Broncos add an elite athlete at running back to the practice squad
The Denver Broncos added an elite athlete at the running back position to their practice squad with the addition of former 7th-round pick Kerrith Whyte.
The Denver Broncos made a couple of intriguing additions to their practice squad on Tuesday, one being an offensive skill player who has an incredibly high ceiling and impressive college highlight tape.
That player is running back Kerrith Whyte Jr., a former seventh-round pick out of Florida Atlantic who appeared in six games in the 2019 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Whyte was originally selected in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears 222nd overall.
Kerrith Whyte added to Denver Broncos practice squad
Coming out of Florida Atlantic in the 2019 NFL Draft, Whyte was an intriguing late-round dart throw type of prospect because of his insane pre-draft metrics.
When you look at the relative athletic score of a lot of the guys Broncos general manager George Paton is bringing in, you’ll see a theme. Especially as he builds the back end of the roster, Paton has emphasized speed and he’s done it on what feels like at least nine out of 10 acquisitions.
Whyte is impressive in the athletic score department:
With pick 222 in the 2019 NFL Draft, the #Bears selected Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 31, 2019
He posted a great #RAS with poor size, elite speed, elite explosiveness, poor agility at the RB position.#Bears pic.twitter.com/WTAC9T1M1m
The Broncos have made it a point to add a number of backs like this in recent years. Many will remember preseason star Khalfani Muhammad but more recent examples include 2020 undrafted free agent LeVante Bellamy and a late training camp pickup Adrian Killins Jr. earlier this season as well.
All of those players fit a similar profile as Kerrith Whyte Jr. as smaller backs with elite speed and explosiveness.
The Pittsburgh Steelers actually got Whyte involved in their running game a bit back in 2019, and he averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 21 touches. He also returned 14 kicks for 264 yards, and that is one area he was very dynamic when he was at Florida Atlantic.
Whyte had return touchdowns in each of his final two seasons at FAU, and over 1,000 yards from scrimmage as an offensive weapon in his final year there.
The Chicago Bears, as Aric DiLalla pointed out on Twitter, selected Whyte with a pick in the 2019 NFL Draft that originally belonged to the Broncos before it traded hands a couple of times.
Whyte was selected with a draft pick that originally belonged to the Broncos.
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) November 30, 2021
Denver traded the 2019 222nd-overall pick to Philly for Allen Barbre, and the Eagles then traded the pick to the Bears, who used it to pick Whyte. https://t.co/BWXW4W0Fwv
We’ll see if the Broncos have any immediate plans for Whyte or if he is more of a stash for the team with Mike Boone not really contributing anything so far this season to the team. With his measurables, he could serve well on special teams in a similar role the team envisioned for Boone, and you never know what his kind of speed could do for the team offensively at some point.
If there’s any role anytime soon for Whyte, it’s probably going to be as a return specialist. In recent weeks, Diontae Spencer has been slightly underwhelming in that department, and this is a player who is dynamic in the kicking game with the ball in his hands.