None of what the Illinois football team accomplished in 2022 could have been possible without a great offensive line.
One of the members of that talented Illini front five was Alex Palczewski. As an offensive lineman, you don’t get a ton of notoriety, but Palczewski earned some impressive honors. He was an All-American and All-Big Ten second or third team member by numerous outlets.
While with Illinois, Palczewski was a rock for the offense. He started in a Big Ten record 65 games for the Illini and, in 2022, he failed to allow a single sack on an Illinois quarterback.
The 2023 NFL Draft came and went, and Palczewski didn’t see his name called. The Denver Broncos had their eyes set on the talented offensive tackle, and after the draft concluded, they signed him to a contract.
Got yesterdays Pro Day numbers for #Illinois OT Alex Palczewski.
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 11, 2023
He posted a 4.58 short shuttle, which would’ve been second best among OTs at the #NFLCombine.
65!! career college starts, didn’t allow a sack in 2022, 2nd team All-American. and impressed during @ShrineBowl week. pic.twitter.com/LoRTn65lU4
Denver Broncos depth chart projection – Alex Palczewski
The Broncos went through some changes this past offseason. They now have Sean Payton in as the head coach. In the early projections for the Broncos’ depth chart, they have Palczewski checking in as a third-string left tackle.
Garett Bolles is currently pegged as the starter in this position. The backup to Bolles would then be Cam Fleming. Palczewski would follow those two tackles.
It will be interesting to see how far up Palczewski can climb on the depth chart as a rookie. Bolles has the starting job locked up, but he did suffer a broken leg last season. He is now 31 years old and has only played 19 games in the past two seasons.
Fleming is about to be 31 years old, and he started in 15 games last season for the Broncos. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Palczewski push Fleming for the primary backup job once the season starts. Let’s also not forget that Denver had a middle-of-the-pack offensive line in 2022. They ranked No. 15 in run blocking and No. 18 in pass blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.
If I had to guess, Palczewski starts the season as the third-string left tackle but ends up seeing snaps. I think there is a chance he has a start in 2023 as well. Injuries plagued the Broncos last year, so Palczewski will be ready to step in if it happens again.