Big men, who are also incredibly athletic, are hard to come by. Even in the NFL.

Clinton McDonald, a 6’2″ and 297-pound tackle, is exactly that type of player. If he can stay healthy this year, he’ll be massive for the Broncos defensive line. But, that much is up in the air, currently.

Let’s take a look back at McDonald’s past to see how he’s got to this point. Even though he became a superstar with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers, his beginning are much more humble.

McDonald was a four-year starter at the University of Memphis, and his successes in college led to an invite to the East-West Shrine Game. When the 2009 NFL draft came around, he was selected late in the seventh round by the Cincinnati Bengals and spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad, grinding to be recognized and to earn a spot on the field.

After waiting nearly a year and a half to play, McDonald participated in eight games with the Bengals in 2010, with a mere two tackles. Then, in 2011, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, where his career started taking off.

That year, McDonald played in 15 games, including one start, racking up 21 tackles with a forced fumble, and his second season in Seattle was much of the same (14 games, 17 tackles). But, in 2013, McDonald was an absolute beast; he totaled 5.5 sacks — a career-high — picked off a pass and recovered three fumbles, too. A 300-pound man who can also intercept passes? Talk about a deadly weapon.

Making a name for himself, McDonald demanded the big money and a four-year deal worth $12 million from the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.

There, he became the true superstar from the interior of the defensive line, as well as a star in Tampa’s community as well. 2014 was arguably his best season with the Bucs, playing in 13 games with 5.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a second career interception. Injuries held him to only six games played in 2015, and 2016 was somewhat quiet as well until he enjoyed another great year, last season, his final with the Bucs.

In 2017, McDonald enjoyed 18 tackles and five sacks with one pass defended. Interestingly, Pro Football Focus didn’t see it as that great a year; he was graded at a 48.9 overall, 111th among interior defenders. While his pass rush was still strong, at 74.7, it was McDonald’s terrible run defense grade (40.8) which brought him down overall.

All good things have to come to an end, even McDonald’s time in Tampa. That’s where the Broncos came in and swooped him up with a two-year, $7 million deal.

Denver saw a vast improvement in their run defense last year, from 28th in 2016 to fifth-best in 2017, in large part due to Domata Peko’s dominance in the middle.

Now, the Broncos have doubled down, signing McDonald to spell Peko — and maybe even pair them up at times — to give even more beef to the interior of Denver’s defensive line. No question, the Broncos have some of the most talented and athletic pass rushers in the NFL, but, they have been known as “soft” inside in past seasons.

McDonald will be massive in toughening up the inside of the defensive line, that is, if he can stay healthy.

The 31-year old was unable to get onto the field at all for Broncos OTAs due to an injured shoulder, which was concerning enough to the team that they asked him to take a pay cut. McDonald will make less money up front, but he can earn it back as long as he makes the active rosters.

So, Broncos fans — and the front office, too — have to hope McDonald’s shoulder issue heals up during this dead period for the team. If it does heal, the defensive tackle will be a key piece of the Denver defense which has been revamped and rebuilt this offseason. And while Peko is great at being a run-stuffer, they could put McDonald in during should-be passing situations, as he still knows how to get after the quarterback.

With Peko and McDonald inside, Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Shaquil Barrett on the edges, and that dominant defensive backfield; this year’s version actually has a chance to be the best defense we’ve seen from Denver yet during the John Elway Era.