Nathaniel Hackett Praises Broncos' OG Netane Muti

Netane Muti was the Denver Broncos' sixth-round pick back in 2020. Considered to have early Day 2 talent, he plummeted in the draft due to extensive and alarming injury history.

Vic Fangio's O-line coach, Mike Munchak, liked him some Muti and the kid saw action early as a depth guard. When pressed into action, Muti would shine in the running game but become a liability in pass protection.

That was in a different scheme, though, that prioritized power in the gap-centric phone booth. Broncos' new head coach Nathaniel Hackett has praised Muti publicly and doesn't sound concerned at all about his fit in the team's new zone-blocking scheme. 

“He can run," Hackett said after OTA practice last week. "For a big man, he can run. I think that’s one exciting thing about that. He's a very huge person, [and he is] able to get off the ball, run sideline to sideline and do the outside zone stuff. We know that he can get everything downhill, but I think to be able to show that he can do outside zone, too, has been something really good.”

With an arm length that falls well short of the NFL's threshold orthodoxy (31-¾ inches), draft skeptics have wondered whether Muti will have staying power in the league, even as a guard. At this stage, while I would say that he's outplayed his Day 3 draft pedigree, this new coaching staff prioritizes a different set of skills and Muti might not fit.

Hackett's remarks neutralize some of those concerns but Muti has to impress his new O-line coach Butch Barry, too. With 2022 draft investments at the interior O-line and Graham Glasgow accepting a pay-cut to return, Muti is could be expendable this summer unless he can prove to this coaching staff that he truly belongs. 

On the other hand, earning this level of praise from the new head coach could be a harbinger of Muti not only sticking around in Year 3 but perhaps even contending for a starting job upfront.