Javonte Williams‘s October 2022 ACL and LCL tears disrupted the Broncos’ running back situation. The unsuccessful partnership with Melvin Gordon came to an end a few weeks later, and despite Williams returning for Week 1 last year, he did not live up to the expectations of his promising rookie season. Consequently, his starting position is now uncertain.
The Broncos are gearing up for a competitive running back battle, including the return of Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin, fifth-round pick Audric Estime, and UDFA Blake Watson, according to the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. Williams and Perine are heading into contract years, with Williams not brought in during Sean Payton‘s tenure.
Payton’s involvement in acquiring the other four RBs creates an intriguing situation for Williams. Despite being a challenging player to tackle, Williams only averaged 3.6 yards per carry behind a mostly healthy offensive line last season. Williams recorded 1,219 scrimmage yards as a rookie while sharing the workload with Gordon, but he only surpassed 50 rushing yards twice in the final eight games of the 2023 season. In Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric, Williams ranked in the bottom 10 with minus-83.
Perine played a crucial role in the passing game for Russell Wilson during Denver’s five-game win streak in the middle of the season. He is under a two-year, $7.5MM contract with no guaranteed money left for either Perine or Williams.
The Broncos saw potential in Watson during offseason activities, where he displayed his receiving abilities. Watson transferred to Memphis in 2023 after starting at Old Dominion, accumulating 480 receiving yards on 53 receptions in his final college season. While Watson may clear waivers to join the practice squad, McLaughlin has proven that UDFA RBs like himself, along with former Broncos Phillip Lindsay and C.J. Anderson, can earn spots on 53-man rosters. McLaughlin, a 5-foot-7 back, averaged 5.4 yards per carry, totaling 410 yards in his rookie season.
Payton’s decision to carry three running backs and fullback Michael Burton could put Williams and McLaughlin at risk, despite their promising performances. Although Estime missed time during the offseason due to a knee injury, he is expected to return for training camp. Estime ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash at the combine, the slowest among RBs, but improved to 4.58 seconds at his pro day at Notre Dame. Despite the draft setback, Estime is coming off a stellar season with 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns.
During OTAs, The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider noted that Williams, Perine, and McLaughlin will face challenges to maintain their roles from 2023 with the possibility of only three RBs making the cut for the Broncos.
The running back position offers more options than tight end in Denver, as the team is banking on Greg Dulcich to overcome his injury woes. Dealing with recurring hamstring injuries, the former third-round pick was limited in practice during the offseason program. While Dulcich is anticipated to return for training camp, Payton hinted at a potential expanded role for former UDFA Lucas Krull.
“Someday soon, they’re going to know who No. 85 is,” Payton said of Krull. “He has good vertical speed. He’s young, so we think there is room to grow. That was one of the reasons we signed him.”
Although not directly brought in by Payton from New Orleans, Krull initially entered the NFL as a UDFA for the Saints in 2022, a few months after Payton’s departure. The Saints’ coaching staff identifying Krull likely played a role in the Broncos adding him to their practice squad in August 2023. Krull did not make the Saints’ 53-man roster last year and later joined Payton in Denver.
Krull, who compiled 451 receiving yards in his final college season, had limited action last year with only eight receptions for 95 yards. He joins re-signed Adam Trautman, also a Payton draftee from New Orleans, and Dulcich as the top TEs for the Broncos. While the team explored free agent tight ends, they did not add anyone, leaving Trautman as the leading TE with 204 yards last season. This presents a potential area of concern, with Krull poised to play a significant role if Dulcich’s health issues persist in the Broncos’ offense under Bo Nix.
