Broncos GM Shares Vision for Rookie Offensive Lineman

Nick Gargiulo was announced as an offensive guard when his 2024 NFL Draft card was read last month. Shortly after, his selecting team — the Denver Broncos — warned against putting the former Ivy Leaguer in any one positional box.

“I think that he is a guard who can swing inside," general manager George Paton said. "He’s played center. [He is a] Yale transfer, really smart, tough, physical. Kind of fits our mold. So we think it’s a good get for where we got him.”

Drafted No. 256 overall, Gargiulo began his collegiate career at Yale, starting 25 games (a majority of which at left tackle) for the Bulldogs from 2018-2022. The 6-foot-5, 318-pound lineman transferred to South Carolina in 2023, playing both guard and center across 12 appearances.

"The former multi-position starter at Yale proved he could hop into the SEC and make a solid contribution to the Gamecocks' offensive front," NFL.com draft czar Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting profile. "He has the size, length and play strength for center/guard roster flexibility. He's not a body mover, but he's also not a basic stalemate blocker. His body control, patience and core strength show up in pass pro and as a run blocker, and he's athletic enough to make blocks in space. The tape won't blow you away, but he's consistent, with an above-average feel for finding positioning to wall off interior defenders. Gargiulo's physical traits and position flexibility could earn him a backup role on a roster."

Garguilo should spend his rookie Broncos campaign getting in where he fits in, competing for a backup role behind entrenched guards Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz and presumed starting center Alex Forsyth.