With this article, we will finally conclude the first half of the Denver Broncos’ 2009 preview which has dissected and analyzed every aspect and every player part of this offense.

The offensive line was simply too deep and had too much to talk about to fit in one article, so if you would like a recap of the entire line thus far, you can find information about the left tackles, left guards, centers, and right guards by following the links.

This article will focus on the second of the Broncos’ two bookend tackles, third year player Ryan Harris.

Harris began the 2008 season as essentially a rookie.  He saw little to no action playing right tackle in his rookie campaign of 2007, and Broncos fans really questioned whether former head coach Mike Shanahan made the right choice by letting veteran tackle Erik Pears leave Denver for the Oakland Raiders.

Lucky for Denver fans, Shanahan is an offensive genius, and as he proved multiple times during his tenure with the Broncos, he was not steering this team into murky waters.

Harris had an All-Pro caliber season for the Broncos in 2008, allowing only 2.5 sacks over the entire year.  Pretty unbelievable considering the Broncos dropped back 620 times all of last season, good for second in the NFL.

What is even more impressive is that the former Notre Dame star helped his Broncos rank 12th in the entire NFL in rushing despite going through a plethora of running backs over the 2008 season thanks to injury.

Harris plans to pair with fellow tackle Ryan Clady on the Broncos’ offensive line for a decade to come.

He joined the Broncos as a third round draft pick in 2007 out of Notre Dame, and was featured on an episode of MTV’s True Life as a high school senior training to become the starting left tackle for the Fighting Irish.  Harris is only the third lineman in Notre Dame’s storied history to start on the offensive line as a true freshman.

In addition to Harris, the Broncos feature veteran Brandon Gorin, a free agent acquisition from the St. Louis Rams.

Gorin has spent time in the NFL with the Rams, Cardinals, Patriots, and Chargers.

He has started 26 games in his career, and could be a very valuable backup for the Broncos if he makes the final roster.

Gorin is joined by third year pro Clint Oldenburg, a former fifth round draft pick out of Colorado State by the New England Patriots.

Many who follow the Broncos closely feel Oldenburg has a good chance of making the final roster if not at least the practice squad because of his experience in the New England offense.

The Broncos also signed the very athletic Stanley Bryant of East Carolina as a rookie free agent in 2009 to compete at right tackle.

The Denver offensive line is an extremely deep unit, and Bronco fans should be very excited about the direction they are heading, especially under the tutelage of longtime offensive line guru Rick Dennison, who has been orchestrating the Broncos’ offensive line for over a decade.

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