If you’re in your twenties or older, you remember Terrell Davis, you remember how he dominated in the zone blocking offense that tore up the NFL in the late 90s. If you aren’t old enough to remember TD, you’ve seen the highlights, the runs that lead to 2,000 yards in 1999 and the triumphant runs in the Super Bowl in 1998. You realize that this offense that Kubiak is trying to install is going to be as good as the running back, in a lot of ways, and with Davis you understand the heights that such an offense can reach with a dominant back.

So, forget for a second that the Broncos just re-signed Ronnie Hillman to a one-year contract and just spent big money on C.J. Anderson. The Broncos have found stars in the backfield in the back end of the draft and this year could be no different. Given that Anderson has never been healthy for an entire season and the fact that Hillman is neither reliable nor a bell cow, means that the Broncos should definitely be in the market for, at least, added depth in the backfield. Here are options for just about every round at the position, some of which could be future stars in the zone-blocking system and others who could compliment Anderson and supplant Hillman as the third-down back, as well as the usual late-round sleepers.

First-round options

Derrick Henry, Alabama, (6-foot-3, 247 pounds)

Let’s get things straight here, Henry isn’t a transcendent back, get over it! He’s not Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch or even Todd Gurley, the type of dynamic backs who can overcome offensive line deficiencies and be top players at the position, even when the entire defense knows they’re getting the ball. No, Henry is a north and south workhorse, who can simply gash defenses if he hits the hole cleanly and without anything slowing down his momentum. Remember how Arian Foster would do this, just take you for 5, 6, 8, 10 yards every single play he hit the hole clean? That’s the type of back that Henry is and this is why you should get excited as a Broncos fan about potentially having him on your team.

He currently isn’t a third down back as he has very limited experience receiving the ball, however, unlike Hillman, he is a very reliable blocker in the backfield and almost acts as a second tight end in the backfield blocking for you in pass protection, and has shown himself to be an asset even in run blocking situations when used in two back sets. A creative play caller like Kubiak, who loves to pound the ball down defenses throats could find many ways to get Henry the ball in positive situations. Some question Henry’s ability in a zone-blocking system and ability to run laterally on the first motion, if Henry is clean and is able to gain momentum he’s shown that he can work on runs to the outside or inside, he simply needs a head of steam. This is also his biggest issue, stopping and starting, making quick lateral cuts, is not his thing, he could actually compliment C.J. Anderson in this way and act as more of a big-play back while C.J. could be called on to get the tough yards on 3rd-and-2.

Another legitimate knock on Henry is his vision or creativity as a runner. At Alabama, he had very designed runs and his line made life easy on him without a doubt, in the Broncos system, this most likely will be a problem in reading back side runs, something that can lead to big plays in a zone-block system. Though he’s untested in this, there’s no reason to believe he doesn’t have good vision, durability will also be put in question as he carried the ball 395 last season, but his usage was low his first two seasons.

Comparisons to Henry have been very lazy by mainstream media, with the most common one used being Brandon Jacobs. Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t ever remember Jacobs running a 4.5 40 yard dash or having any sort of home run ability. Henry simply flies away from DB’s who are 50 to 60 pounds lighter than him when he gets into the open field. Due to his dominating physique, combined with his natural power and speed he is truly close to impossible to bring down in the open field at full speed. A dynamic weapon who could carry an offense that is designed around him and has prioritized talent in the offensive trenches. Most likely won’t be available past Denver’s first-round pick. Position value certainly can be debated, but not Henry’s talent or production.

Second-round options

C.J. Prosise , Notre Dame (6-foot, 220 pounds)

Prosise was thrown into the starting running back position due to injuries in the Irish backfield last season and was asked to convert from his natural receiver position. The move worked out well for both parties as Prosise had himself a productive first season at the position. He’s a big back who’s shown ability as an inside runner, though he excelled most running outside. He had an impressive 6.6 yards per carry against one of the tougher defensive schedules in the nation. Prosise is still raw and isn’t as accomplished an open field dancer as some of these players, but he’s big and fast and can be a real asset on third downs as a receiver due to his experience as a receiver. He’s sure handed and has some big play ability receiving the ball, averaging 17 yards per catch two seasons ago.

Prosise has received comparison to Cardinals rookie David Johnson who also was a bit of an unusual case, showing more comfort receiving the ball than as a runner, the former Irish star has similar upside and would be a promising pick on day two of the draft for Denver.

Devontae Booker, Utah (5-foot-11, 219 pounds)

Booker is tough as nails, he’d rather run you over than score a TD with the way he plays. He’s going to work for every yard he gets and it’ll be the same for the defense he’s facing. He’s got some good quickness, lateral movement and ability to make a guy miss or freeze the defender for a split second in the hole to gain ground this way. Runs with a low center of gravity and is much harder to bring down than his size might suggest. He has adequate vision that he uses well combined with his power and lateral quickness. His vision is especially apparent on screen plays and in the open field as a receiver, where he was a menace for defenses to bring down. Might get too cute with his jump cuts sometimes and will have to be better at hitting the hole and putting in work earlier against the big boys in the NFL. Could really fit well with what the Broncos are looking for and has traits that remind of other former zone running back who’ve succeeded under Kubiak’s tutelage, most of all Mike Anderson and Arian Foster.

The concerns for Booker should not be overlooked, he isn’t a speed freak and won’t be able to break many big runs, he’s actually shown much more big-play ability as a receiver. He’s also a bit older than most of these players coming from junior college to Utah and is already 24 years old, on top of having lots of tread on his tires (640 touches the last two seasons). He might come with more durability issues than most, but it’s hard not to like the guy when you watch him put it all on the line for every yard on tape.

Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech (5-foot-10, 215 pounds)

A jack of all trades who might not be elite in anything but is a good to very good back in several different areas. Dixon is an entreating player to watch, who runs with an aggressive edge and hits the hole with an intimidating fearlessness. Aside from his aggressive attitude, his best quality is his lateral agility, his ability to jump cut and juke defenders out their shoes. He’s also a competent receiver and reliable blocker making him a trusted third-down option. He’s a shifty receiver in the open field and is able to escape tacklers with his quickness and deceptive power. He breaks lots of tackles and ran his share of defenders over.

Dixon isn’t a burner and won’t be a home run threat, probably his only true weakness, but don’t mistake lack of high-end speed for lack of quickness or elusiveness, he has plenty of that. As a small school player, he could be overlooked and in many ways, he’s almost the exact opposite of Ronnie Hillman. Dixon is a tough player who but lacks the high-end upside of some the other backs in the class, but guarantees to be a consistent and reliable contributor in the league with potential to be an every-down runner.

Paul Perkins, UCLA (5-foot-10, 208 pounds)

Smallest back on this list, who’s most adept at doing what Elway and Bronco’s fans thought Hillman could be when first drafted. Perkins has had a star-studded career as a Bruin, running for over a thousand yards in two consecutive seasons. He’s a truly elusive player in the open field and is also the most explosive player of the bunch (Henry gives him a run for his money, but Perkins has the best combination of quickness, acceleration and long speed of the group). His feet are  those of a ninja, he has no wasted movement and is able to dance east and west until he finds an opening, he can quickly plant his feet, accelerate and glide by the defenders for big plays. He’s averaged over 5.7 yards per carry both of his last two seasons. Perkins has shown very good hands and is a pest in the open field where his speed and explosion make him a true asset.

He is a smaller back and has shown some real issues in pass protections, something that could really limit his ability to stay on the field on third downs. His vision and big play ability would make him a very intriguing member of Denver’s backfield and could potentially make him a perfect complimentary back to C.J. Anderson.

Sleepers

Every year we’ve seen backs come out of nowhere and become legitimate starters if not stars. Few people know this better than old time Broncos fans and their coach Gary Kubiak. Here are a few names that could make for interesting sleepers for Denver in the later rounds.

Jonathan Williams, Arkansas (5-foot-11, 220 pounds)

You’ll hear lots of talk about Williams’ teammate Alex Collins, who took the starting job this season while Williams was out for the year with a foot injury, which is his biggest concern. While healthy, Williams looks like a perfect one-cut back, who’s surprisingly elusive and made some defenders look silly in the open field with jukes that you wouldn’t expect from a back his size. At this point in his career, he’s only a two-down back, but the system fit is very intriguing and he was a high-level SEC performer with a fairly high ceiling.

Daniel Lasco, California (6-foot, 209 pounds)

Another back who’s on this side of the list due to injury issues. Lasco was sidelined for most of the 2015 and 2013 seasons due to lower-body injuries which are, again, a concern at the position. Yet, he’s a complete back who showed off some truly impressive athletic explosion at the combine, he’s not the most physical runner but he is big and has some good north and south running ability. He’s especially an asset as a receiver and can be a dynamic open field threat.

Jordan Howard, Indiana (6-foot, 230 pounds)

Howard is a tough back who was dominant at UAB, transferred to Indiana and had a terrific season in the Big Ten. He’s a bigger back who can run with impressive power, he’s a no-nonsense runner who’s perfect in a one cut system and also has a bit of shake to his running style. Not a real breakaway threat, though not a slow runner either, more of a one-speed back who isn’t going to really surprise or run away from anyone. An unproven receiver who will be limited to first two down responsibilities at least at the beginning of his career.

Kenyan Drake, Alabama (6-foot-1, 210 pounds)

Drake has a similar profile to Prosise. He’s been used primarily as a third-down back in Alabama’s offense but has all the size and speed to be much more than just that. He’s also an explosive receiver and electric open field and big play threat. Give him space on the edge and he’s a threat to take it to the house every single time. He could both be used as a young Reggie Bush-type swiss army knife weapon for an offense, or could potentially be developed into a more traditional explosive back who might have some high-level starter upside. Sounds like some NFL types are really high on the kid, a name worth keeping an eye on due to his potential for more and already intriguing tools as a 3rd down back and Hillman replacement.