The Denver Broncos biggest need heading into the 2026 NFL Offseason is running back, period. Without establishing a strong run game, no team is going to succeed on offense, and that's simply the truth.
For Denver, the team did sport a strong run game for about 10 weeks, but an untimely foot injury ended J.K. Dobbins' efficient season. The bulk of the workload then fell on the shoulders of RJ Harvey, a rookie who really struggled as a down-to-down runner.
It's clear that Harvey left a lot of meat on the bone, as he just was not very efficient outside of stacking short-yardage touchdowns and an explosive run here and there. Dobbins is set to hit free agency this offseason, and his injury history might make it hard for the Broncos to bring him back, but an interesting running back solution was recently proposed by one of the best NFL Draft minds in the business.
Denver Broncos running back fit might come in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft
Here is NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah on the potential fit with Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price and Harvey in the Broncos backfield.
"I think he can be a No. 1 back," he said. "If he was playing anywhere else, he would have been. He just happened to be playing with Jeremiyah Love. ... He's someone that I think has a chance to be a three-down, complete back, which would be a great pairing with RJ Harvey for that group."
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein had some good things to say about Price in his draft profile.
"Tempo-driven back with smooth hips, elite vision and a nose for the end zone. Price is a more natural runner than his heralded teammate, Jeremiyah Love, but Price lacks Love’s pure explosiveness and pass-catching talent. Price is highly instinctive, stacking moves to contour to run-lane spacing and avoid tacklers for as long as possible. He moves like a zone back but has average downhill burst for a one-cut runner. Price is an average run finisher, but he has the leg strength and contact balance to carry on when hits aren’t flush. His feel for finding the right path is rare and helps bolster his touchdown totals. Limited third-down value could cap his draft slotting, but his talent as a runner should make him an excellent complementary back."
Funnily enough, Zierlein's comp for Price is Javonte Williams, who fizzled out with the Broncos in 2024 and ended up having a breakout season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. Price is someone who was playing in the shadow of top running back Jeremiyah Love. Love is likely going in the first 10-15 picks, and if he wasn't in the picture, Price might be getting a lot more hype as a first-round prospect.
However, Price's skillset does seem to be something Denver is missing overall, and it's important to note that no running back prospect is perfect, but Zierlein's profile does note that Price has some upside at running between the tackles and does have strong processing skills.
At the end of the day, the Broncos likely need to make two moves in the backfield, and many have flirted with the idea of bringing Dobbins back on another cheap deal and dipping into the NFL Draft for some reinforcements.
A potential room featuring Dobbins, Price, and Harvey actually may not be out of the question, and with the Broncos having the 30th overall pick, they could pull the trigger on Price. Denver fielding an improved rushing attack would also take some pressure off Bo Nix and would help the passing game thrive.
Everything on offense works together, so if one aspect of the unit is suffering, the entire unit is dragged down, but games in the NFL are won in the trenches, so the run game is of utmost importance.