The Denver Broncos have added help to their offensive line by drafting Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles with the 20th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.Bolles brought a special guest with him onto the stage in Philadelphia to celebrate this moment:In terms of physical tools, Bolles has everything necessary to thrive at the next level. He measured 6'5" and 297 pounds at the combine. He also ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.95 seconds) and had the fastest time in the three-cone drill (7.29 seconds).Greg Robinson serves as a cautionary tale for reading too much into a lineman's athleticism. Robinson had an excellent performance at the NFL Scouting Combine that played a part in the St. Louis Rams selecting him second overall in 2014.Three years later, the Los Angeles Rams spent $15 million in guaranteed money to shore up the offensive line and sign 35-year-old Andrew Whitworth, which will necessitate a move to right tackle for Robinson.Bolles' agility and strength are evident when watching some of his highlights from Utah:Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Bolles as the best offensive tackle in this year's draft but only rated him as a second-round prospect. In addition to Bolles' lack of experience at the FBS levelhe played one year at Utah after transferring from junior collegeMiller cited technical concerns with the Utes star:NFL coaches must work on leverage and leg bend with Bolles to account for his tendency to stand up in pass protection. His base strength needs to improve. If drafted into a power-blocking scheme, Bolles could struggle to move defenders at the line of scrimmage. Bolles was flagged17 timesin his lone season.Bolles' age is another potential problem. He turns 25 on May 27, which is old for an incoming rookie and leaves him with less of a grace period in the NFL. Whereas teams can write off a bad year or two for some first-round picks without panicking, that luxury won't be afforded to Bolles.The Broncos' selection of Bolles in the first round isn't a huge reach given his NFL ceiling. However, he's arguably still a riskier pick than Cam Robinson or Ryan Ramczyk when factoring in his age and FBS inexperience.In his assessment of the player, Miller compared Bolles to Joe Staley, who reached five straight Pro Bowls from 2011 to 2015. That illustrates how good Bolles can be if he fulfills his promise.Robinson is an example, though, of how badly things can go if that potential never materializes.The Broncos offensive line was a mess in 2016, with Pro Football Focus ranking the group as the NFL's ninth-worst and letting Russell Okung walk after his lone season with the team.Bolles will need time to develop into the star Denver thinks he can be, but his ceiling and aggressive style are perfect for what the Super Bowl 50 champions were missing on offense last season.
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