Broncos Stun Analysts with an Elite Rating for a Quiet Position Group, Leaving Fans Guessing Which Unit Just Raised the Bar

The Denver Broncos received a respectable “B” grade from Pro Football Focus for their 2025 NFL Draft haul, which includes two defensive ends, a running back, a cornerback, a tight end, and a punter. In addition to their seven draft selections, the Broncos added 17 undrafted free agents to their offseason roster.

While these additions beefed up their depth in glaring positions of need, especially at the offensive skill positions, they didn’t do much with their offensive line. The reason? They already have one of the NFL’s best units, as ESPN’s Mike Clay graded in his 2025 stat projections for all 32 teams.

Despite the additions to the Broncos’ wide receiver and running back rooms, Clay still gave both units a 3, the lowest grade in the team. Conversely, he puts the offensive line in high regard with a team-high grade of 9, even if the team made minimal adjustments to their depth chart.

The Broncos are only one of three teams with 9 (Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears), while the Philadelphia Eagles were the only team with a perfect score. Part of that grading is the vast improvement in quarterback protection. In 2023, the Broncos allowed 52, the sixth most that season. A year later, they surrendered the third-fewest sacks with 26.

Broncos Offensive Linemen Win Their Matchups

In his April 2025 article, Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe hailed the Broncos as the best offensive line throughout the 2024 regular season. He wrote, “The Broncos finished top of ESPN’s PBWR (pass block win rate) and RBWR (run block win rate) and had plenty of individual players inside the top 10 of their categories.”

Rolfe cites a January 2025 article by ESPN Analytics, which states that Mike McGlinchey and Garett Bolles finished sixth and seventh in PBWR among offensive tackles. McGlinchey’s 94% win rate ties him with Joe Alt and Lane Johnson. Meanwhile, Bolles’ 93% puts him at par with Dion Dawkins, Andrew Wylie, Laremy Tunsil, and Dan Moore Jr.

As for the interior offensive line, Luke Wattenberg (98%), Quinn Meinerz (97%), and Ben Powers (96%) are among the top five in PBWR. Likewise, Powers led all interior linemen with a 78 percent RBWR.

These numbers led to Bolles having an 80 overall grade and an 88.2 pass block grade from Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, Meinerz ranks second among guards with an 87.3 overall mark, while McGlinchey has a 72.2 offensive rating.

NFL Analyst Revealed the Key to the Broncos’ Offensive Line’s Collective Success

While the Broncos’ offensive linemen exude individual prowess, playing a lot of snaps turned them into an elite unit. As NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said during his May 14 appearance on the DNVR Broncos podcast, “I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I believe they started almost every game together.”

That continuity made Bo Nix more comfortable behind center, allowing the former Oregon standout to have the second-most touchdowns by a rookie. In addition to Nix having more time to see his options downfield, the Broncos established a decent run game without an established lead running back.

With RJ Harvey in the mix, Denver’s run blocking could create gaps that can lead to big plays.