Predominantly Orange
FanSided

Denver Broncos: Rising star, breakout player, rebound player, and more

By Sayre Bedinger

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 18: Outside linebacker Shane Ray #56 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a sack with defensive end Jared Crick #93 in the third quarter of a game against the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 18, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 18: Outside linebacker Shane Ray #56 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a sack with defensive end Jared Crick #93 in the third quarter of a game against the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 18, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 7
Next
CARSON, CA – OCTOBER 22: Devontae Booker #23 of the Denver Broncos is seen during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at the StubHub Center on October 22, 2017 in Carson, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – OCTOBER 22: Devontae Booker #23 of the Denver Broncos is seen during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at the StubHub Center on October 22, 2017 in Carson, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Needs to Rebound: Devontae Booker, RB

After playing in all 16 games as a rookie and leading the Broncos in rushing, Devontae Booker missed the first three games of his sophomore campaign and saw a significant dip in usage when he returned.

Booker’s lack of usage was due to the team over-utilizing C.J. Anderson, which also took carries away from playmakers Jamaal Charles and De’Angelo Henderson, but Booker was expected to potentially compete with Anderson for the starting role prior to his training camp injury.

The coaching staff loves Booker as a pass-catching back, and he made his most significant impact last season as a receiver, catching 30 passes on 38 targets.

Despite not carrying the ball nearly as much as he did as a rookie, Booker actually improved his yards per carry average from 3.5 to 3.8.

Still, after the injury derailed the start of his 2017 season, the snap count went down significantly and Booker is in need of a rebound season in a big way. The Broncos drafted Royce Freeman in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and if Booker doesn’t perform well out of the gates, he may lose carries yet again.

Home/Broncos News