Five interior linemen the Denver Broncos should consider in the NFL Draft

The Broncos offensive line is in good shape.

Garett Bolles, 31, and Mike McGlinchey, 29, have had their ups and downs, but they are both at least starting NFL tackles.

Quinn Meinerz, 25, is one of the best guards in football and he’s only getting better. Ben Powers, 27, may not have fully lived up to his contract last season, but he wasn’t far off and you could have done much, much worse.

The big question lies in the middle, where the Broncos will have internal options. Alex Forsyth, 25, and Luke Wattenberg, 26, will compete with new signing Sam Mustipher, 27, who has 42 starts at center to his name.

The Broncos’ offensive line was a top-10 unit in the league last season, but the change at center or worse injury luck could hurt their chances of repeating that feat in 2024.

The Broncos owe Quinn Meinerz a new contract after this season, and the price tag could be huge. If the Broncos don’t bring him back, they will have a hole at guard that they can find insurance for in this draft.

A rookie center could also make sense.

Here are five centers and guards the Broncos should keep an eye on in the draft…

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Range: Probably first round

Powers-Johnson only started 17 games in college – and one of those games was at defensive tackle – but he is the undisputed top player in this year’s draft.

How did he do with one season of full-time starting experience? He earned unanimous All-America honors and won the Rimington Award, which goes to the nation’s top center.

Powers-Johnson, who won’t turn 22 until his rookie season, is big, smart and strong. He has insane upper body strength, allowing him to hit defenders wherever he wants. He’s not overly mobile – what do you expect from someone who weighs 328 pounds – but his peak in space is surprisingly long.

Powers-Johnson’s raw talent will make him a Day 1 starter despite not being polished. Imagine what the country’s top center could become once polished.

Christian Haynes, UConn

Range: Day 2

The Broncos stole a gem in the third round when they drafted Quinn Meinerz from D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater.

I think they have a chance to repeat history in 2024.

Like Meinerz, Christian Haynes stole the show at the Senior Bowl. He held back some of the best defensive prospects in the class.

Haynes played for perennial dumpster fire UConn, which posted a 12-37 record during his four years as a starter. He has never missed a game.

He is an ultra-mobile athlete with great strength. At just under 6 feet tall and 317 pounds, he has prototypical size for the position. He is perhaps the best finisher of all the blockers in this class.

Haynes can run through space and take down defenders. He can push defensive linemen back. He allowed just one sack in his last three seasons playing ball.

Haynes is a great prospect and he’s setting himself up for a steal in the third round.

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia

Range: Day 2 or 3

Over the past three seasons, Van Pran-Granger has centered an offensive line that is built to fight.

He is a big physical center with an upper body strong enough to knock defensive linemen off their spots. He’s not the most mobile athlete, but when he gets steam he can make a defensive lineman run backwards.

Van Pran-Granger will have to continue to grow as a football player if he wants to become a stud in the NFL, but the idea of ​​him standing between Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz is appealing. That would be a lot of people.

Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Range: Day 2 or 3

Mahogany is a huge man. He is tall. It’s wide. He measured over 6 feet and 314 pounds at the combine. His hands are big and his arms are long.

Mahogany has three years of starting experience. He would have had a fourth, but he missed the 2022 season with a torn ACL. He’s already 23, but he has experience and could be ready to start on Day 1.

Mahogany is strong in the attacking position. He crowds defensive linemen and moves the line of scrimmage. He has enough anchor. He can also pull and hit defensive linemen, although his mobility is nothing special.

Mahogany is a highlight-reel offensive lineman who hits hard and makes noise. He may not fill an immediate need for the Broncos, but he would be a valuable addition for the future.

Zak Zinter, Michigan

Range: Day 3

If the Broncos are looking for a long-term replacement for Ben Powers, Zinter could be a good option.

The three-year starter at right guard is tall (6-foot-1) and has the wingspan of a tackle prospect. That combination makes him a very good pass protector.

In the running game, Zinter isn’t perfect. He’s too big to be elite in space. He is better at leaning on defensive linemen and pushing them back than at working to the second level and going up against faster linebackers.

Zinter’s 2023 season ended prematurely when he broke his tibia and fibula in November, so he will likely be discounted on draft day.

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