Broncos Projected to Replace $68 Million OT With Big Ten Superstar

Getty LINCOLN, NE - DECEMBER 12: Offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery #69 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers blocks linebacker Pheldarius Payne #49 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Memorial Stadium on December 12, 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

With just one more year of a disastrous financial outlook ahead thanks to the Russell Wilson contract, the Denver Broncos might not want to spend a ton of money on expensive free agents in 2025.

That includes players who have given their entire careers to the franchise, like veteran offensive tackle Garett Bolles, who is in the final season of a 4-year, $68 million contract extension he signed in March 2020.

With Bolles sure to be a prized free agent for almost the entire NFL to take a shot at, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks the Broncos might seek Bolles’ replacement in the 2025 NFL draft by selecting the Univerity of Minnesota’s 6-foot-6, 330-pound offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery

“Whether (the Broncos) only sign Bolles to a short-term contract or he opts to walk, the franchise should have a long-term plan in place,” Ballentine wrote. “Drafting Aireontae Ersery would help meet that objective. He’s a strong zone blocker in the run game and has the length and athleticism to become a starting left tackle in the league.”

Kansas City Native Became Big Ten Star OT

Ersery didn’t start playing football until his junior year at Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Missouri, but turned himself into a 3-star recruit before signing with Minnesota.

He played in 2020 before redshirting in 2021 and has earned All-Big Ten honors the last 2 seasons and has now started 33 consecutive games for the Golden Gophers, including every game in 2022 and 2023.

From Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department: “Ersery has a well-rounded, lean build with long limbs, good play strength and solid athletic ability. Ersery is a well-versed zone run blocker with good pace and feel on combo blocks to get into proper fits, overtake and release on time. He shows solid athletic ability to gain ground laterally to cut off the backside, line up backers on climbs and pulls around the edge. Ersery shows good competitive toughness and physicality as a finisher to strain and set the tone.”

Bolles Has Been One of NFL’s Best on Blind Side

While the Broncos have routinely not lived up to expectations — they haven’t made the playoffs since 2015 — you can’t say the same about Bolles.

Bolles has been good enough that the Broncos haven’t had to draft another offensive tackle in the first round since they took him out of Utah at No. 20 overall in the 2017 NFL draft. He earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2020 and bounced back from a season-ending injury in 2022 after five games to start all 17 games for the Broncos in 2023 and played every single offensive snap of the season — 1,072 snaps in total.

Now, with the Broncos sitting at 6-5 and in control of their playoff destiny down the home stretch in 2024, Bolles is setting himself up to be one of the NFL’s most prized free agents in 2025.

“The only real concern with Boles is his age, as he’ll turn 33 in May,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on November 6. “With tackles like Trent Williams playing well into their 30s, though, it’s not a major concern. Bolles should compete with Ronnie Stanley to be the top tackle in the 2025 market. It’s also worth noting that Bolles was 25 when he entered the NFL, so he hasn’t quite seen the wear of other linemen his age. There is no shortage of tackle-needy teams in the NFL,