Five running backs the Denver Broncos should consider in the NFL Draft

Do the Denver Broncos need a running back?

You wouldn’t think so.

Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin form a well-rounded three-headed monster in the backfield. However, Williams’ 3.6 yards per carry in his return from ACL injury is a red flag.

As a team the Broncos ranked in the middle of the league in rushing yards, but in the bottom 10 in efficiency. Only three teams had fewer rushing touchdowns.

Williams, Perine and McLaughlin form a solid trio, but if you’re looking for a reason to add a rokie to the group, you don’t have to look as hard as you’d think.

Here are the running backs the Broncos should consider…

Blake Corum, Michigan

Range: Day 2

Corum is shifty. He’s fast. He’s kind of small, though.

The 23-year-old is special in space. He can somehow make three moves in the time you’d think it would take to make one. When he jukes, he move five feet horizontally, or throw a changeup and barely move horizontally at all.

He’s tough to describe. He’s smooth. He’s balanced. He moves at a different speed than everybody else on the field. He’s like a football hummingbird.

Corum ran for 3,660 in his final three years at Michigan. He had 59 touchdowns in that time. He’s a two-time first-team All-American. He was the workhorse behind a national championship.

If Corum’s 5-foot-8, 205-pound frame doesn’t scare youn, and you can ignore the risk of tread running out on his tires, you might have one of the league’s most explosive ball-carriers.

Trey Benson, Florida State

Range: Day 2 or 3

The size-speed combination is the appeal with Benson.

A touch over 6 feet tall and 216 pounds, Benson ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. You don’t find backs like him very often.

Benson’s production was solid, but it was nothing special. He hasn’t surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He’s come close, though. And he averaged more than six yards per carry in his college career.

He runs more upright than you’d like, but he’s strong enough to get away with it. He would benefit from running behind his pads more.

He’s fairly shifty. He’s plenty strong. He doesn’t go down easily. He’s made some plays in the passing game. Benson is a well-rounded option, although he may not be special in one area.

Jaylen Wright, Tennessee

Range: Day 2 or 3

Wright is a powerful runner.

He’s a proven SEC back who managed more than 1,000 rushing yards on 7.4 yards per carry in his final season.

Only 21 years old, Wright is strong. He can threaten a defense with power, but he combines that power with great angles in the open field and a dead-leg move that helps him bounce to the edge. 

Plus, 4.38 speed gives him home run ability.

Bucky Irving, Oregon

Range: Day 2 or 3

When Irving hits the gas, he hits top speed quickly.

Irving’s calling card is the passing game. He can take a swing pass, make a defender miss and turn it into a big game. He had 712 receiving yards in the past two seasons. He led the nation in running back catches this year, too.

At 192 pounds, Irving will never be a power runner. He was solid running the rock for Oregon with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he probably won’t threaten the A gaps in the NFL.

Irving might be the best change-of-speed back in the class and his skillset fits what NFL wants from running backs in 2024. He could be a gamechanger as soon as this season.

Isaac Guerendo, Louisville

Range: Day 3

Guerendo started his career at Wisconsin but hardly saw the field. After five seasons with the Badgers, he closed his college career at Louisville. His first career start came in the bowl game in December.

This creates a unique dynamic: Guerendo will be 24 when his rookie season begins, but he should have plenty of tread on his tires, considering 13 NFL running backs had more carries last season than Guerendo has in the past six combined.

Guerendo is a big back at 221 pounds. He also ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

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