ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Another week, another massive compliment for the Broncos’ rookie running back.
Following Denver’s final preseason game, Teddy Bridgewater compared Javonte Williams to four-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara.
On Monday, leading up to his NFL debut, Vic Fangio said there’s no sign of rookie in the Broncos’ second-round pick.
When asked how much trust the 21-year old has earned from the coaching staff, and specifically if he can play in any situation, Fangio quickly shot back, “Yeah, he’s earned that trust.”
“We’re not at all against playing him in any situation at any time in the game,” the head coach added.
Despite sharing the backfield with Michael Carter, the 5-foot-10, 220-pound back still averaged over 1,000-rushing yards over his final two years at the University of North Carolina. His 19 rushing touchdowns in 2020 proved his college coaching staff certainly trusted him to play in any situation at any time too.
“And it looked like University of North Carolina could have used him back there this week,” Fangio added, pouring salt in UNC’s wound after their upset loss to Virginia Tech on Friday night.
While Fangio added that it’s not the first time he’s had this much trust in a rookie so early on in a season, he did put Williams in elite company when discussing it.
“I’ve been around men that can do that,” Fangio said, when talking about how rare it is for Williams to have earned the coaches trust before even playing in an NFL game. “I can remember being with Edgerrin James when he was a rookie and he was lights out right from Day 1.”
Edgerrin James was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. James was the fourth-overall pick by the Colts in 1999 when Fangio was their defensive coordinator. James won Offensive Rookie of the Year and was later named to the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team. In his head coach’s mind, that’s the type of company Javonte Williams is in.
With Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon also on the roster—and listed as the starter ahead of the rookie—Williams won’t be forced into every situation right away. But if he’s anywhere close to being “lights out right from Day 1” like Edgerrin James, he’ll get more and more of those opportunities quickly.
