Story by
Broncos Place Both Tackles In Positional Ranking List
- Story by
- Broncos Place Both Tackles In Positional Ranking List
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Denver Broncos have one of the strongest lines in the NFL , and they continue to be rated highly in lists like the ones from Pro Football Focus, which had both Broncos offense tackles placing in the top 32 in the league.
The report was written by Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick , and they had Garett Bolles at No. 5 and Mike McGlinchey at No. 22, which is a reasonable ranking, although you could probably make an argument for McGlinchey being higher due to his attributes and his consistently high performance for the Broncos since they signed him away from the San Francisco 49ers .
Advertisement
Bolles is currently getting accolades for his pass blocking, and they're well deserved. He's a hard-working character guy who's become a leader and a visible member of the community with his off the field work, and those pass blocking numbers were off the charts this year.
Consider this: Bolles played in 19 games and was on the field for just over 800 snaps, and he didn't yield a single sack. He also had the highest pass =blocking grade among all offensive linemen, not just tackles, and Bolles gave up two pressures or less in 18 of his 19 games.
His run-blocking grade was outstanding, too. It was the second highest grade in his career, and Bolles appears to be a player who's peaking as he enters his age-34 season.
McGlinchey wasn't quite as high up on the tackle food chain, but the first thing the writers mentioned in his write up was his reliability. He played in a career-high 1,259 snaps, and McGlinchey also dominated in the ground game, where he was ranked 16th among qualfiied tackles. McGlinchey's no slouch in the passing game, either, as he yielded just two sacks despite the high snap count.
Advertisement
One of the mysteries the Broncos will need to solve this season is why they couldn't run the ball last year despite having one of hte best lines in football. The working theory is they need a big back to run between the tackles, but slasher J.K. Dobbins is insisting he can stay healthy and have a big year.
That's a theory, but it's definitely something the Broncos have to figure out. The offense struggled with inconsistency at times, and that needs to change in a big way this season, with Denver having a brutal schedule early during their first six games and quarterback Bo Nix working his way back into form as he recovers from a broken ankle.
