ESPN’s latest NFL positional rankings have Denver Broncos fans shaking their heads again, and this time the target is left tackle Garett Bolles.
Bolles landed at No. 10 in ESPN’s top-10 tackles list, a placement that feels light after the season he just put together. ESPN’s rankings, according to Jeremy Fowler, are voted on by executives, coaches, and scouts. And while Bolles did make the cut, the write-up around him raised plenty of eyebrows.
“Bolles hadn't gained much traction in the top 10 series before, but his career performance in 2025 turned some heads. Bolles was a first-team All-Pro recipient.
'Pass protection, he's one of the most consistent,' an NFL coordinator said. 'He can handle his own without help. He was a big part of the Broncos' success on offense last year.'
Bolles allowed five sacks on 630 pass-blocking reps and posted a 94% pass block win rate (ninth among tackles). Some voters say he doesn't belong in the top 10 because he's limited compared with other high-end talents on this list.
And his run-game impact needs some work (77.7% run block win rate). But last season was undoubtedly his best in three years with head coach Sean Payton.”
The full list had Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions at No. 1, followed by Trent Williams, Tristan Wirfs, Jordan Mailata, Laremy Tunsil, Darnell Wright, Lane Johnson, Andrew Thomas, Joe Alt, and then Bolles.
That ranking sparked immediate pushback because the same blurb also mentioned Andrew Thomas’ 77.7% run block win rate as a positive, even though Bolles posted the exact same number. Broncos fans noticed the inconsistency right away.
In 2025, Bolles started all 17 regular season games for Denver and was rewarded with Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. Even with that résumé, ESPN still slotted him behind several tackles whose seasons were shorter or less complete, including Joe Alt, who played in six games for the Chargers, and Thomas, who appeared in 13.
For Broncos fans, the bigger point is simple: Bolles has been playing at a high level for a long time, and this latest ranking doesn’t really reflect the season he just had.
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