The Denver Broncos have one of the league’s premier offensive lines. There’s little doubt about that fact.
The unit earned another feather in its cap with Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus (PFF) naming them the league’s best offensive line.
“The Broncos return the same five starters from an offensive line that ended 2025 as PFF’s top-ranked unit, and there is no reason for change at the top. Left tackle Garett Bolles earned a 91.0 PFF pass-blocking grade last year, the highest among all offensive tackles, and didn’t allow a single sack across 802 pass-blocking snaps in the regular season. On the other side of the line, right guard Quinn Meinerz was the highest-graded guard in football, with his 91.0 PFF run-blocking grade trailing only Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom among guards.” McGuinness wrote.
It’s difficult to find fault with their spot on the list, as they allowed the second-fewest sacks in the league last season. Barring an injury at center (more on that later), they’ll also be bringing rare continuity into the 2026 season.
The Denver Broncos Arguably Have The NFL’s Best G/T Duo
It would be difficult for a team to land at the peak of an offensive line ranking without having at least a few blue-chip players up front. The Broncos definitely check that box with left tackle Garrett Bolles and right guard Quinn Meinerz, both of whom are among the best players at their respective positions.
PFF recently ranked Meinerz as the second-best guard (behind only the Bears‘ Joe Thuney) heading into the season, so it’s no surprise to see them give the unit love once again. Both he and Bolles were also named finalists for the inaugural Protector of the Year Award bestowed at the annual NFL Honors event in February.
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Ben Powers might not garner headlines (like most linemen), but they’re also rock-solid starters in their own right. When healthy, the same can be said for center Luke Wattenberg, who has started 29 games over the past two seasons.
Their Lone Question Mark Is At Center
You know a team is hurting at center when their All-Pro guard is practicing snapping the ball for the first time since preseason of his rookie year. Wattenberg has unfortunately been dealing with an arm/shoulder injury over the past two weeks. He at least returned to practice on Monday, but has yet to log a full practice since suffering the injury.
Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton recently said the injury isn’t serious. However, the fact that it is an undisclosed injury is cause for at least some concern, since a center needs their arm to snap the ball. It might not be a situation where they can wrap it up, throw him out there, and hope for the best.
Luckily for Denver, there is still another month before the season kicks off. It’s hard to blame them if they’re just slow-playing the recovery in that case. However, another cause for concern when it comes to the prospect of it being a nagging injury is the fact that they currently don’t have a healthy center on their active roster.
Backup center Alex Forsyth has been MIA with an undisclosed injury of his own, and third-string center Michael Deiter will be sidelined for the season with a quad injury. This might be a situation where the league’s best offensive line might look to add another body at center before the season kicks off.
The Broncos Land Elite Spot In Offensive Line Ranking, But One Question Remains