Do the Denver Broncos have an elite offensive tackle duo?

For years, the Denver Broncos have had a below-average offensive line, but has that completely changed for the 2023 NFL season?  All of a sudden, the Denver Broncos might be boasting one of the league’s best offensive lines, anchored down by what could be an elite tackle duo. Between ESPN’s Mike Clay ranking the Denver Broncos offensive line as ninth-best in the entire NFL, and a new ranking from PFF, the Broncos seem to be getting some credit for their projected offensive line in 2023.

PFF ranked their top 32 offensive tackles for the 2023 season and both Broncos’ starting tackles made the list. When is the last time we’ve seen attention like this toward the offensive line? Usually, like in years past, we’re talking about the Broncos having a bottom-of-the-barrel offensive line, and for years, that has been the case.

There have been some solid units here and there through the years, but nothing to write home on. George Paton and Sea Payton both seemed to decide that the tackles need some attention this offseason, so they signed Mike McGlinchey to a five-year deal.

With the return of Garett Bolles, a solid tackle himself, the Broncos are sitting pretty. PFF ranked their offensive tackles for 2023, and Mike McGlinchey came in as the 21st-best tackle in the league in their ranking, and Garett Bolles was not far behind at 23. While those rankings may not seem high, consider that there are going to be 64 starting offensive tackles for the 2023 season, and while many teams have one good tackle, not many have two good ones.

This handy graphic from PFF also gives some credit to the Broncos’ tackles as well. In their top 32 list, there were only nine teams who had both of their tackles make the list.

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1662473742088548352?s=20

Here’s what PFF had to say about each tackle:

"2023 will be a big season for McGlinchey, who didn’t look quite as good over the past two seasons as he did in his first three with the San Francisco 49ers. Even considering that, he has yet to finish any of his five NFL seasons with a PFF grade lower than 69.0.Bolles’ 90.6 PFF grade in 2020 seems like an outlier at this point. But if he is healthy for the 2023 season, then he’s still a top-25 tackle in the NFL. He has produced a PFF grade of 72.0 or better in all six of his seasons and was able to get his penalty count more under control in 2020 and 2021 after a difficult first three seasons in the NFL in that regard."

I know many don’t really buy into PFF grades, which is a valid stance to have, but I don’t think making these types of rankings is a bad thing, either. Bolles has established himself as a good starter at left tackle, and McGlinchey has done the same. Neither may ever reach elite status or return to that form again, but coupling two good tackles with excellent offensive coaching in Sean Payton may turn this unit into one of the best in the entire NFL.

And, to make matters better, the interior of the offensive line may be even better.