The Denver Broncos have plenty of depth at offensive guard, so Zack Johnson would need to do a lot to make a case for a roster spot in 2022.
After the 2022 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos first waived and then re-signed free agent guard Zack Johnson. He had previously spent time on Denver’s practice squad in November of 2021.
#0 Zack Johnson
6’06”, 301 lbs.
College: North Dakota State
Johnson, 25, was an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was a two-time All-American lineman who played both right tackle and right guard in college.
#NDSUSeasonOpenerCountdown: #68: A two-time All-American offensive linemen at two different spots, first at right tackle, then right guard. He started 46 straight games and became a rock up front for the Bison. Entering his 3rd NFL season, number 68, @Zackjohnson68. pic.twitter.com/kDnQulgQNi
— Dom Izzo (@DomIzzoWDAY) June 27, 2022
How he fits with the Broncos
It’s hard to believe, but the Broncos offensive line feels pretty deep this season. Along the interior of the line they have X players with starter-level experience at guard in Quinn Meinerz, Netane Muti, Dalton Risner, Graham Glasgow, and Ben Braden. That is a whole lot of experience for a guy like third-year guard Zack Johnson to overcome in training camp.
He would need to come out and put on a show for coaches in training camp to make the final 53-man roster. I think that would be pretty unlikely, but he could do enough to make his case to return to the practice squad.
Final word
His return to the roster came after the team had waived him for an undrafted signee and then signed him back – all in a one week span back in May. That would seem to put him on the very edge of the 90-man roster. He would need to flash some in training camp to push for a chance to return to the team’s practice squad in 2022.