The Denver Broncos running back room has a ton of bodies, but as of now, it might not be a viable stable in the NFL. Just how dire is the Broncos RB room? The answer could be very.
PFF rolled out their running back rankings, and ranked the top 32 in the NFL. How many running backs did Denver have on this list? Perhaps Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine popped up in the ranking? Nope. None. PFF doesn't believe the Denver Broncos currently have a top 32 running back in the NFL.
And you know what, they might be right, and that's a scary thought. In 2023, the team's rushing attack was pretty average. Javonte Williams wasn't nearly as good as he was in 2021, his rookie season. Many have thought that the knee injury he suffered in 2022 was still lingering in 2023.
Samaje Perine was actually a relatively efficient runner and was clutch as a pass-catcher late in games, but his impact overall felt pretty average. Shifty running back Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for 410 yards on just 76 carries. He also hauled in 31 passes. On the season, Javonte Williams finished with 1,002 scrimmage yards. Samaje Perine had 693, and Jaleel McLaughlin had 570. The trio combined for just nine total touchdowns.
So yeah, perhaps the Denver Broncos do not have a top-32 running back in the NFL. Well, during the 2024 NFL Draft, they took Audric Estime, a talented running back from Notre Dame, and they also brought in Blake Watson as an undrafted free agent.
The Broncos appear to want to get younger and more explosive at RB, and you can't blame them. You have to wonder if Sean Payton is trying to re-create his old Mark Ingram/Alvin Kamara backfield from his final years with the New Orleans Saints. If so, Denver might end up with a great unit for 2024.
But right now, it's largely unproven.