Broncos preseason opener: 3 stars from win over Seahawks

August 14, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) moves the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in a preseason NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos pretty much controlled the entire game against the Seattle Seahawks defensively, but a slip-up on special teams and one drive late in the game made it a close one. The Broncos ultimately won the game 22-20, and while winning — even in the pre-season — is important, the true story of preseason game is how individual players perform.

It’s hard to narrow it down to just three players, but here are three guys on the Denver roster that really stood out to me from this game, including someone you might not expect…

RB Ronnie Hillman

Ronnie Hillman was awesome. He showed great burst, vision, and he finished runs really well. On just 8 carries, Hillman exploded for 66 yards. The running lanes were there, and Hillman was finding the hole.

This is an incredibly important pre-season for Hillman, who has a chance to win the #2 job behind C.J. Anderson for the Broncos. He is the only back on the team that has legitimate deep speed, and his quickness in a one-cut and go scheme will be extremely valuable for the Broncos this season.

Not only did he rack up 66 yards on the ground averaging over 6 per carry, but Hillman caught a pass and scampered 11 yards. He also showed an ability to pick up blitzes on a nice third down conversion from Brock Osweiler.

Overall, this was a nice debut for Hillman, who needed a performance like this to set himself apart.

Next: Kenny Anunike