Watch out, the Denver Broncos may be looking to add another dynamic running back prospect to an already talented unit. While Denver's running back room certainly had its moments of disappointment last season, there were multiple factors that should be factored when judging the lack of production. Offensive line coach Zach Strief's unit definitely had a terrific season all around when compared to other groups around the league, however, did string together a few poor performances in terms of run blocking.
In result, running back Javonte Williams did not have the season he had hoped for upon his return from injury. He certainly could have performed better at times when hitting his gaps and did not have the same burst he showed during his rookie season in 2021, however, Denver's offensive line was simply not consistent enough in the trenches when running the football in 2023. With that being said, that doesn't mean the Broncos should completely steer away from adding another back to the mix this offseason. In fact, it appears they are doing the exact opposite.
According to Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson, the Broncos have a "good amount of interest" in Tennessee running back prospect Jaylen Wright who is projected to be selected in the third round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Wright, who turns 21 years old in a few days, rushed for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns on an impressive 7.4 yards per attempt in 2023 and was awarded Second-Team All-SEC. Wright's pre-draft stock has risen rapidly following his performance at the combine where he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash which ranked second among all running back prospects and 10th among all participating prospects at the event.
He's pretty fast.
In addition to his elite speed, Wright possesses the burst and explosiveness to become an immediate contributor at the NFL level, regardless of the offense. At 5 foot 11 and 210 pounds, the young speedster also has the beneficial size to gain hard-earned yards after contact. Wright's also well-capable of picking up blitzes and serving as an exceptional receiver in the screen game or even lining up out wide.
Despite the Broncos already rostering Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, and Jaleel McLaughlin, there certainly never such thing as too much competition. However, drafting Wright's talents as high as the third round could certainly raise question for the future of at least one of the featured backs in Denver's offense. Head coach Sean Payton has carried four running backs on his roster in the past with the New Orleans Saints, however, Denver does require other areas of their roster to be addressed first before running back.
With that being said, if Wright does fall to Denver's 76th overall selection, it would definitely be a tempting move to add his speed to the offense and choose "best player available" over "filling roster needs". Considering his recent leap in draft boards, it would not surprise me in the slightest if Wright is selected well before the Broncos are picking in the third round.