Finding Broncos: 3 Early OTs to Add Versatility to the O-Line

Any of these three offensive tackles would be good for the Denver Broncos but who'd be the best fit?

Oct 21, 2023; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (78) / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Despite having starting offensive tackles in place for the 2024 season, the Denver Broncos need future starters. The offensive line is a crucial part of the team, and with Garett Bolles entering the final year of his contract and the possibility of moving on from Mike McGlinchey after the 2024 season, the need for new talent is evident. 

Someone needs to be brought in through the draft to develop and be ready to take over as a starter in 2025. The Broncos have yet to draft a tackle in any round since they selected Bolles in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Getting someone in and getting them developed can save the Broncos money at the position instead of having to go out and spend to keep Bolles or replace him while paying McGlinchey a lot of money. 

This strong tackle class has so many options at the top. Some talent will fall, and the Broncos can take advantage of that. While these three prospects are options for the Broncos to end their drought of drafting a tackle, there are plenty of other options in the class. 

JC Latham | Alabama

Sep 4, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman JC Latham (65) blocks / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

• Height: 6-foot-1
• Weight: 173 pounds
• Arm Length: 30-1/2 inches
• Hands: 9 inches
• Relative Athletic Score: N/A

Pros

Latham is a massive tackle with outstanding power and surprisingly clean and smooth movement skills. His pass sets are quick and smooth, and he maintains proper bend and balance throughout the rep. He has a strong anchor, and it is next to impossible to drive through him when he gets set. 

Latham's technique is underrated, and he does an excellent job keeping every aspect of his blocking in sync. His hand technique is great, and he is relentless with them, working with them independently to not give the defender a break. He has the patience needed to get defenders to open up and is quick to strike and get into their frame to control the rep. 

The inside path to the quarterback is blocked by his wide frame and a stiff inside hand, with great length to get on defenders early in the rep. His punch packs power and is consistently well-placed to jolt defenders on impact. The grip strength to sustain blocks is there, and he can roll power from his lower half to get defenders on their heels and drive them off the point of attack. 

Cons

Some awareness issues with Latham can catch him looking at stunts, twists, and delayed rushers. There is a bad habit of over-setting to handle speed rushers and leaving the inside open to counters. Due to some issues handling speed off the edge, some see Latham’s future as a guard in the NFL. 

Other bad habits need to be cleaned up, along with his over-setting. He will lunge into contact, and he will lower his head into contact when engaging on the move. There also needs to be improvements with his angles and finding his landmarks when pulling outside and climbing to the second level. 

Fit With Broncos

When you think of a tackle that fits what the Broncos can use with their offensive system under Sean Payton, Latham is precisely that. There are technical issues and bad habits to coach out of him, but he has the potential to be the best tackler in this class. Even if he struggles at tackle, you can fall back on him as a guard, where he still is an excellent fit for the Broncos. 

Big Board Position: No. 24 overall.

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Tyler Guyton | Oklahoma

Oct 28, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyler Guyton (60) at the / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

• Height: 6-foot-1
• Weight: 189 pounds
• Arm Length: 32-1/8 inches
• Hands: 9-5/8 inches
• Relative Athletic Score: 9.73

Pros

The size and athleticism for his size can allow him to play on either side of the line. Plus, he doesn’t have much experience, which helps teach him how to flip sides on the line. His movement skills are outstanding, and he is clean and smooth when climbing or pulling outside. Guyton is among the best with his movement skills in this class and recent years. 

There is solid hand technique, and the punches are accurate with good power to hit the chest of defenders. His kick-slides are clean and efficient and get depth in a flash to handle speed rushers around the edge. While there isn’t much experience, his awareness of catching stunts/twists is that of a seasoned pro. 

Guyton has all the tools and traits in the cupboard, and even with a lack of experience, there is such a great foundation to build upon with his techniques. He has the awareness and game sense that doesn’t match his experience level. 

Cons

One of the first things NFL coaches will have to correct for Guyton to have a long and lasting NFL career is his pad level. He is naturally tall and plays tall, opening the door for leverage to be used against him. At the Senior Bowl and during the season, Guyton lost a lot of reps because of his issues handling leverage. 

There also needs to be more consistency with his footwork and hand techniques for the NFL. When he is hitting the second level, he will sometimes lower his head and whiff when engaging, and even when he doesn’t, he is inconsistent in finding his landmarks. 

Despite his size and build, there isn’t much of an anchor from Guyton. He can’t sit and stall bull-rushers and instead gets guided pack to crash the pocket or disrupt the run path. Improving his bend is the first step to giving him an anchor, but the core strength needs to improve. 

Fit With Broncos

Guyton being able to play either side of the line is huge for the Broncos. He is a solid scheme fit and can work as a swing tackle as a rookie. Zach Strief will have his work cut out in developing him, but if he is successful, Guyton is poised for a starting job in the  2025 season on either side of the line. 

Big Board Position: No. 26 overall.

Kingsley Suamataia | BYU

Oct 21, 2023; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (78) / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

• Height: 6-foot-5
• Weight: 326 pounds
• Arm Length: 34-1/4 inches
• Hands: 10-5/8 inches
• Relative Athletic Score: 9.40

Pros

He has a good build and enough length to last at tackle, and he has the versatile skill set to move inside to guard. There are enough good movement skills and power to offer scheme versatility. The grip strength is there to sustain, and he can torque power from his lower half to dislodge anchored defenders at the point of attack. 

There is patience with his hands to strike, but he is not overly patient as he waits for the opening to strike the chest with enough power to jolt defenders. He has solid kick-slide quickness and technique to stay in front of rushers around the corner. The balance is there to redirect back inside smoothly when rushers work back inside. 

The lateral quickness and agility also appear when working outside or as a puller in the run game. He does well to hit his landmarks in timing and rhythm and doesn’t lunge or lower his head into contact. There is a good enough anchor to drop and stall bull rushers, but he could be quicker to sink his hips and set the anchor. 

Cons

His base isn’t consistent when working his kick-slide, and he will open up his hips and create issues for himself when handling an inside counter. The hands are also not the quickest with his strikes, so his patience gets wasted at times as the opening will close during his windup to strike. 

He is heavy-footed when recovering and has to change his weight balance to handle counter moves. This leads to defenders catching him with stalled feet and being able to get by him, which creates pressure on the quarterback. The grip strength is there, but his hand placement will slide and limit the effectiveness of the grip strength. 

Fit With Broncos

Suamataia is a solid fit for the Broncos, but his best fit would be at guard more than tackle in the Payton offense. There are too many concerns about handling speed rushers on the outside, and he doesn’t have the elite length to overcome it. He needs enough development to work as a versatile depth player for the Broncos as a rookie and then can compete for a starting job at guard or tackle in 2025. 

Big Board Position: No. 38 overall.

Better Fit for Broncos

The best fit of the bunch for the Broncos is Latham. He is a natural fit at tackle or guard and brings the ferocity and bully mentality that the Broncos want.

Guyton would be fine, but he doesn’t have the versatility to move inside. He is naturally tall, and the pad level makes it almost impossible to try him at guard.

Needing to improve Guyton's core strength can create additional issues with the Broncos' run game. As for Suamataia, he is also a fine fit, but he would probably be better in a more balanced scheme than the Broncos use, even if he moved inside to guard. 

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