Broncos’ Rookie Playmaker Floated as ‘Under-the-Radar’ Contributor

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said teams have to be “efficient” running the ball during the AFC Coaches Breakfast at the 2024 NFL Annual Meeting in March.

His team was not that in 2023, ranking 18th in total rushing yards and 22nd in yards per carry. The team’s leading rusher, incumbent starter and former second-round pick Javonte Williams, averaged 3.6 yards per rush.

That was the second-lowest mark among backs with at least 200 carries in 2023.

His ineffectiveness – combined with the incomplete skill sets of some of his teammates – could open the door for fifth-round rookie Audric Estime.

“He’s got the same workhorse frame that Williams does,” Bleacher Report’s Derrick Klassen wrote on July 18. “Where Estime differs is that he actually runs like that kind of player, too. Estime is a smart, tough runner with the vision and relatively light feet to navigate the line of scrimmage effortlessly. Estime proved his ability to do that in a wide variety of run schemes at Notre Dame as well, which he’ll be asked to do again under Payton.”

The Broncos head coach touted Estime, who Klassen lists as an “under-the-radar” addition who could “thrive” next season.

The Broncos ranked third in ESPN’s Run Block Win Rate in 2023. But Williams ranked 22nd in yards before contact per rush and 17th in yards after contact per rush among the 200-plus carry group, per Stathead.

Williams finished the 2023 season with 774 yards and three touchdowns on 217 carries.

Audric Estime Could Push Broncos RBs for Early Playing Time

2023 was Williams’ first season back from a severe knee injury, and Williams told reporters in June that he was feeling more confident in the joint.

Williams rushed for 903 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. The knee injury in 2022 limited him to 204 yards on 47 carries in four games. Williams has missed two games in his other two pro seasons.

Estime had 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns on 210 carries for Notre Dame in 2023.

He underwent an arthroscopic procedure in May but Payton told media members at the time that they expected Estime to be ready for Broncos training camp, which opens on July 26.

“Javonte Williams … isn’t as forceful between the tackles as his size suggests and he too often bounces around aimlessly. In a run scheme as diverse as Sean Payton’s, that’s a problem,” Klassen wrote.

“The rest of the Broncos backfield is made up of role players. Samaje Perine is a good pass protector and checkdown option but that’s it. Jaleel McLaughlin, by contrast, is a burst of electricity whenever he touches the ball. McLaughlin doesn’t have the size of a real workhorse back at 5’8″, 187-pounds, though. He will always need a pitch count.”

McLaughlin quickly became a favorite of the coaching staff but had 76 carries last season. Perine is entering his second season in Denver after logging 53 carries in 2023.

“Audric Estime can be the player to tie all of those traits and skills together,” Klassen wrote.

Broncos Place UDFA on Non-Football Injury List

The Broncos running back room suffered a setback, which could clear Estime’s path. They placed undrafted rookie free agent Blake Watson on the Non-Football Injury list on July 17.

Watson is closer in stature to Mclaughlin than Estime or Williams (or Perine).

“Per the NFL’s transaction wire, the Broncos placed Watson on the non-football injury list on Wednesday, and it’s currently unclear what the injury is or what a potential timeline for return may be. However, Watson can come off of the list at any point during camp,” Mile High Sports’ Cody Roark wrote on July 18.

“This designation means that Watson suffered an injury away from the team facility. With camp fully slated to start beginning next week, it will be interesting to monitor how Watson’s absence will impact the competition that’s occurring inside of the running back room.”

Like McLaughlin, Watson quickly created a buzz with his work during the Broncos’ offseason program. He could provide a complement to Estime if both show well in the preseason.

Roark noted Watson’s skill set made him a fit for the “joker” role in the Broncos’ offense.