ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The blocking scheme is both a throwback and a new way of warding off defenders.
Throwback because Mike Shanahan, Gary Kubiak and Alex Gibbs installed the West Coast, zone-blocking system to incredible success from 1995-2003.
And new because new coaches Nathaniel Hackett, Justin Outten and Butch Barry are bringing the West Coast, zone-blocking system – with modern variations – back to the Broncos for 2022.
Just as before, the zone blocking system usually employs slightly smaller, but more athletic offensive linemen. Five to the right. Five to the left. Sway your partners to the second level. (But no cut-blocking!).
The NFL allows each team up to 30 draft prospects to visit their headquarters in the weeks leading up to the draft. The Broncos will get a good meet-and-greet with players at nearly all, but not all, the positions from their list of 30. But the leading position by far from their top 30 visit list remains offensive linemen. With cornerbacks closing in.
9NEWS has confirmed 16 players who have visited or are scheduled to visit the Broncos. From those 16, seven are offensive linemen and five are offensive tackles.
The list is not exactly bursting with household college names – remember, after surrendering their No. 9 and 40 overall picks to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade, the Broncos don’t pick first until the last pick in the second round, No. 64 overall.
They then have two picks in the third round (No. 75 and 96) and two more in the fourth round (No. 115 and 116) before getting one pick each in rounds five, six and seven.
The percentages are not great for general manager George Paton, his scouts and personnel assistants to find starters, much less Pro Bowlers, when picking so far back. But they will be asked to do so, anyway.
Most of the prospects the Broncos have brought in or are bringing in before the visiting period ends April 21st are projected to go in mid to late rounds. This week, the Broncos brought in LSU cornerback Cordale Flott and Wyoming inside linebacker Chad Muma for visits Monday, Fresno State cornerback DaRon Bland on Tuesday and will meet with Georgia Tech safety/linebacker Tariq Carpenter on Thursday. (Muma doesn’t count against the top 30 because he’s a local prospect from Parker). The confirmed list of Broncos’ top 30 visits (and Muma):
- Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah
- Matt Waletzko, OT, North Dakota
- Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
- Abe Lucas, OT, Washington State
- Dylan Parham, OL, Memphis
- Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska
- Cole Strange, G-C, Tennessee-Chattanooga
- Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor
- Chad Muma, ILB, Wyoming (local)
- Tariq Carpenter, S-LB, Georgia Tech
- Nick Grant, S, Virginia
- DeAngelo Malone, edge, Western Kentucky
- Ja’Quan McMillian, CB, East Carolina
- DaRon Bland, CB, Fresno State
- Cordale Flott, CB, LSU
- Shemari Jones, RB, Coastal Carolina
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