Luke Wattenberg went into last season as a question mark at center.
Surrounded by proven starters at the guard positions in Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz, the Broncos had to roll the dice on the 2022 draft pick, who emerged from a three-way competition as the replacement for free-agent departure Lloyd Cushenberry.
But Wattenberg watched Cushenberry closely during his first two seasons as an understudy and applied those lessons. The result?
He ranked No. 2 in the NFL in pass-block win rate among interior offensive linemen, according to ESPN Analytics.
That was higher than the All-Pro to his right, Quinn Meinerz. He ranked No. 3. Ben Powers, the left guard who flanked Wattenberg on the other side, ranked fifth.
Powers also ranked No. 1 among interior offensive linemen in run-block win rate. He was the only player to rank in the top five interior offensive linemen in both run-block and pass-block win rate last year.
Together, the trio represented a massive reason why Bo Nix was able to operate with relatively clean pockets — and why the Broncos were able to get an accurate look at their young quarterback.
As was the case at offensive tackle, Denver’s investment on the interior of the offensive line paid off.
But the big money was at the guard spots — Powers as a free-agent signee in 2023, Meinerz as a re-signing last year. Wattenberg was the draft-and-develop player, the one where the Broncos chose to trust their process.
That trust paid off.
“He did a really good job coming in in Year 1,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “I think you’re going to see an ascension.
“He’s exceptionally smart. I like his frame. He loves football. So I think that first year [of] full-time starting is going to benefit him greatly.”
Added offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi: “He’s a good communicator to start with and really smart, but having a year as a starter and just coming in, I think everyone will be a lot more comfortable.
“Things will go smoother. Hopefully we can just build on last year and continue to be a dominant line.”
And Year Two with Nix should help Wattenberg, too,
“Anytime you can keep that battery together, with the communication, [it helps],” Lombardi said. “Bo’s used to seeing how he handles things, and he knows when he has to trump a call or something.
“And you just go through it over and over again, you get more comfortable, it gets more smooth, and I think it’ll be a good year for those two.”
THE BRONCOS’ INTERIOR DEPTH
Alex Forsyth stepped in for an injured Wattenberg last year and held his own, doing particularly well as a run blocker during the four games he started.
Denver averaged 4.69 yards per attempt and 134.8 rushing yards per game in Forsyth’s four starts.
Nick Gargiulo, like Forsyth, is another recent seventh-round pick, coming aboard last year. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad; along with veteran Calvin Throckmorton, he’s a relief option at guard.
This is where the roster gymnastics come into play. Last year, the Broncos primarily used the practice squad for their guard depth, although Throckmorton had a 26-day spell on the active roster last year before returning to the practice squad.
Will Sherman spent a third season on the practice squad last year; he has yet to play a regular-season snap for the Broncos since first joining the team’s practice squad on Sept. 2, 2022. With the CU alum, the Broncos know what they’re getting; he handles his mid-week scout-team work well.
But a squeeze could come from two undrafted rookies: Joe Michalski and Clay Webb.
Webb in particular is a nam to remember. One of the team’s priciest undrafted pickups — to the tune of a $210,000 guarantee, per Over the Cap — the Jacksonville State (Ala.) product is likely to stick in some capacity.
The back-of-the-depth-chart churn among young interior offensive linemen promises to be one of the more fascinating battles of training camp.
After all, where Wattenberg was in 2022 is where Webb is now. Where Wattenberg was in 2023 is where Gargiulo sits today. It’s a bit different for Forsyth since he got four starts last year
But their development matters because Wattenberg is in a contract year. So, as Wattenberg continues to work and improve, the Broncos also must evaluate their young players and make a decision on their fourth-year center in light of other roster decisions — and the progress of their young players.
Do they keep rolling with Wattenberg in 2026? Or, like Cushenberry before him, does he end up getting the bag elsewhere, with the baton passing to the next young center rising up the pipeline?
That’s why you should pay attention to the snaps of second- and third-teamers during preseason games. All this could illuminate decisions that Payton and general manager George Paton must make in the next several months.
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