So far so good in the Bo Nix/Sean Payton era in Denver as the pairing made the playoffs in year 1 together while Bo Nix got the team to the Conference Championship in year 2 before going out with an injury where Denver still came up just 3 points short of making the Super Bowl without him. The defense has been the calling card of the Broncos in the Nix/Payton era more-so than the offense and the offense led the offensive minded Payton and the young QB Nix will have to pick up the slack. Heading into next season not just the QB play and offensive coaching will need to be sharp but also the rest of the offensive personnel. Here I will do an analysis of the Broncos’ offensive line heading into the 2026 season.
Set to start at left tackle is veteran Garrett Bolles who has emerged as one of the premier left tackles in the NFL today. Bolles finished the 2025 season being graded as the 5th best overall tackle in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. Bolles also finished the 2025 season ranking 1st in pass blocking efficiency among all qualified tackles while also finishing in the top five in that department in the previous season. Bolles is consistently a very good player who has an elite ceiling, in nine seasons in the NFL Bolles has graded in the elite range only twice, one of which was in 2025, while consistently being well above average otherwise.
Starting at left guard is Ben Powers who is also a strong player at the position grading consistently in the above average range among players at his position ever since entering his prime. Powers has shown proficiency as a pass protector in particular ranking in the well above average department among his peers in terms of pass blocking efficiency on a perennial basis, including ranking first in that department on one occasion as well. Powers however struggles as a run blocker grading slightly below average in that department in every season of his career thus far except one where he ranked above average.
Luke Wattenberg is set to start at the center spot for the Broncos and is a very strong player who emerged as one of the better if not one of the best centers in the sport last season. Wattenberg, a 2022 5th rounder, barely played in each of his first two seasons with 2024 being his essential rookie year. As a rookie Wattenberg was almost as good in pass protection as any center in the sport although struggling as a run blocker. Wattenberg in 2025 continued his elite pass protection while now performing very well as a run blocker and Pro Football Focus graded him as a top ten overall center in the NFL.
2021 3rd rounder Quinn Meinerz is one of the premier offensive lineman in the sport today having made two consecutive first team All-Pro teams. Meinerz in every season outside of his rookie season has been graded as a top five overall guard in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He has shown consistent improvement in that regard, in 2022 he ranked fifth, in 2023 he ranked third, in 2024 he ranked second, and in 2025 he was graded as the best overall guard in the NFL. Meinerz is known for being perhaps the best run blocking interior offensive lineman in the NFL while also being well above average to elite as a pass protector. Meinerz has ranked in the top five in terms of run blocking grade among his NFL peers in every season outside of his rookie year, including ranking first in that department in 2025. Meinerz also consistently ranks well above average in terms of pass blocking efficiency among his peers, which included ranking first in that department on one occasion as well.
Former first rounder Mike McGlinchey rounds out the Broncos’ starting offensive front and is the weak link on their starting offensive line despite still being a strong player, which goes to show you how stout the Denver line is, as it is likely the best in the NFL today. McGlinchey is inconsistent but still has a high ceiling in terms of pass protection while consistently being very strong to elite as a run blocker. McGlinchey is not a star like all the remaining members on Denver’s offensive front, but still likely an above average starter.
From a depth standpoint on the Denver offensive line the team has some noteworthy names that round out perhaps the best offensive line in the sport today. Interior offensive lineman Alex Forsyth has looked consistently above average in very limited NFL snaps thus far and could form into a very good starting caliber player while being currently listed as a reserve. While almost the same exact thing can be said for reserve tackle Frank Crum as well. Denver has one potential high level interior reserve offensive lineman and one potential high level offensive lineman who plays tackle. While also having a handful or so of other names who could step in smoothly in the case of offensive line attrition. The Broncos have likely the best overall offensive line in the NFL heading into next season and a breakdown of the unit can be found below.
Projected 2026 Broncos’ Starting Offensive Line
LT – Garrett Bolles – B+ to A-
LG – Ben Powers – B+
C – Luke Wattenberg – B+ to A-
RG – Quinn Meinerz – A to A+
RT – Mike McGlinchey – B to B+
Notable 2026 Broncos’ Reserve Offensive Lineman
C/G – Alex Forsyth – B to B+, limited snaps
T – Frank Crum – B to B+, very limited snaps
