every undrafted rookie’s journey, so now he’ll need to capitalize.

However, as mentioned above, the depth at this point will be tough to break, and outside of him having a phenomenal Philip Lindsay-like impact in camp (which is pretty tough to do for a non-skill player), Jacobs will likely be destined for the practice squad at best.

His strengths are his physical attributes. He has a body that is capable of not only withstanding an NFL season, but standing out in one. He is tall, long, strong, and athletic. It’s his technique and fundamentals that are raw and in need of fine-tuning, and with the right coaching staff, he could realize his full potential.

Sean Payton and staff have done wonders with offensive line prospects before and can so again, so Jacobs is in a good spot. The best way to think of him would be as a redshirt, developmental type of prospect who will grind his axe on the practice squad for a year and could one day step in to become a force to be reckoned with on the Broncos’ offensive front.