Denver Broncos' Best Fits at OT in 1st Round of 2015 NFL Draft
The Denver Broncos need to upgrade their offensive line this offseason. They will work diligently in both the 2015 NFL draft and free agency to find the right players up front.
New head coach Gary Kubiak brings with him a new style of offensive line play. Instead of looking for brawlers who can power run-block, the Broncos will need to find athletic linemen who move well laterally in the zone-blocking system.
With their salary-cap situation, the Broncos would be best served to find offensive line talent early in the draft. This way they would be able to upgrade with quality players without paying the hefty free-agent price.
For this article, let’s just go ahead and assume that both Brandon Scherff (Iowa) and Andrus Peat (Stanford) are off the board. It wouldn’t be a shock to see both players gone in the top 10 of the 2015 NFL draft. This is a talent-heavy tackle class, so it seems a bit unrealistic to think the Broncos would trade up 20 spots for either player.
Of the tackles behind those two, here are the best fits in the first round for the Broncos.
La'el Collins, LSU
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School: LSU (Senior)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 308 lbs
The Broncos could use a player like La’el Collins. With an aggressive mindset, he can regularly manhandle his opponent. As a run-blocker, he has no problem getting to a moving linebacker beyond the line of scrimmage. His quick feet and reach allow him to get to defenders more quickly than some expect.
Pass protection is a work in progress with Collins. His aggression can be a double-edged sword. Instead of staying patient, Collins will lunge toward his opponent at times and get out of position. He also shows inconsistency when dealing with a pass-rusher’s second move.
During the week of practice for the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl, I watched Collins closely in “the pit.” During this one-on-one drill, he held his own and showed that he could recover quickly after making a mistake. Known as a highly coachable prospect, Collins could either play at guard or tackle in the NFL.
T.J. Clemmings
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School: Pittsburgh (Senior)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 307 lbs
One of the most interesting players at the tackle position is T.J. Clemmings. He was a fifth-year senior in 2014, but he only played two seasons on the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Clemmings is more of a finesse player, and the main asset for his game is his lateral agility. As a pass-protector, he uses his long arms to reach, punch and redirect opposing pass-rushers. His technique needs refinement, but Clemmings does a good job of moving his feet to keep opponents at bay.
As a run-blocker, Clemmings is athletic enough to get to the second level. Once there, he does a good job of finding his target and latching onto opponents. He lacks the aggression of other tackles on this list, but Clemmings is known as a hard worker and quick study. That should help him pick things up at the pro level.
Greg Gabriel, former college scouting director for the Chicago Bears, believes Clemmings could start at right tackle or inside at guard as a rookie. He has the upside and potential to be one of the best tackles—if not the—to come from this draft class.
Ereck Flowers
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School: Miami (Junior)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 324 lbs
As the talent is taken off the board, the Broncos need to have multiple options at tackle. The largest of the players listed in this article, Ereck Flowers may be on the board when the Broncos pick.
Flowers is huge, but he is quick enough to get to the second level of the defense regularly. Once there, he has the athleticism to latch onto smaller defenders and easily move them out of the way. Laterally agile, he would be a great fit in the zone-blocking system as a run-blocker.
As a pass-protector, Flowers takes up a lot of space on the edge. His size does make it difficult for him to get his hands on smaller/quicker pass-rushers on the outside. Sometimes, he will reach for a defender and get out of position rather than move his feet to shadow a defender.
In order to play up to his potential, Flowers needs to be quicker off the snap and refine his technique against pass-rushers. Last October, he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus but came back fine and performed well late in the season for the Hurricanes.
His experience as a three-year starter, his size, athleticism and quickness will make him an intriguing player for many teams to consider on the first day of the draft.
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Cameron Erving
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School: Florida State (Senior)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 308 lbs
In the zone-blocking scheme, the Broncos need to find offensive linemen who can block well on the move. Cameron Erving from Florida State has the light feet and athleticism required to handle edge-rushers in the NFL.
A versatile player, Erving spent most of his Seminoles career at left tackle, protecting the blind side of guys like EJ Manuel and Jameis Winston. However, Erving began his career at Florida State as a defensive tackle. He was moved inside to center for some time in 2014 and continued to dominate at his new position.
As a former defensive lineman, Erving has no problem with physical play. In addition to functional strength, he also has the length to reach defenders on the edge with ease. He uses his wingspan and footwork to stunt opposing pass-rushers, and when they redirect, he’s ready for any additional moves.
Erving has the frame to anchor properly when opponents use a bull rush against him. He’s difficult to move as a run-blocker and understands how to use leverage when facing stronger opponents.
He has some technique lapses from time to time, but he is quick to the second level of the defense—a must-have asset in the Kubiak system. However, he sometimes loses track of his target once there, and he’s is not quite the “sticky blocker” he needs to be.
Ty Sambrailo
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School: Colorado State (Senior)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 315 lbs
There may be six or seven tackles off the board by the time the Broncos pick. If they stay put at 28th overall, then Ty Sambrailo may be an option in the first round. With so many tackles off the board, the plan could be to first groom Sambrailo inside at guard. The Broncos need to address both the right tackle and the left guard positions in the draft, so this move could make sense.
The first thing that stands out about Sambrailo on film is his aggressive playing style. He plays with a nasty streak as a run-blocker, and he can easily move his man out of the way. His aggression also comes in handy when pass protecting. He can effectively use his punch to jar oncoming defenders.
At Colorado State, Sambrailo did not face elite competition on the edge, and that is a concern. His technique will sometimes suffer, and he will end up bending his waist in order to reach opponents. While his hands are strong, his placement will sometimes be off and cause defenders to get into his frame and push him back.
Sambrailo was at the 2015 Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this year. During the weigh-in, I noted that he needed to harvest his mass better. Time in an NFL weight-training program should be able to get him into better shape.
The questions surrounding Sambrailo could cause teams to look at him as more of a guard than a tackle at the pro level. The Broncos need help at both positions, and that’s why Sambrailo could be an option.
All practice observations and quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Draft grades are provided by NFLDraftScout.com.
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