The Denver Broncos have a once-in-a-lifetime player in guard Quinn Meinerz — an NCAA Division III standout who has become a legitimate NFL superstar.
Meinerz’s rise to becoming an elite NFL offensive lineman got its latest chapter on Sunday when he made a massive leap in ESPN’s annual preseason position rankings, — up 4 spots to No. 4 in this year’s Top 10.
Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Smith took the top spot for the 1st time.
The rankings are voted on by a group of anonymous NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, with 1 NFL coordinator calling Meinerz a “mauler in the run game.”
“Meinerz belongs in the elite category after another consistent season as the anchor of Denver’s interior attack,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. “His 75.7% run block win rate ranks seventh among guards. And he has become a more complete player in recent years.”
Meinerz — nicknamed “The Belly” or “The Gut” — seemed to acknowledge the accomplishment in his own, unique way on his official Instagram account, sharing a post from the 90s Era Nostalgia account featuring a pic from the cult classic 1998 film “Small Soldiers” of the movie’s hero, Archer, the leader of the Monster-like Gorgonites who bears a striking resemblance to Meinerz.
“Today’s kids will never know who the leader of the Gorgonites is,” 90s Eras Nostalgia wrote on the post Meinerz shared on his account.
Meinerz Set Up For Another Massive Payday
The Broncos signed Meinerz, 27, to a 4-year, $74 million contract extension before the 2024 season — which means he’s in line to land another massive payday before he turns 30 years old.
Meinerz’s current contract runs through the end of the 2028 season, which means the Broncos could very well start sniffing around to see if he’s ready to re-up when he’s 29, after the 2027 season. That deal could very well be in the range of the extension the Cowboys signed Smith to — a 4-year, $96 million deal signed before the 2025 season.
From NCAA Division III To NFL Superstar
Meinerz, 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, took an unusual path to the NFL.
He played two seasons at NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2018 and 2019 but didn’t play in 2020 after all Division III seasons were canceled due to the pandemic. That didn’t stop him from being drafted by the Broncos in the 3rd round (No. 98 overall) of the 2021 NFL draft after blowing scouts away at the Senior Bowl.
“The darling of this year’s Senior Bowl, Meinerz has broken through and onto NFL draft boards despite moving up from Division III and having no 2020 tape,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2021. “He flashed at times in 2019, but his tape was nothing like what we saw against upgraded competition across from him at the Senior Bowl. His hands have improved greatly and his movement appears to be much more efficient and powerful. The step up to NFL competition will require an adjustment period as a full-time move to center likely awaits him. He has the ability to move and finish drive blocks and his pass protection is clearly improving. He has the strength and demeanor to become an impactful starter in the near future.”
Meinerz played his way into a starting role as a rookie in 2021, taking over at right guard in Week 9. He started all 13 games he played in 2022 and has started every game for the Broncos since 2023, with 54 consecutive regular-season starts and consecutive NFL All-Pro seasons in 2024 and 2025 as the Broncos have become 1 of the AFC’s top teams.
Broncos’ $74 Million ‘Mauler’ Makes Huge Leap in NFL Rankings