Finding Broncos: Two Georgia Bulldogs to Bolster the Offense.
The Georgia Bulldogs have won back-to-back College Football Playoff Championships, boasting an incredible defense that has sent multiple players to the pros over the past several seasons. However, what gets lost in the shuffle is the dynamic rushing attack the Bulldogs possess, thanks to their powerful offensive line and versatile running backs that can break off long plays in both the run and pass game.
Kenny McIntosh | RB | Georgia
Pros:
- Works incredibly well in open space with the ball in his hands.
- Can develop some power to finish runs at the second level.
- Lower body contact balance is above average.
- Good burst through the hole and identifies second-level defenders.
- His cutting ability allows him to create nifty angles at the second level.
- Not scared to take on blitzes with force, though some technical refinement is needed.
- Plus level receiver out of the backfield with smooth hands and natural pass-catching ability.
- Route running on wheel and sail routes is up to standards.
- A slippery runner that finds creases outside of the tackles with ease.
- Experience as a kick returner early in his career.
- A lot of experience despite being part of a four-back rotation.
- Highly productive as a senior as the starting back of the rotation.
- He picked up 19 rushing touchdowns in 2022.
- Will be an exceptional third-down threat at the next level.
Cons:
- Between the tackles, his physicality and vision are lacking severely.
- Too much of a dancer behind the line of scrimmage
- He needs to slow down and get more patient. Runs into the back of his blockers frequently.
- Long speed for home run hitting ability isn’t there.
- Footwork is sloppy at times.
- Can get disjointed from the design due to a lack of vision and pressing the line of scrimmage.
- Upright pad level through the line of scrimmage and doesn’t fall forward very frequently.
- He has never been a genuine “bell cow” that shouldered most of the workload.
Overview:
Kenny McIntosh is a highly versatile running back with plenty of experience playing multiple roles. Though elite-level dynamic play-making ability doesn’t show on tape, McIntosh should blossom into a high-level rotational running back, with most of his damage coming on third down at the next level. In addition, his ability to play with toughness behind the line of scrimmage as a pass protector, combined with his natural pass-catching skill set, should make NFL teams drool.
McIntosh has enough ability to carry the ball to shine in outside zone schemes where he can find creases outside of the tackles but has enough burst to fit in a power scheme should his blocking open up lanes for him to see easily. Unfortunately, a lack of vision and patience clouds his tape, leading to him running into blockers frequently. However, McIntosh is tough to bring down in open space, so scheming ways to get him the ball where he can get rolling downhill will be a significant focus moving forward.
Fit with the Broncos:
The Broncos just brought in Samaje Perine to take the reins while Javonta Williams recovers from multiple torn ligaments in his knee from last season. If Williams were to be available to start the season, that would be an incredible one-two punch at the position. But there is still a lot of concern that Williams may not be ready to start the season, and the Broncos lack depth at the position, making McIntosh a nice option if they want to draft one on Day 3. In addition, McIntosh shows enough dynamic play-making ability as a pass catcher to catch the eye of Sean Payton, who likes to feature his running backs out of the backfield very frequently.
© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Warren McClendon | OT | Georgia
Pros:
- Good size and length for the position.
- Powerful blocker moving vertically and moves defenders easily in the running game.
- He is an absolute freight train when he gets a head of steam.
- Little question about physicality.
- He can play both right and left tackle, though his best fit will be on the right side moving forward if playing tackle.
- Mirror ability in pass protection is serviceable after shocking opponents with first contact and hand placement.
- He passes and receives assignments well as a pass protector, not opening space between him and other offensive linemen when doing so.
- Always working to keep the rusher in front of him.
- Toughness and effort level show often.
- Always looking to jump on the pile and add extra push down the field.
- Initial punch power and hand placement are solid yet unspectacular.
Cons:
- Clunky lower half with bad footwork.
- Movement skills are lacking going horizontally.
- He has a narrow base that makes his lower half get sloppy after contact.
- A higher pad level gets him into trouble with power at times.
- Leans forward rather than bending knees and dropping hips, causing balance issues at the point of attack.
- Grip strength is lacking to latch on at times.
- Speed rushers cause him problems due to a lack of lateral agility.
- He often appears lost in space when looking for defenders at the second level.
- Likely going to slide inside to guard due to a lack of movement skills.
Overview:
Warren McClendon Jr. is a versatile developmental tackle that projects as a high-level swing tackle with the upside to start on the right side if he hits his ceiling. However, with his movement skills and lateral agility, there is a high chance teams will try him as a guard to maximize his potential early in his career. McClendon plays with nice power in a phone booth and can find assignments moving when pulling, but getting him out in open space and tasking him with digging out second-level defenders could limit him to a power scheme only at the NFL level.
McClendon does a nice job identifying and reacting to creative pressures up front, using decent technique to decrease the gap, shorten space when passing off defenders, and receive defenders that are passed off to him. Many of his game's flaws are coachable techniques given and placed in the right scheme to maximize his potential and work around his athletic inefficiencies.
Fit with the Broncos:
Currently, the Broncos lack a developmental tackle that fits the new power scheme that Sean Payton is bringing to the fold. Calvin Anderson signed elsewhere, and Cameron Fleming is still a free agent, keeping tackle at the forefront of the list of needs for the Broncos roster even with Quinn Bailey being retained on an exclusive rights tender. Denver could use a quality option with experience on either side of the line of scrimmage, given the injury history of Mike McGlinchey and Garett Bolles. McClendon could slide in if somebody goes down and show some competence in doing so. If McClendon is available on Day 3, Denver would be wise to add his services.
While there are a lot of concerns with his overall athleticism for the position, McClendon is battle tested against several high-level pass rushers coming out of the SEC and showed the ability to survive against top talents.
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