Ramczyk, Bolles: 2 Tackle Prospects Worthy Of The Broncos Consideration
By Romi Bean
DENVER (CBS4) - The NFL Draft is upon us. College stars from around the nation anxiously wait for a phone call telling them an NFL team wants them. All the sweat, injuries, and countless hours of preparation are about to pay off. Tonight, 32 hopefuls find out their fate as the world watches.
One young man will pick up his phone tonight and find out he's been selected by the Denver Broncos ... and he'll get the news from John Elway. Not a bad way to find out you're going pro.
The Broncos have 10 picks in a draft that is full of tight end and running back depth but shallow at offensive and defensive line. The Broncos met with 56 prospects this offseason, and it comes as no surprise the majority are offensive players -- 17 of them are offensive lineman.
But in a draft class with little depth at tackle, will Denver reach for one in the first round? There are only two tackle prospects worthy of the Broncos' consideration for a first round, 20th overall selection -- Ryan Ramczyk from Wisconsin and Garrett Bolles from Utah.
Ramczyk has one of the most interesting journeys to this point in his football career. He started at Division-II Winona State but gave up after one week and attended two different technical colleges. He quickly realized how much he missed football and enrolled at Division-III University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he started two seasons at left tackle. From there, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and though he only played one season for the Badgers, he immediately commanded the attention of NFL scouts.
Ramczyk is an outstanding athlete with the natural balance and movement skills to protect the pocket and stay off the ground. He's been described as an unassuming, hard-worker who's not afraid to play through injuries. The big question on Ramczyk will be his health -- he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip in January 2017. If the hip isn't an issue, Ramczyk has all the tools to start in the NFL from day one.
Garrett Bolles is a one-year starter out of Utah who piqued the interest of NFL scouts with his dominant performance throughout the 2016 season. Bolles has impressive movement and flexibility for his size along with plenty of natural athleticism and an ascending skill-set. The big concern for Bolles is strength and age. To hold up at the pro level, he'll need to develop muscle and power to avoid being bullied at the line by defenders. He's also a flag-magnet, described by one scout as having "grabby mitts." At almost 25, he is one of the older prospects in this draft.
There are plenty of other tackles for the Broncos to choose from in later rounds, but Ramczyk and Bolles are likely the only two Denver would seek out in Round One.
Watch CBS4 This Morning on Friday for my breakdown of the need-to-know tight end and running back prospects, as well as a look at Christian McCaffrey and the controversial Joe Mixon.
