The Denver Broncos have one of the greatest track records in the National Football League when it comes to finding and developing talent as undrafted free agents.
In all but one season over the past 21 years, the Broncos have had an undrafted rookie make their final 53-man roster. The franchise signed fifteen college free agents at the end of the 2025 NFL Draft, but one of them certainly stands above the rest. That would be 6’7” Georgia offensive lineman Xavier Truss.
A four-star recruit, the highest in the history of Rhode Island, Truss’ path to Athens was an exercise in patience. Known for sending offensive line talent to the NFL every season, he had to wait his with the Bulldogs—a championship caliber collegiate program with incredible depth on the offensive line.
His first three years was as a backup, but in 2022 he finally got his chance to start and held his own for the National Champions with 14 games at left guard. In 2023, he started 13 games with 8 of them at right tackle, 4 at left guard, and 1 at right guard. As a sixth-year senior, he was the Bulldogs’ right tackle for 14 games.
According to reports, the Broncos’ initial plan is to have him start out at guard. The team’s starters are set in stone with Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz, but a backup spot will certainly be up for grabs. Let’s take a more in-depth look at Truss and what to reasonably expect for him during his rookie campaign.
Player Profile
Age: 23 | Experience: Rookie | College: Georgia | Height: 6’7” | Weight: 309 pounds
Arm Length: 33” | Hand Size: 10-1/2” | Bench Press: N/A | Broad Jump: 8’7”
Vertical Jump: 26 inches | 10-Yard Split: 1.82 seconds | 40-yard dash: 5.24 seconds
Xavier Truss’ 2025 outlook with the Broncos
One of the Broncos’ biggest strengths is their starting offensive line unit which ranked at the top of most metrics for their efforts in 2024. It’s safe to assume that their starting five from last season are set in stone. Though they will need to have some versatile backups to round out their roster.
Versatility is Truss’ calling card. With over 2,000 reps between three positions during his collegiate tenure with the Bulldogs, he has a lot of quality playing experience against top-tier competition. Prospects like him who offer multi-position flexibility often punch above their weight in battles to make a final roster over those who are relegated to one.
While his athletic scores at the NFL Combine weren’t great, his tape shows a player with adequate lateral agility and the ability to get to the second level. I also like his physicality and toughness on the field. He gives it his all ever snap and I liked how quick he was to initiate contact in his reps.
Unfortunately, his decision to forgo the bench press at the NFL Combine or Pro Day emphasizes concerns about his strength. It’s a fair and noticeable critique. Truss needs to improve in that regard though that’s not uncommon for linemen coming into the league.
Outside of his play on the field, his former college coach Kirby Smart raved about his character, toughness, and leadership. All of those are traits Head Coach Sean Payton seeks in his payers. He certainly seems to fit the mold and vision for the culture Payton’s seeking to establish here.
#Broncos UDFA OL Xavier Truss (Georgia #73) completely washing Que Robinson out of the play on back to back snaps
Love Que, but we got an absolute DAWG in our UDFA haul! Gonna be fun to watch these two compete this summer pic.twitter.com/CVUw35QyiM
— Kodiak Broncos Podcast (@KodiakBroncos) April 30, 2025
Final Thoughts
The Broncos haven’t spent significant draft capital in Payton’s tenure on the offensive line. However, they have put a major emphasis signing undrafted collegiate prospects to round out their roster. One could call it the Zach Strief path—a rising star in the coaching ranks who Payton signed as an undrafted free agent years ago with the New Orleans Saints.
According to Mike Klis, Truss received one of the highest bonuses and guarantee amounts of any player in their 15-man undrafted free agent class. That doesn’t make him a shoo-in for the final 53-man roster, but I believe it indicates they feel confident about his ability to develop into a starting-level player.
The Broncos had nine offensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster. For this upcoming training camp, Truss’ main competition will be Alex Palczewski and Frank Crum. Both were also undrafted players that wound up making the Broncos’ roster each of the last two seasons.
Who earns backup spots on the Broncos’ offensive line will be one of the best battles to watch. There’s no doubt Truss is certainly going to be in the mix. The concerns with his strength and being behind the aforementioned relative to the playbook are marks against him. If he doesn’t crack the final 53-man roster, he certainly merits continued development on the team’s practice squad.