Connor McGovern did not take a snap during a game at center through four years at Missouri. And none with the Broncos since being drafted in 2016 until Sunday, when he moved from right guard to step in for the injured Matt Paradis.
Paradis, who sustained a fractured fibula late in the second quarter against Houston, had started the previous 57 games. The next man up at center is McGovern, which will give the Broncos their fifth different starting offensive line combination in 10 games. For the 6-foot-4, 306-pound mauler with long black hair and bushy beard to match, it’s a big responsibility but one he’s confident he can handle.