Denver Broncos: 10 offensive prospects to consider in 2021 NFL Draft

Denver Broncos 2021 prospect: Najee Harris, RB Alabama

Since 2006, new GM George Paton and the Minnesota Vikings have made it a priority to spend draft capital on the running back position. The latest the Vikings spent on a running back is the fourth round.

This begs the question of whether Denver will do the same thing since Paton is in the building. Because of this, we will take a look at three backs who will be of interest in day one and day two of the 2021 NFL Draft. We will start first with Alabama running back Najee Harris.

Harris is not exactly Derrick Henry. Harris is tall and built like a tank but he presents enough fleet of foot movement as a runner both in between and outside the tackles.

One hallmark of a three-down back is the ability as a pass-catcher. In every season with Alabama, he has shown growth in this area. Between his junior and senior year, Harris showed plenty of production in the passing game.

From his sophomore year to senior year, Harris almost put together back-to-back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards rushing. Mixed with his ability to find end zone regularly the production was pretty special.

The Denver Broncos do need to address running back at some point, either this season or next. Melvin Gordon is on the last year of his deal and Phillip Lindsay is a restricted free agent. Both are still qualified to be good backs in the NFL. Like quarterback though, it’s still a question mark.

If Denver believes it needs to upgrade the position, they can do it. Numerous backs in this class could bring impact.

One area both Harris and Gordon excelled in college and Gordon in pros is the area to find the end zone. The will and want to score regularly is a pretty special trait. Points help win games and if players score touchdowns at a frequency unlike others then that’s a great player to have on your roster.