Broncos' O-line was one of NFL's best last season. Can it be better in 2025?

New York Times

a day ago

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos added two new running backs this offseason in rookie RJ Harvey and veteran JK Dobbins, who agreed to a one-year deal with the team Tuesday. They acquired a dynamic tight end in veteran Evan Engram, and drafted another target at wide receiver in the physical Pat Bryant.
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Optimism about what all those additions can do for the offense hinges on a critical, if largely unspoken premise: The Broncos have one of the best offensive lines in football and the starting unit, the bulk of which is entering its third season together, must take another leap forward for Denver to win its first division title in a decade.
'It's the one group that permeates your building,' Broncos head coach Sean Payton said last week. 'If you're not really good on the offensive line, you don't know how good you are, then, on the defensive line. It's the first line of attack, so when that group is playing at a certain level, then very quickly the defensive front has to meet that standard, or it's not good. So from a football intelligence (perspective), it's probably one of the most important position groups.'
Three of Denver's starting offensive linemen — left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Ben Powers and right guard Quinn Meinerz — have started all 35 games together across the past two seasons, including the playoffs. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey has missed only five games in that span. Center Luke Wattenberg, who replaced Lloyd Cushenberry as the starter last season, played in 13 of 17 games. That group, along with backups Alex Palczewski, Alex Forsyth and Matt Peart, helped the Broncos rank first in both pass-block and run-block win rates last season, the ESPN metric that gauges how consistently offensive linemen hold their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer. Denver also allowed the league's sixth-lowest pressure rate (28.3 percent) and second-lowest sack rate (4 percent), according to TruMedia. Meinerz earned his first Pro Bowl berth and became an All-Pro for the first time. Bolles played well enough to earn his third contract with the Broncos, a four-year, $82 million pact he signed in December.
Gauging offensive line play is an imperfect science, but by most available measurements, the Broncos' play up front was excellent last season. And a quiet offseason at the position — Denver re-signed Peart, the veteran swing tackle, but did not add any other free agents or use any draft picks on linemen — is a reflection of the faith Denver has that it has the right group in place.
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It's a far cry from where the group was when Payton took over following a 2022 season, in which the Broncos ranked 23rd in pressure rate allowed and 30th in sack rate. However, a large section of the blame pie for those statistics could be handed to quarterback Russell Wilson for holding the ball too long. The Broncos were only marginally better as a run-blocking unit, ranking 15th in yards per carry before contact. To get a better idea of what he was working with, Payton knew he had to first clean up the offensive line picture.
'The building, the roster, everything we're doing, it's hard to accomplish when that group is not what it needs to be,' Payton said. 'It's hard to evaluate the quarterback. It's hard to evaluate the receiver because the quarterback's having trouble. It's hard to evaluate the runner. It's hard to evaluate the coach. It's extremely important to get that group right.'
During Payton's first free agency in 2023, the Broncos handed out top-of-the-market contracts to Powers and McGlinchey, immediately upgrading at left guard and putting a stop to the revolving door at right tackle, which had been spinning for roughly a decade. The group also benefited from the return of Bolles, who missed all but five games in 2022 due to a broken leg, and saw Meinerz, the 2021 third-round pick, take another significant step forward. The unit, as a result, was greatly improved in 2023, even if the sack totals with Wilson at quarterback didn't dwindle much.
The 2024 season brought continuity in personnel and scheme that helped the offensive line take another big step forward. The Broncos bet on first-round quarterback Bo Nix to make smart decisions to avoid damaging sacks, and the rookie excelled in that area. However, the Broncos also saw developmental leaps from young players and stalwart veterans alike. Bolles, the first-round pick in 2017 who has started more games at left tackle (116) than any player in Broncos history, is a microcosm of how Denver has improved up front, individually and collectively. Bolles entered 2024 in a contract year and in his best season since earning an All-Pro recognition in 2020, thanks in part to a shift in mindset.
'My passion at a young age was that I just wanted to put everyone in the dirt all the time,' said Bolles, who turned 33 last month. 'Now, I think it's more sexy to stay in front of someone and block them with your feet and hands. The reality is, when you look at some of the best tackles in the league, that's what they did. They stayed in front of guys. They moved their feet. They played for a long time.'
Gone (mini)camping ⛺️ pic.twitter.com/shob7sWuUQ
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 10, 2025
Bolles, for the first seven years of his career, saw teammates, coaches, coordinators and quarterbacks spin through Denver like a dryer spin cycle. The past two offseasons have brought a welcomed familiarity. The same offensive scheme. The same coaching staff, which he credits for much of the team's growth. The same starting quarterback, who came into his rookie season 'ready to rock-and-roll' and has only become more comfortable during his second offseason.
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But it's the continuity up front that could dictate whether the Broncos can shoulder the hefty expectations they'll carry into training camp late next month.
'The experience and toughness of that group,' Payton said, 'is extremely important.'
(Top photo of Ben Powers. left, and Garett Bolles: Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images)