The Broncos are on a five-game heater, but the offensive line still has a soft spot that’s hard to ignore. While Denver’s 2026 offense is only starting to find its footing, the run game and interior protection have taken a step back, and left guard Ben Powers sits right in the middle of that decline.
Powers has started every game this season, yet the case for keeping him in the lineup after the bye is getting harder to make by the week. Through nine games, his Pro Football Focus numbers are rough: a 58.1 overall grade, 50.8 in pass blocking and 59 in run blocking.
That puts him 51st among 77 qualified guards. The grades line up with what’s showing up on film, too, with Powers giving up a lot of interior pressure and the Broncos struggling to generate the kind of push they need on the ground.
The numbers from SumerSports paint an even uglier picture. Through the first seven weeks, Powers has graded out as one of the worst starting guards in football, a sign that this isn’t just a bad stretch - it’s been a real problem for a while.
That’s why the bye week feels like the right time for Denver to make a move. The Broncos don’t play again until November 22 against Las Vegas at home, which gives the staff a clean window to try Alex Palczewski at left guard. He filled in well for Powers last year when injuries sidelined him, and there’s no reason to think he’d be a downgrade from what Denver has gotten so far.
Powers’ season comes with some added context, too. He dealt with notable bicep and foot injuries last year, and he’s in the final year of the four-year deal he signed with the Broncos in 2023 after receiving a tweaked contract. But none of that changes the reality of what the team is seeing now.
J.K. Dobbins is already seeing his snap count shrink, a clear sign he’s being phased out of the offense.
Powers may be next. Following Week 9, DNVR’s Zac Stevens also identified guard as a position Denver could look to upgrade if the right opportunity comes along.
Quinn Meinerz isn’t going anywhere - he’s a top-3 guard in the sport - but the other side of the equation is clearly up for grabs.
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Broncos Just Made Jonah Coleman's Role Much More Important
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That puts a brighter spotlight on Jonah Coleman, who has been seeing more carries since coming back from injured reserve. J.K. Dobbins workload has trended down lately, and RJ Harvey is still on injured reserve until early December, so Denver is leaning into Colemans role at a time when the depth chart could have used another veteran option. [Read more 🡒]