2017 NFL Draft Grades: Denver Broncos Select Garett Bolles

The Denver Broncos needed to acquire talent in order to rebuild their offensive line and Garett Bolles helps them do that in the 2017 NFL Draft.

It’s not a secret, the biggest need for the Denver Broncos going into the draft was offensive line. They need to rebuild the entire offensive line with young talented players to develop for the future. The offensive line gave up 40 sacks last year, which ranks ninth worst in the entire league.

To fix the offensive line issues, the Denver Broncos selected Garett Bolles, offensive tackle from Utah with their first-round pick, which was 20th overall. Clearly, the pick was made due to the team desperately needing offensive linemen, because there were more talented players on the board at other positions.

Bolles is a highly athletic prospect with amazing footwork. He’s very quick as he can get out of his stance and sustain a block on an explosive defender trying to penetrate the edge. Bolles moves laterally very well and can effortlessly switch directions to alter his blocks on incoming defenders. He does a very good job at anchoring down and setting his base before making his block. His mean streak is noticeable on tape as he’s always looking to drive the defender into the dirt, making him a consistent finisher at the point of contact.

There are plenty of red flags on his profile. He scored a 9 on the Wonderlic, which is obscenely low for the standardized test. He is almost 25 years old, making him one of the oldest prospects in the class. To put his age in perspective, there are a lot of prospects from the 2014 draft class that are younger than him. In five years he will be 30 years old, putting him in the twilight of his career. Another concern is his lack of power, which hurts his ability to sustain blocks. He has a narrow frame and can be easily pushed back by a powerful bull rush.

Bolles’ versatility is key for Denver, because they can play him at tackle and they can kick him inside at guard. He should be able to contribute to the team early in his career due to the lack of talent on the offensive line. Don’t be surprised if he begins his career at guard.

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To make this pick, the Broncos had to leave a lot of talent on the board as David Njoku, Cam Robinson, Reuben Foster, Ryan Ramczyk, and ForrestLamp were available for Denver’s first-round selection. All of the players listed were rated higher than Bolles and were also considered more talented than him. Bolles might have been considered the fourth or fifth best offensive linemen in the draft.

There’s a good chance that Bolles could’ve fell to the second round, making him a massive reach for the Broncos. Denver could’ve traded back a few spots, possibly all the way back to the beginning of the second-round and still be able to draft Bolles while being able to pick up extra draft picks in the process.

It’s obvious that the Broncos made this pick based on need as Bolles seems like a versatile player who can play multiple spots on the offensive line. However, Bolles is far from a can’t miss prospect due to his red flags and character concerns. Reaching on players when there are much more talented options left on the board is never good, especially this early in the draft. The Broncos were successful in filling a glaring hole in offense that needed addressed and this pick should add some talent to their offensive line.