With the 111th overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos selected Boise State left tackle Kage Casey. It marked the first time the Broncos have drafted an offensive tackle since they selected Garett Bolles out of Utah in 2017.
A three-year starter for the collegiate-level Broncos, Casey brings a ton of experience to the fold, as well as a reliable sense of durability with 41 consecutive starts at left tackle after redshirting his freshman year. He was named to the All-Mountain West First Team in his redshirt sophomore and junior seasons, as well as the All-Mountain West Second Team as a redshirt freshman.
While Casey was technically announced as an offensive guard at the draft, his addition to the roster bolsters the depth of the unit while also offering a developmental option as a potential replacement for the longest-tenured player on the roster. Bolles is entering his age-34 season in 2026, and while he still has two years remaining on his current contract, finding a possible replacement who can sit and develop behind him is a great idea given the state of the roster as a whole.
Even aside from Bolles, the Broncos could also slide Casey inside to play left guard as early as 2027 if they choose to move on from Ben Powers following this upcoming season.
Let’s take a look at what the Broncos got in their fourth-round selection in today’s film room.
Exceptional Pass Protection
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— Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) June 22, 2026
The biggest reason Casey was named to the All-Mountain West Conference First Team in back-to-back seasons is his consistent dominance as a pass blocker. He shows incredible footwork and hand placement at the point of attack, as well as lateral quickness to keep defenders in front of him.
Casey's grip strength and balance make up for his lack of length and pad-level inconsistencies, and he identifies stunts and blitzes with relative ease. He’s more of a technician than a mauler, but he does have a mean streak and a finish mentality that shines through consistently.
According to Pro Football Focus, Casey allowed three sacks and four total hurries on 189 true drop-back pass blocking reps. His 3.7% pressure rate on those snaps was good for the second-lowest pressure percentage in college football, only trailing Utah’s Spencer Fano, who was selected 9th overall by the Cleveland Browns.
In this rep against Notre Dame — arguably his best performance of the 2025 season — Casey oversets a little bit and allows the defender an open lane to the inside. Watch how he resets his feet to flatten the defender’s angle across the pocket and allow more time for the quarterback.
Casey gets some help from the guard to finish the rep, but he has already won thanks to his lateral quickness and grip strength. His ability to recover flashes all over his tape.
Mirroring Ability
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— Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) June 23, 2026
What makes Casey's pass protection even more impressive is his ability to mirror defenders coming around the arc. He has a firm anchor to take on bull rushes with ease, but his lateral footwork around the arc is nearly flawless. He also has a nuanced understanding of angular speed rushes and enough foot quickness to flatten out against defenders and cut off their path.
Once Casey gets his hands on a defender, the rep typically ends with the defender stonewalled at the point of attack. These reps against Notre Dame are perfect examples of his foot quickness, grip strength, anchoring, and mirroring ability.
The first rep is one of my favorites, as Casey has to flatten out to wall off the defender in a wide-9 alignment, then mirror around the arc. Watch his footwork as he slides upfield, then mirrors back down as the defender tries to retrace his steps. He keeps his feet from getting too close together and plays with a wide base, allowing him to be able to keep the defender in front of him.
On the second rep, Casey gets good depth in his kick slide while keeping his shoulders square to the defender, then transfers power to his hips to anchor as the defender tries to convert speed to power. If Casey does end up playing tackle in Denver, he definitely can handle multiple styles of edge defenders thanks to his technical prowess and footwork.
Powerful Leg Drive
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— Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) June 23, 2026
Moving to the running game, Casey is incredibly effective on double teams in power-gap schemes and as a drive blocker on the front side of running plays. Despite being a little bit top-heavy at times, Casey can get nasty at the point of attack and shows powerful leg drive to displace defenders with ease, especially when he keeps his pads low and gets attached.
These next couple of clips come from the Notre Dame game, and they show how much power Casey can generate from his lower half. On the first rep, he has to pin down on the 4i to wash him towards the middle of the line of scrimmage. He attacks the outside shoulder and lands with violence, creating four yards' worth of displacement and driving the defender two full gaps to the interior.
On the second rep, Casey overpowers the defender with leverage, finishing an awesome pancake block several yards downfield. His hand placement is perfect, and despite being slightly elevated with his pad level, he still manages to create leverage to drive the defender backwards and grade the road for a nice gain.
'Finish Him' Mentality
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— Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) June 23, 2026
Speaking of pancake blocks, Casey has a knack for finishing plays on the ground in the running game. Sometimes, that can be a detriment on his tape due to whiffing on blocks as he goes for the kill shot, but he generally does a nice job of landing on moving targets at the second level. When he does land, the results are noteworthy.
Casey does a great job of playing through the echo of the whistle, and there are several plays in which he drives opponents to the ground, even if they weren’t his original assignment. Once he gets a head of steam, he is nearly unstoppable.
On these reps against Fresno State, Casey shows his mean streak as he finishes the play with anger and aggression.
Movement Skills on the Perimeter
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— Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) June 23, 2026
Casey could be successful as a guard at the next level due to his above-average movement ability on screen plays and as a puller in the running game. For a player who stands north of 6-foot-5 and weighs over 315 pounds, he moves incredibly well on the perimeter.
There are certainly instances where Casey can get out over his skis when trying to land on defensive backs at the second and third levels of the defense, but he generally does a nice job of identifying angles of attack and driving defenders out of the play as a lead blocker. He has enough foot speed and change-of-direction ability to pick off linebackers at the second level, and when he connects with smaller players, the results are explosive.
I found a handful of clips that show Casey's athleticism in these scenarios, and this ability translates directly to what the Broncos offense does frequently. Watch how patient he stays on the first rep.
Casey knows the play has to develop before he can attack upfield after selling the run fake, and when he does advance, he lands on a safety 15 yards downfield. On the second rep, Casey misses his block on the cornerback, but he still shows good foot speed to lead the play to the boundary.
The third clip shows his ability to change direction and still manage to get back to the front of the play on the boundary, as well as what happens when he lands on smaller players at the point of attack.
The Takeaway
With all due respect to Casey, watching his tape was boring in a good way. There are flash plays that catch your attention, but the majority of his tape is solid technique, good footwork, and assignment sound football. He rarely makes mistakes, having committed only three total penalties in his 41 starts at Boise State, and he understands the game at a high level.
If you don’t notice an offensive lineman during a football game, that typically means he is doing his job. In the four games I watched for this film review, Casey did a fantastic job of remaining “unnoticed," in the best sense.
While he may have a lower ceiling at tackle due to a lack of length, Casey can be a rotational player on the outside and provide spot starts if need be. His best fit early in his career will likely be at guard, as he has enough of a power profile to play in a phone booth if necessary. His movement skills and technical refinement make him a scheme-versatile offensive lineman as well.
The Broncos drafted a solid, if unspectacular, player in Casey. He’s got enough talent to stick around an NFL roster for several years, and there is starting upside to be had.
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