Alex Palczewski
Denver BroncosModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 16 games
Draft & College
STM Take
First STTM ranking at tier 5 (#37) in year three as a 2023 UDFA is the kind of late-emergence pattern that the Broncos position-specific coaching extracts from undrafted prospects. The Illinois 60-start tackle pedigree plus the position-switch to interior is the unusual path. The 2026 question is whether Palczewski holds tier 5 or better across a full second starter season or whether the role compresses back to depth.
Palczewski came out of Illinois as a 2023 undrafted free agent signed by the Denver Broncos after starting 60 games for the Illini at tackle. He spent two years as Broncos depth, then took over a starter role in 2025 as part of the offensive line stability around Bo Nix. His first STTM appearance comes in 2025 at tier 5 (#37), a solid year-three starter signal for a UDFA.
Strengths
- First sustained NFL starter season ending in tier 5 (#37) STTM finish as a 2023 UDFA puts him above his draft-slot expectation.
- Illinois 60-start tackle pedigree plus the position-switch to interior gives him the rare swing-tackle-or-guard flexibility profile.
Concerns
- Single tier 5 finish without prior STTM history caps the long-term projection certainty.
- Denver's broader offensive line investment pattern (Wattenberg center, multiple veteran additions) signals Palczewski may still face a starter-versus-depth competition in 2026.
What to watch: Whether Palczewski holds 10 or more starts in 2026 or whether Denver's draft moves compress his role back to swing depth.