De’Angelo Henderson has big opportunity with Booker injury

Denver Broncos rookie running back De’Angelo Henderson is among those who will have a chance to make a significant impact after Devontae Booker’s surgery…

With Devontae Booker now out 6-8 weeks with a wrist injury, the opportunity exists for someone to step up and claim attention from the offensive coaching staff. Of course, the Broncos have C.J. Anderson and Jamaal Charles who have proven what they can do in this league, but this circumstance could be exactly the window rookie De’Angelo Henderson needs to step into a prominent role.

We took an in-depth look at the running back position on Wednesday, which you can read in full, but Henderson has potential to be a featured back at some point in time.

Henderson at a Glance

Ht: 5’7″ – Wt: 208 pounds – 40 yard dash: 4.48 – Bench press: 20 reps

John Elway spoke to the team’s depth at the running back position on the eve of training camp on Wednesday, before it was reported that Booker would miss time. That depth is going to be tested immediately, as Booker now will likely have to fast-track a recovery process to even be ready for the team’s season-opener against the Chargers.

Enter Henderson, who has NFL size, speed, and vision. He may be coming from a small school, but there’s not a lot he can’t do. His first crack at impressing the coaching staff will come right away, as the injury to Booker automatically pushes him up the depth chart.

If Henderson can seize this opportunity early on, the Broncos will have even greater depth than they could have thought at the running back position.

Shortly after Henderson was drafted, we compared his skills to those of Devonta Freeman, the star running back of the Atlanta Falcons.

They call Henderson ‘Hop’ because of his ability to cut quickly and make defenders miss in the open field.

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He keeps his legs going through contact and has a nose for the end zone. Those qualities will endear him to a coaching staff as a rookie, and as you can see by his quick athletic measurable numbers, he’s got the type of speed and strength to match up with his peers in the NFL.

This kid has serious talent, and the Broncos were able to scoop him up in the sixth round. He could now be playing a much bigger role at the start of the season than was originally anticipated…