Overlooked Stat Hints RB J.K. Dobbins Could be a Huge Broncos Steal

Veteran running back J.K. Dobbins has been with the Denver Broncos for nearly three weeks. The former Los Angeles Chargers lead back was signed to serve as part of Denver's one-two punch behind second-year quarterback Bo Nix.

Most Broncos fans are aware that Dobbins was a Baltimore Ravens' second-round pick out of Ohio State back in 2020, and that he's struggled to stay healthy as a pro. But when it comes to projecting just how impactful he could be in Denver (health willing), there are a few stats on his resume that jump out.

First, a little further sketching out of Dobbins' experience. He has appeared in 37 regular-season games, with 21 starts, and four playoff games, of which he started three.

Dobbins has rushed for 2,252 yards on 429 carries (5.2 avg), with 21 touchdowns. He's also caught 59 passes for 330 yards and one score. These are all regular-season stats.

Overlooked Stats

However, what you may not know about Dobbins is that his 5.2 yards-per-carry average for his career is the second-highest among all running backs (with at least 452 attempts). On top of that, his 'big play' rushing percentage — which amounts to the number of rushes of 10-plus yards — is the third-highest among all backs since 2020.

“I think he has a good running balance and instincts," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after signing Dobbins.

Last season in L.A., Dobbins led the Chargers with 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. It was a career-high season in yards and touchdowns, but his 4.6-yard average actually brought down his career average. It still stands at 5.2, though, and only one other running back has a higher average since 2020.

The Broncos are paying Dobbins $2.1 million this year, though he has incentives in his contract that offer him the chance to earn as much as $5.25 million in 2025. If the team can keep him healthy, that's a bargain, considering how productive he's been when he's on the field. I'd even call it a steal.

Dobbins was the No. 55 overall pick in the 2020 draft. He joins second-rounder RJ Harvey in the Broncos' backfield, who was the No. 60 overall pick this year.

So long as there are no injury setbacks, Harvey and Dobbins will be the Broncos' top two running backs. That doesn't mean that Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, or Blake Watson won't see the field, but consider the Broncos' two backs with a second-round draft pedigree as the team's Plan A.

Dobbins will bring veteran leadership to the room and very reliable production to pair with Harvey, in whom he sees a very bright future.

“I'll bring those skills, but I know this room is also young. I want to bring some leadership to them," Dobbins said after he was signed. "[I want to] help them grow as NFL players, because it can be tough. Especially the young rookie, RJ, he's going to be really good. It's my job as a six-year [veteran] now—going on six years—I'm still 26, though I'm young. It's my job to help him grow and pass the game along to him. Hopefully, he has a great career.”

When we talk about 'big plays' on the ground, of which Dobbins has excelled as an NFL rusher, that attribute was also something that attracted the Broncos to Harvey. At UCF last season, Harvey had 54 rushes of 10-plus yards, the second-most in the FBS behind only Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft (LVR).

32 of Harvey's carries went for 15-plus yards. And let's not forget that he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which ranked third-fastest among all 2025 running backs. The kid is explosive.

The Broncos realized how unthreatening their rushing attack was last year, best described as "three yards and a cloud of dust." However, the two offseason additions the team made have one common denominator: explosiveness.