The Denver Broncos have to get the RB position fixed next offseason. Could they look at one or more of these five players? The idea that the Broncos have an effective run game is hilarious. If you watch the games, you'll see just how awful it is. They have their moments, but there is no down-to-down consistency.
And interestingly enough, some of the best running backs in the NFL are contributing to some of the best teams like Josh Jacobs on the Green Bay Packers, Saquon Barkley on the Philadelphia Eagles, and Derrick Henry on the Baltimore Ravens. The return of the running back is something Denver needs to pay attention to.
The Broncos must embark on a quest to find a RB1, or heck, copy the Detroit Lions and find their own version of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
Could the Broncos have their eyes one or more of these five running bac
5 running backs who could save Broncos terrible run game in 2025 offseason
Breece Hall, New York Jets (Trade)
Breece Hall is on a New York Jets team that may be on the cusp of a rebuild. Hall is a third-year back who could be due for a contract extension this coming offseason, and he's still produced at a reasonably-high level given the circumstances.
He's rushed for 2,179 yards on 476 carries. He's averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has 3,410 total yards on offense through 37 career games in the regular season. Hall is a very productive back and is still only 23 years old.
If the Jets are approaching a rebuild, they could elect to potentially trade Hall and make Braelon Allen the RB1 going forward. Allen is their rookie RB this year. The Denver Broncos have a clear spot for Breece Hall and could give him the RB1 workload he is capable of.
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers (Free Agent)
Najee Harris is slated to be a free agent in 2025 and is one of the more consistent players at his position in the NFL. He's never missed a start in the NFL and has never rushed for fewer than 1,000 yards in a full season.
He is again on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards and has 4,160 yards on 1,063 carries across his career. Harris is not a super explosive player, as he only averages 3.9 yards per carry, but he gains yards and finds his way into the end zone.
Harris has 5,282 scrimmage yards as well. His 17-game averages come out to 278 carries for 1,088 yards and seven touchdowns per season.
Najee Harris would raise the floor of the Denver Broncos RB room and would be a sound signing.
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings (Free Agent)
Aaron Jones just turned 30 years old, but he is still producing. Jones has rushed for 979 yards and five touchdowns for the Vikings this year. Jones is on pace to rush for his fourth 1,000-yard season.
He's got 6,919 yards and 50 rushing touchdowns over his career, and he has never averaged less than 4.6 yards per carry in his career. With 1,392 carries, Jones is averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Jones is marvelously efficient on the ground, and pairing him with Audric Estime could be the best way to use him as he ages into his 30s.
There really is no indication that Aaron Jones is slowing down, so a signing in 2025 by the Broncos could make a ton of sense.
Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars (Trade)
With Tank Bigsby emerging in Jacksonville, the Jaguars could pivot off of Travis Etienne. The Jags may also be approaching a rebuild and could feel just fine making Bigsby the RB1 going forward.
For some type of pick swap, the Denver Broncos should consider making a deal for Etienne, who has rushed for 2,589 yards on 600 carries. He averages 4.3 yards per carry across his career and has also caught 126 passes for 976 yards.
In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he finished with 1,441 yards and 1,484 yards on offense, so he does rack up the yardage. On the lower-end of the RB1 tier, Etienne would be a nice pairing with Audric Estime if the Broncos wanted to deploy more of a committee approach in the backfield.
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (NFL Draft)
Ashton Jeanty is the clear-cut best RB in the 2025 NFL Draft class, and if Denver wanted to try and continue to build through the draft with this position, Jeanty could be their target. He may be off the board if the Denver Broncos are indeed picking in the 20s, but you just never know.
Jeanty is excellent and seems to have a very bright future in the league ahead of him. The team took Audric Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, so this would be yet another young draft pick entering the offensive equation.
This may yield the best long-term situation for Denver and could be the top choice for Broncos fans.
In any of these scenarios, Denver would let Javonte Williams leave in free agency. Heck, they should let him leave in any circumstance, as he has been virtually unplayable for the Broncos this year. We can all see that the Broncos must fix their run game, so perhaps one or more of these five players could be the guy for them.