OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 06: Denver Broncos helmets sit on the bench during their game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on December 6, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
Chiefs (Kareem Hunt, Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West)- This choice was back and forth between the Chiefs and Chargers. Ultimately the Chiefs having a little better depth was the deciding factor. Hunt is coming off his fantastic rookie season in which he led the league in rushing. They will continue to rely heavily on the talented back coming into the year. While behind Hunt they have Ware who was going to be the starting back had it not been for a season-ending injury. During the 2016-17 season, Ware nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in 14 games, and if healthy will provide a great backup plan for when Hunt needs a break.
Chargers (Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler)- Gordon is a dual-threat coming out of the backfield with back-to-back seasons of over 1,400 all-purpose yards. While he hasn’t led the league in rushing like Hunt, it could be argued that Gordon is the most talented back in the AFC West. Ekeler comes in as the change of pace back similar to Darren Sproles and Danny Woodhead before him. Ekeler isn’t as explosive but proved to be a solid backup last season. With no true third running back established, the Chargers will be looking at these two to carry the load.
Raiders (Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington)- While Lynch and Martin’s best years are behind them, they have a better track record than the current Broncos stable. Lynch rushed for nearly 900 yards while Martin was limited to 406 yards. The Raiders may try to focus on the veteran backs but the true intrigue comes from the younger guys. Richard and Washington may be the better duo to look at in the upcoming season as they have much fewer miles and much more explosive potential. It will be interesting to see how Jon Gruden spreads out the load between his four backs.
Broncos (Devontae Booker, De’Angelo Henderson, Royce Freeman)- With less than 1,000 career yards between the Broncos running backs, it’s hard to justify putting them higher than fourth at this point. Booker is penciled in as the starter currently but in two seasons has yet to show any real consistency. Henderson was a preseason standout that didn’t get many opportunities during the actual season. He showed he could be a playmaker, taking a 29-yard screen into the end zone in the season finale. Freeman, the rookie from Oregon, may be the person that takes the eraser to the depth chart and inserts himself as the lead back at some point this season. If used correctly these three young backs could become a formidable three-headed monster. Until then they must work their way up.
