The Broncos can bolster their offensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft will be here before you know it. This is a good draft class at multiple positions, and teams will be shuffling around to find the best fit for them on both sides of the ball.

My position previews are always fun to write. The scouting is over, and I’ve graded over 400 players in this draft class. Now, it’s time to give you a taste of what I’ve seen on film.

Here are some of the offensive linemen from this draft you need to know.

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Big Six

It was about six months ago when I said on air that there were likely to be six offensive tackles taken in the first round. I wasn’t sure at the time, but that’s the way this class was trending. As we sit here less than two weeks from the draft, I’m certain we’ll hit that number.

There is no doubt Joe Alt (Notre Dame) is the best tackle in this class. I’m not saying he’s a perfect prospect, but it’s tough to find many flaws in his game. The son of a Pro Bowl player (John Alt), he’s got strength and athleticism to lock down defenders on the left side. Even though he just started playing on the offensive line in college, Alt has 33 starts as a left tackle for a major program. He’s got the work ethic you need, and Alt has the discipline of a 10-year veteran. Any team in need of a cornerstone player should consider Alt in the top-10 of this draft.

J.C. Latham (Alabama) comes in next. With 27 starts at right tackle, Latham has few questions about his game entering the league. Strong doesn’t even begin to describe Latham as he can completely obliterate opponents tasked with getting by him. Latham understands leverage, and he maintains balance after contact. If he gets ahold of you, you’re done and might as well give up. He gets penalized often because he can throw guys around. With pro coaching, I believe he can clean that up.

Some think Olu Fashanu (Penn State) is falling in the draft, but I think that could be more of the “season of lies” we get in April. Yes, he’s a work-in-progress as a run-blocker but I feel Fashanu makes his money as a pass-protector. Fashanu is a smart player who can diagnose what a defender is doing in front of him – including stunts with two players. He needs to get a little more tenacious, but he’s an athletic player with Pro Bowl upside. That makes him a first-rounder in my book.

Amarius Mims (Georgia) is considered a right tackle by some, but I believe he can play on the left side. He only has eight starts in college, all on the right side. Watching Mims, you can see the ease with which he plays. He doesn’t have much experience, but Mims looks steady when waiting for a defender to engage. Mims does not get too excited, and he won’t lunge for a man in front of him. Instead, Mims waits patiently to study what a defender is doing then strikes with a strong punch.

Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) is one of the strongest players in this class at any position. He can control his man at the point of attack with strength and tenacity. Fuaga has a strong punch, and he can knock defenders off track with one blow. He’s a right tackle to be sure, but some see him best suited as a guard on the inside. Either way, you’re getting a strong, tough, and durable player if you select Fuaga in the first round.

Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) should round out the first round as the sixth OT off the board. He struggled earlier this year at the Senior Bowl, and his lack of starting experience on the left side is evident. However, Guyton does have the athletic ability and footwork to mirror defenders (likely due to his basketball background). With proper pro coaching, I anticipate Guyton will improve on the left side. He’s comfortable as a right tackle, and Guyton can at least be a solid starter on the right side.

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On the Inside

This draft is all about the premier offensive tackles, but there are more than a few players on the inside who should be on your radar. In fact, I could see a couple of guards going off the board in the first round.

Troy Fautanu (Washington) is a lock to be a first-round pick. He might be the only player in this draft who could start at all five positions on the offensive line. A two-year starter at left tackle for the Huskies, most scouts I talk to project Fautanu to play inside at guard. Some feel he could be a tackle in the NFL, but he could be an All-Pro guard with pro coaching. Fautanu moves well, and he can pull to hit a defender in space. He has strength in his punching, but what stands out is his smooth athleticism.

Jordan Morgan (Arizona) is a borderline first-day pick. With 37 starts at left tackle, Morgan brings plenty of experience to the table. However, we should see him move inside at the pro level. Morgan is smart and strong, but against EDGE players in the NFL things could get ugly. He stays ahead of defenders with his mind, but Morgan can get worked by speedy players on the outside. Moving him inside covers that flaw, and you still get a player with Pro Bowl upside.

Mason McCormick (South Dakota State) is one of my favorite mid-round guards in this class. He’s got 57 starts in college at guard, and I liked what I saw from him during the week of practice for the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year. He has violent striking hands, and defenders who engage with him are in for a constant battle. McCormick is a nasty player to opponents, but his teammates voted him a captain for three seasons. Penalties are a problem for him due to his extra-physical style, so that needs to be addressed in the NFL.

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Late-Round Gems

If you miss out on some of the top-tier talent at tackle, then there are plenty of Day 3 options. If you don’t want to spend a mid-round pick on an interior lineman, then the final four rounds of the draft have some players names that could develop into fine starters.

I really like what I’ve seen on film and in person from Frank Crum (Wyoming). He’s a third-generation Cowboy with both his father and grandfather played football in Laramie. It’s not just his bloodlines, it’s the basketball skill set he brings to the football field. Crum moves really well for a big man and watching him during the Cowboys’ pro day was quite impressive.

I watch a lot of football, and very few big men can move like Crum can. He’s a fluid athlete, and I love his footwork in pass-protection. The Cowboys offensive line was the toughest that Texas DT D’Vondre Sweat (per his own words) played against, and Crum was the leader at left tackle. He only played one season at left tackle (2023), but Crum did a fantastic job when asked to be a blindside protector instead of a road-grader on the right side.

Crum has an 84-inch wingspan, and his long arms help keep defenders at bay. He does tend to lean a bit due to those long arms, but I think pro coaching can make him a knee-bender instead of a waste-bender. I love his movement skill, but Crum is also country strong and can hold up to power moves on the edge. His nickname is “Frank the Tank” and he plays like that, taking his right tackle skill to the left side.

Mike Edwards (Campbell) has rare physical traits. He’s a powerful player who can move the Earth. His footwork needs improvement to handle EDGE guys in the NFL. Edwards also needs to stay healthy as multiple injuries kept him out of action during his college career (starting at Wake Forest).

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