Denver Broncos right tackle Garrett Bolles isn’t a flashy player. He just does his job and then some, and the 33-year old Bolles has been doing it the right way for a long time. It’s only now that he’s making All-Pro teams, but don’t think for a minute that this is some kind of career achievement designation that's just now falling into place for him.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN understands this, and he named Bolles to his All_Pro team this week. Barnwell knows that Bolles has gone from being a liability to being one of the most reliable and effective pass blockers in the league.
Barnwell cited a number of stats to make his case. The most obvious one came from NFL Next Gen Stats, which had Bolles allowing just one sack so far this season. Also, just 6.2 percent of his one-on-one blocks have resulted in pressures, the second-lowest rate in the NFL.
In addition, Bolles is doing that playing in front of quarterback Bo Nix, which complicates his job sometimes. Nix is a scrambler who often leaves the pocket to make plays, and in situations like that no lineman is immune from allowing the occasional sack.
Finally, Bolles was 13th in the league in run block win rate among tackles who played the majority of their team's snaps this season. He does benefits from playing on one of the best lines in the league, and the Broncos front is one of the most interconnected in football. But Denver has faced some of the best edge rushers in the league, and there’s no hesitation in leaving Bolles on an island occasionally.
Durability is another underrated attribute that makes Bolles different. He missed just seven snaps this year, and that was incredibly valuable on a line that lost two starting guards and ended up with its swing tackle shifting over to the left side to protect Nix’s blind side.
There are more challenges coming for Bolles and the rest of his Broncos line mates. The Kansas City Chiefs threw a soft zone at the Denver offenses to force Nix to lead the Broncos on long drives, which means there will be more plays, and more plays that get extended as well.
That will be the blueprint going forward to beat the Broncos in the playoffs, and it will be interesting to see how well the offensive line responds to the challenges that come with this kind of approach.