'Good guard play helps an offense out a lot': Graham Glasgow explains the value of the interior OL

[Miles]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Because Aaron Donald is in the NFL.


Because Chris Jones is in the AFC West.


That's reason enough, in the eyes of new Broncos offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, to prioritize the offensive guard position.


"Good guard play helps an offense out a lot," the new Bronco said Tuesday.


And while Glasgow played center at Michigan and again with the Detroit Lions, guard is where he said he pictures himself when the 2020 season begins.


"I'm open to playing wherever," GIasgow said. "I've played all positions in the past except for tackle. If they wanted me to play tackle, I'd give it a go — but hopefully not. I kind of imagine guard, but center's cool too."


The Broncos seem most likely to slot in Glasgow at either right guard or center, the two positions where he's taken most of his reps during his four-year NFL career. He played right guard almost exclusively in 2019, when he did not allow a sack. Over the last two seasons, he has been penalized for just two holding calls.


Though he has yet to make a Pro Bowl, Glasgow has been a standard for consistency and availability. He has missed just one game in his last three seasons.


That, it seems, would qualify as good guard play — and that has its benefits.


"When you have good guard play, you're running the ball well," Glasgow said. "You're having particularly good double-teams, which helps make creases for the running back. You don't really contribute to the benefit of a lot of long-yardage runs, because you find that's more on the edges and the blocking of the safeties. That's how you get the 15-, 20-, 30-yard runs. But the guards and the center, in particular, make it so that you have less minus-yard runs, which helps the average."


Glasgow estimated that it was easier to run block as a guard, but that doesn't extend to pass blocking. That's where an offensive lineman could find himself matched up one-on-one with a defender of Donald's or Jones' caliber.


"When you're at guard, there's a lot less help," Glasgow said. "You're not really getting helped as much. When you're a center, you're mainly just giving help. In the pass game, I would say it's definitely more challenging to play guard."