The Lead
Today — Thursday, to be clear — is the last day of voting for the 2021 Pro Bowl, so make sure to get your vote in on NFL.com and/or on social media! We won't know how many Broncos will be represented, but if Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson had his way, four Broncos would make the league’s 2021 all-star game.
First up is Garett Bolles, who was PFF's top pick at the position in the AFC.
"The transformation in Garett Bolles has been impressive to watch," Monson wrote. "He hasn't allowed a sack all season across 481 pass blocks, the most of any tackle that hasn't surrendered a sack. His run blocking has stayed strong, and he has cut down on his penalty count."
The other picks from the Broncos were on the defensive side, including half of the Denver secondary: cornerback Bryce Callahan and safety Justin Simmons.
"Bryce Callahan has been one of the best corners in football despite being asked to play outside — away from his typical slot alignment — due to injuries," Monson wrote. "Callahan has still yet to surrender a catch longer than 19 yards all season. … Justin Simmons is backing up last season's dominant season and has 25 defensive stops — sixth-most among safeties — despite playing most of his snaps deep."
The last spot was for Alexander Johnson, of whom Monson wrote, "Alexander Johnson has proven that last year was no fluke, even if he isn't quite matching those highs this year for Denver — his 51 defensive stops are second in the league among all players."
Below the Fold
It seems that "Pro Bolles" is starting to get some traction around the NFL. Former NFL quarterback David Carr, now an analyst for NFL.com, put together his Pro Bowl roster for the AFC and NFC on offense. Bolles was his first choice at tackle in the AFC. "Garett Bolles earned some well-deserved loot back in November (a four-year, $68 million contract extension) due to his remarkable 2020 campaign," Carr wrote. "He's the AFC's highest-graded tackle (per PFF) for good reason, as he hasn't allowed a sack on 481 pass-blocking snaps."
ESPN's collection of NFL reporters started looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft and assessed each team’s potential needs. "[O]verall, the team needs more youth at cornerback, along the defensive line and at right tackle," Jeff Legwold wrote. "If the Broncos like what they see from Lock down the stretch, a young offensive skill position base would give them some flexibility to direct attention to other parts of the roster."
