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Future Broncos: It’s time for Denver to make a splash at running back
Yesterday I wrote about how the extension of Garett Bolles plays into Head Coach Sean Payton’s team building philosophy. Moreover, how it also frees the Denver Broncos up from having to use premium draft capital on finding a replacement in the 2025 NFL Draft. That is a big win for the franchise who can now consider other positions early on when the draft finally comes around.
It’s awesome that the Broncos are playing competitive football in December, but that won’t stop me from looking toward the future. That’s the point of Future Broncos—taking a look at prospects that can make the team better in the long run. So, what’s one thing the Broncos need to do to become even better in 2025. Snag themselves a rookie running back from this year’s top-notch class.
Everyone across Broncos Country knows the team has struggled to run the ball this season. Javonte Williams hasn’t produced at a high level, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team moved on from him at year’s end. Head Coach Sean Payton has admitted that finding snaps for Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime has been a challenge—noting that feeding three as opposed to two ends up putting them in a numbers game predicament.
Knowing Payton’s feelings, there is no doubt in my mind that upgrading the franchise’s stable of running backs will be one of the top priorities for him and the Broncos’ brass this offseason. While they have ample cap space to make a free agent addition, I’d caution against spending big on the position group. Unless you could come up for a convincing argument for the Broncos to pursue Aaron Jones, Najee Harris, or perhaps even Nick Chubb.
I believe there is a much better way forward. This year’s draft looks to be one of the deepest in recent memory at the running back position. Boise State phenom Ashton Jeanty will wind up sitting atop most team’s boards. He would be a slam dunk pick for the Broncos, but the likelihood of him being available when they are on the clock gets slimmer with each big play he makes. Could the team make a move up for him? Anything is possible, but I have a feeling he could be off the board in the Top 12 to 15 picks—quite a bit ahead of where the Broncos will theoretically be selecting.
Even so, there will be a myriad of other prospects who could come in right away and make an impact for Denver. Next in line for me would be Iowa product Kaleb Johnson. He is my number two back behind Jeanty. Earlier this month he opted out from playing in the Hawkeye’s bowl game to instead focus on preparation for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Johnson was the Big Ten’s leading rusher this season amassing 1,537 yards on 240 carries and scoring 21 touchdowns. He also proved his value as a receiver hauling in 22 receptions for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. At 6’0 and 225 pounds, he clearly has the size and physique to be a lead back in today’s NFL. He also sports incredible vision and tackle breaking ability which will earn him plus marks on his scouting report.
But here is the catch—Johnson is clearly a Top 50 player. Heck, he is one of the most dynamic offensive players in this year’s draft and we know those prospects are always in high demand. I honestly don’t think the Broncos have a shot at getting him in the second round unless they were to move up.
While many fans are against utilizing a first-round pick on a running back, I certainly wouldn’t mind a scenario if the Broncos traded back a bit, acquired extra capital, and took Johnson. We have seen what other teams in the league like the Detroit Lions have been able to accomplish while utilizing premium draft capital at the position.
To me Johnson is an immediate Day 1 starter and would give the Broncos’ rushing attack the boost it desperately needs. Just imagine what having him on offense would do for Bo Nix and the other players around him? Quite a bit I’d imagine. A strong rushing attack will only make things easier for Nix and his companions in the receiving game.
Outside of him, I feel North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins are also Top 50 players who can be primary backs in volume share during their rookie campaigns. Judkins’ Buckeyes teammate TreVeyon Henderson also has that ability, but I’m concerned with his injury history and missing multiple games a year.
Other top prospects at the position are Oregon’s Jordan James and Dylan Sampson, but I feel they are much better suited off as change-of-pace backs at the next level as opposed to high-volume starters. That’s why lean more toward prospects like Kansas product Devin Neal, Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton, Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon and Raheim Sanders of South Carolina—who can hammer it on early downs and would be quality selections on Day 2 of the draft—and allow the Broncos wanted to wait it out and address other needs first.
What do you think, Broncos Country? How early is too early for the Broncos to take a running back in the upcoming draft? Who are some of your favorites at the position? What would be your strategy to address the need at the position? Sound off in the comments section and let me know!
Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools. In turn, it’s reshaping the district’s future.
“I think we’re in a good position, but it’s responsible for us to always be looking in the future and knowing we have to make some adjustments,” said Chuck Carpenter, the district’s CFO.
In a two-year span between this past school year and next, DPS expects a decline in enrollment of around 1,700 students.
“We haven’t really seen anything like this,” said Carpenter in response to the consistent decline.
Because of this trend, the district is facing a $28 million structural deficit over the next five years.
“We have a balanced budget now, and we’re not predicting that we’ll have an unbalanced budget in three years,” said Carpenter. “We’re saying we need to make adjustments over the next three, four years, so that our budgets are balanced.”
DPS’s Director of Campus Planning, Andrew Huber, told CBS Colorado in an interview last month that those adjustments will likely include closing down more schools.
“Additional school closures will be necessary in the upcoming years. When exactly that would be is hard to forecast right now,” said Huber.
The district’s CFO says his biggest takeaway from a recent round of closures is to make sure to give families options for what’s next.
“No one wants their school closed, but the second-best option isn’t going to be the same for every family,” said Carpenter.
This issue could be one Denver faces for years to come.
“We sort of say, how many kids are born here? Because in five years, those kids will be kindergartners,” Carpenter added.
The city’s birth rate peaked in 2005, meaning those babies have already graduated high school. And, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, more young families move out of Denver and into surrounding counties than move into the city.
“I think school consolidation is very — I understand why people want to talk about it, but I think it’s more about, like, how do we make sure that the programs that are offered are rich programs,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter also says the district is closely monitoring some potential cuts to federal grants for students of poverty and language learners. He says those decisions will be made by October for the start of the new fiscal year, and cuts would have a “terrible” impact.
The Denver Broncos hosted eight tryout players at mandatory minicamp this week, including quarterback Sawyer Robertson. It sounds like the team has made decisions on those tryout players, and Robertson won’t be signed (at least not right now).
Instead, the Broncos are signing offensive lineman Reid Holskey (according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) and cornerback Blake Cotton (according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel). Holskey (6-6, 306 pounds) spent time on the Houston Texans’ practice squad in 2025 before joining the New York Giants in January. He was cut by New York last month. Cotton (6-2, 195 pounds) is a rookie who spent last fall at Utah, totaling 30 tackles and seven pass breakups in 13 games.
The two moves came one day after Denver wrapped up minicamp. The 91-man offseason roster was already full, so the Broncos will need to make corresponding moves to make room for Holskey and Cotton on the roster.
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Sean Payton has seen enough. The Denver Broncos’ third practice of mandatory minicamp, which was set to happen on Thursday, has been canceled.
“Just schedule-wise, today will be our last day,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “I just finished telling them that. It’s unusual because there’s a lot of packing, a little bit more than normal when you’re moving into another facility. So when we’re back here, we’ll be in the new building.”
The Broncos are moving into their new state-of-the-art facility, but the decision to cancel the final practice of the offseason was motivated primarily by what Payton has seen thus far and how the team is shaping up.
Thus concludes the Broncos’ offseason training program, which featured eight total practices as a team, four of which were open to the media. There was more on-field activity than that, including walkthrough practices unseen by the press, but in essence, we’re talking about eight sessions.
Some players have already begun to separate themselves in their respective competitions. Others have really popped, while some have failed to really stand out in any meaningful way.
By way of a Broncos stock report, let’s get to the biggest winners and losers of mandatory minicamp.
Winner: Bo Nix | QB
Nix finally returned to the practice field on Tuesday, the first day of minicamp. He was limited to individual drills only, but it was still great to see him out there.
On Day 2, though, Nix took another big step forward, participating in a 7-on-7 drill that included a highlight-reel touchdown pass to RJ Harvey. Just getting Nix back on the field was a big win for the Broncos, but seeing him progress over two days and look overall very sharp was more than a little encouraging.
Winner: Jaylen Waddle | WR
Waddle has been a lightning rod since the practices were opened to the media. He just looks different. That speed and explosiveness really add an element to the Broncos’ offense that has been lacking.
It’s been palpable. But arguably just as exciting is what Waddle’s teammates and coaches have been saying about him. Payton has called him a “force multiplier,” which is another way of saying that he makes everyone around him better.
Not that we really had reason to doubt it, but Waddle has been as advertised thus far, and then some.
Loser: Marvin Mims Jr. | WR
Mims is not listed as a loser because of any specific negative plays, like a dropped pass or a mental miscue. It’s just that, with other receivers, including Waddle, shining, generating buzz, and earning plaudits from Payton, Mims didn’t really.
Mims is a similar receiver type as Waddle, but the newcomer made it clear how much separation exists between them in practice. Now, Mims is still important to the Broncos, especially as a returner, and Payton did compliment his clutch gene and contributions in big games, but you have to wonder how he fits into the game plan on offense. That question still hasn’t been answered.
Winner: J.K. Dobbins | RB
Dobbins was his usually talkative self at minicamp, but the fact that he was healthy and out there doing his thing is a major win for the Broncos. It’s good to have him part of the daily process at Broncos HQ again because he’s one of those veterans that takes players under his wing, and elevates them.
Winner: Que Robinson | OLB
With the recent off-the-field drama the Broncos have dealt with, some extra attention was paid to the Broncos’ outside linebackers. Robinson, in particular, separated himself during minicamp.
His get-off is something else, and he was dispruptive during the Broncos’ team periods. Vance Joseph has said he views Robinson as a “future starter.” Pending Cooper’s situation, the future could be now, though Elliss will also have something to say about that.
Robinson had one heck of an offseason. I’m really looking forward to his second year.
Loser: Jonathon Cooper | OLB
After being arrested twice in the span of a week, the Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp. It would seem the Broncos want to create some distance from Cooper until his legal troubles are resolved, one way or another.
It’s a shame, in more ways than one. Beyond what legal ramifications might await Cooper, he’s very likely to be suspended by the NFL, and the Broncos releasing him at some point is not outside the bounds of the plausible. It’s a good thing that rush linebacker room is stacked.
Winner: Matt Henningsen | DL
None of these winners has been quite as surprising as Henningsen. He made a huge play on Day 1 of minicamp, tipping a Sam Ehlinger pass and returning it to the house.
Henningsen followed that up with another disruptive Day 2. He’s gone from being an after thought in the Broncos’ defensive line conversation to establishing himself as a bona fide threat for the roster.
Loser: Jahdae Barron | CB
Like Mims, Barron wasn’t bad during the offseason; he just didn’t pop, really, in any way. He broke up one pass on Day 2 of minicamp, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to see.
It will be interesting to see how Barron performs in training camp. We know the Broncos have high expectations for him, and a role on defense, even if as a depth piece, will be created for him, but I was hoping to see more signs of a Year-2 leap by now.
Winner: Jonah Coleman | RB
Another as-advertised player. Coleman has proven he’s ready for the NFL, which was partly what attracted the Broncos to him in the draft.
Coleman stood out in a major way at minicamp and made it clear that the Broncos have more than just a J.K. Dobbins insurance policy on their hands. Coleman is a force to be reckoned with.
Winner: Tyler Onyedim | DL
Like Coleman the Broncos’ first pick in the 2026 draft has looked NFL-ready. The Broncos still haven’t signed Onyedim, but that didn’t stop him from participating in the offseason program, which is a good harbinger.
Rocking the No. 98 jersey, it’s easy to mistake Onyedim for the guy he was drafted to replace: John Franklin-Myers. That’s especially true when the rookie is out there making plays like JFM. Onyedim has earned praise from his teammates, including the All-Pro Zach Allen.
Winner: Evan Engram | TE
Engram looked very good in minicamp this week. He looked like a big, athletic, smooth, explosive receiver, which is what he’s been in the NFL.
Engram wasn’t really all those things in his first year with the Broncos, but I’m hopeful that Year 2 will be different for the two-time Pro Bowler. He’s had a good summer.
Winner: Troy Franklin | WR
Franklin seems like the obvious No. 3 receiver in the pecking order. That doesn’t mean he’ll get the No. 3 snaps on an exclusive basis, though.
As the Broncos’ No. 2 last year, Franklin wasn’t able to fully live up to that, although he took some big steps forward in his second year. As the No. 3, it’s more his natural spot and that should allow him to continue to thrive in the offense, especially with the connection he has with Bo Nix dating back to Oregon.
Winner: Sam Ehlinger | QB
Ehlinger had a great offseason. He looked way more comfortable and far sharper in the offense in what is his second go-around in Payton’s offense.
Ehlinger was sharp this summer, and if he can continue to build on the foundation he’s created, it could create some uncomfortable conversations at Broncos HQ.
Loser: Jarrett Stidham | QB
Stidham has been less noteworthy this summer, but that doesn’t mean he’s been bad. In comparison to Ehlinger, though, Stidham wasn’t as good, which is curious, considering his standing as the team’s primary backup since 2023.
If Ehlinger ends up leapfrogging Stidham, what do the Broncos do? They’re holding a competition for QB2, and they have to be prepared for the possibility of Ehlinger winning it, especially after his strong summer.
If Ehlinger forces this issue, Stidham could become expendable. Stidham is very unlikely to be a cut candidate because of his contract, but as a trade piece? There’s a reason the rumor mill has been active on the Stidham topic this offseason. It’s something to watch.
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