Having the last pick in each round of the draft does not sound ideal, and yet every team would take it in a heartbeat. While it means that every team gets to pick ahead of you, it also signifies world champions. After coming off of a victory in Super Bowl 50 last month, the Denver Broncos are prepared to pick last in the first round of next month’s draft.
While the entire team is considered Super Bowl champions, the past year and a half has had a major weakness: the offensive line. Over this stretch, the offensive line has had some games where they show promise, but overall the line has looked weak in both the run and pass game.
John Elway understands the importance of an offensive line and has dedicated this offseason to upgrading it. The only outside acquisitions the Broncos have made in free agency have been their two new starting tackles, Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson.
As of right now, the two starting guards for the Broncos were not the starting guards last year. Max Garcia, the projected starting right guard, was a rookie last season and did see some playing time during the year. Garcia looked very impressive in training camp, but his time on the field during the season showed that he was not yet ready to be a starter.
Ty Sambrailo, the second-year pro out of Colorado State, was the starting right tackle going into last year. He was hurt in week three and never returned. Even though he was on track to be a tackle, people believe he will be better suited moving inside as a guard, because of his shorter arms and skill set.
Just as the Broncos feel very comfortable with their starting tackles, they may feel just as uncomfortable with their starting guards. Elway will continue to upgrade the offensive line, and focusing on guards will most likely be the place he looks early and often in the draft.
The fortunate aspect for the Broncos is guards are not viewed as a top commodity in the league, and thus talented guards typically are available longer than most other positions. This means the Broncos could get a top guard in the draft with the 31st overall pick, or get a potential starter a few rounds later.
Here are five guards the Denver Broncos will be looking at in the draft next month:
5) Joshua Garnett
Experience: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-4/312 LBS
Projected Round: 2nd/3rd
Career Summary: 2015 Outland Trophy recipient for the top interior offensive lineman in the country; started all four years after coming in mid-freshman year; team captain
Joshua Garnett leaves Stanford after having one of the best collegiate careers of this entire class of offensive lineman. Garnett started at left guard for the Cardinal and blocked for Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey in his spectacular 2015 season.
There isn’t much not to like about Garnett, as he has the guard experience and the ideal size for the Gary Kubiak offense. Garnett, being a tall and fit player for his height, would be able to step into this offense and feel comfortable with nearly everything asked of him.
Garnett’s major area of concern is his footwork and being too lazy with it at times. He has very strong arms and sometimes relies on his arm strength to make up for his slow footwork. Where that can work in college, he will not make it in the NFL if he doesn’t improve.
However, Garnett is a very smart and team-first player with a great work ethic, so his footwork can absolutely be improved with the right coaching. Garnett would come to the Broncos with the potential to play on day one and push Garcia and Sambrailo for their jobs.
4) Landon Turner
Height/Weight: 6-4/330 LBS
Projected Round: 2nd/3rd
Career Summary: Four-year starter at right guard; 41 starts in his career; 2015 First Team All-American
Landon Turner comes out of North Carolina as potentially the best player on the Tarheels, who won the ACC Championship. Recognized as an All-American his senior season at right guard, Turner has a chance to compete for the starting job with Garcia right away.
Turner is viewed as a player that still has a lot of upside, which is rare, because he has already accomplished so much in his career at guard.
The biggest area of concern, specifically for the Broncos, would be his lateral movement and fit in a zone-blocking scheme. Turner has proven he is a tremendous run blocker, imposing his will on defenders by using his strong lower body, but many question how well he can move and get to the second level due to his athleticism.
While schematic fit can certainly be important, Turner has proven that he can be coached. Turner has always been a great run blocker, and last year he significantly improved in his pass blocking.
If Turner is still available in the third-round, the Broncos may pull the trigger on him, as he could bring a lot to this offensive line.
3) Sebastian Tretola
Height/Weight: 6-4/314 LBS
Projected Round: 3rd
Career Summary: 2015 Outland Trophy finalist; 2015 SEC Jacobs Award for conferences best offensive lineman; failed out of the University of Nevada for poor grades; allowed only .5 sacks in two seasons at Arkansas
Sebastian Tretola was the best offensive lineman on a very good offensive line at Arkansas. Tretola started his collegiate career at Nevada, where he flunked out of school due to poor grades. He then got another chance at Arkansas after attending junior college. While he once was viewed as immature with poor decision making off the field, it seems as if he has grown up emotionally in the past few years.
Tretola is built like a refrigerator, and plays like one too, as he is nearly impossible to move. He would be best suited in a very physical running system, as he is a great run blocker, and there are still questions about his pass blocking abilities.
For a man of his size, he actually has decent athletic ability and can block well in space, which could be a sign that he could thrive in the Kubiak system. He has good stamina and isn’t afraid of being ultra physical.
That being said, he needs to work on his footwork and pad level as he can get blown up off of the line when either of these is not in position. In Kubiak’s run-first system, Tretola could be a force to reckon with, even against NFL caliber talent.
2) Vadal Alexander
Experience: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-5/326 LBS
Projected Round: 2nd
Career Summary: 2015 Second Team All-American at right tackle; 2015 First Team All-SEC; 2014 Second Team All-SEC as a left guard; Four-year starter at both left guard (25 starts) and right tackle (21 starts)
Vadal Alexander comes into the NFL draft widely regarded as the second best guard and is sure to be chosen by the end of the second round. Alexander had a magnificent career at Louisiana State University, starting his freshman and senior year at right tackle, and his sophomore and junior year at left guard.
Alexander brings the size, skills and ability to play both tackle and guard in the NFL, but he will be better suited to start his career off as a guard. His versatility also points to his ability to be coached and the fact that he is a quick learner, both of which will really help him transition to an NFL starter his rookie year.
Alexander is a monster in the running game and will control even NFL-caliber players. He would be best suited in a strong running system, yet he has showed versatility to be able to be successful in both the pass game and run game. At LSU he blocked for quarterback Zach Mettenberger, as well as blocked for Heisman-hopeful Leonard Fournette.
He still needs to continue working on his footwork, as he can be heavy on his feet and not the quickest at times. If the Broncos really want him, they may need to grab him in the first round, as there is a very little chance he will be available at pick 63.
1) Cody Whitehair
Experience: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-4/301 LBS
Projected Round: 1st
Career Summary: Four-year starter at left guard, right tackle and left tackle; 2012 Second Team Honorable Mention All-Big 12; 2013 and 2014 Second Team All-Big 12; 2015 First Team All-Big 12; 2015 Outland Trophy Watch List and Lombardi Award Watch List
Cody Whitehair is the unanimous best offensive guard prospect coming into this draft and is nearly certain to be picked in the first round. Many people have him being picked in the top 15, and nearly everyone has him picked by the end of the first.
Whitehair is a very versatile player, starting at right tackle, left guard and left tackle in his four years at KSU. Whitehair is a team-first guy who has an incredible work ethic and is physically gifted. Whitehair is able to do pre-snap reads and has great awareness on the field. He also has great hands, footwork and movement along the line.
The only downside with Whitehair is he can sometimes hold onto blocks for too long and gets called for holding penalties occasionally. This is a problem that he can be coached out of and is not a major concern at all.
There is a chance that Whitehair could fall to the Broncos at 31, but if they really want him, they may need to trade up to get him. He is a day one starter that would instantly upgrade the offensive line for years to come.