Broncos' Swing OG Battle: Two Frontrunners | A Rookie & a Vet

The Broncos' interior offensive line depth goes under the microscope.

Denver Broncos tackle Quinn Bailey (75) during pregame in a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. / Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY Sports

While the Denver Broncos' starting guard duo is solid, their depth could be better. Quinn Meinerz is on the cusp of becoming one of the best guards in the NFL, while Ben Powers was solid, though inconsistent, last season.

The Broncos team could consider one of these depth guards to take a starting job for the 2025 season if they're unable to re-sign Meinerz or decide to move on from Powers. However, the urgency lies in needing at least one of them to step up as a reliable and consistent depth option. 

Quinn Bailey was utilized as the sixth lineman for the Broncos in 2023, and was fine in that role. His resume on the field isn't great, and he's more positionless than a guard.

Bailey lacks the ideal strength or core strength for life on the inside and the prototypical size, length, or athleticism for the tackle spot. It's nice that the Broncos found a role for him last year, but they still need more out of him because he can't be relied on in case one of the starters is injured. 

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Sean Payton and the Broncos identified Nick Gargiulo out of South Carolina and drafted him with the team's last pick in this year's draft. After spending 2018-2022 at Yale, Gargiulo transferred to South Carolina, where he started games at left guard and center.

The jump from Yale to South Carolina was rough, as Gargiulo allowed 26 QB pressures and two sacks despite allowing 33 pressures and two sacks over three seasons at Yale. He didn’t play in 2018, and the 2020 season didn’t happen due to the pandemic. 

Calvin Throckmorton has been in the NFL for three seasons, and the Broncos will be his fourth team. He spent his first two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, one of them coached by Payton, and both seasons were with Zach Strief as the assistant offensive line coach.

Throckmorton could have had a better showing when he saw the field. He never earned a Pro Football Focus offensive grade or run-blocking grade over 50 in any of his three seasons and only once over 50 in pass-blocking grade. With 69 pressures and four sacks allowed, it's easy to see why his grades were so low, and he was also penalized ten times. 

The last option is Will Sherman, who has never played a regular-season snap in his three seasons. His first two seasons were with the New England Patriots before joining the Broncos in 2023.

Sherman has played in each of the previous three NFL preseasons but played a total of 236 snaps, and his time in the preseason for the Broncos last year was rough to watch. However, Strief and Payton saw something in Sherman to keep him around on the practice squad and work with him. 

Bottom Line

Which of these guards will be the Broncos' depth options? Remember, the three centers are also in play, as Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth, and Sam Mustipher can all play guard, too.

The trio's versatility could be a boost, and the same goes for Gargiulo since he has collegiate experience at center. The same can be said for Bailey, who can be a guard or a tackle while proving reliability as a sixth lineman.

Bailey and Gargiulo likely lead the swing guard race, as Sherman and Throckmorton are guard-only players, but there is still a lot of time for both to make their case. 

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