Scouting report: Broncos fourth-round pick Devontae Booker

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

So the Broncos make it four for four as far as value picks and picks in my top 115 on my Big Board (Booker was the 9th best player on my board at the time of the pick). After two lesser known prospects on Friday night, the Broncos take a household name for fans of college football out west. Booker has had two consecutive 1,000 yard plus seasons in the Pac-12 and instantly became the Utes primary playmaker on offense and was a major reason for Utah’s two consecutive seasons in the top 25. He’s an older prospect and will be a 24-year-old rookie.

During our running back feature I wrote a fairly extensive scouting report of Booker as he seemed like a likely Denver selection and fit in Kubiak’s offense. Here’s what I said at the time.

“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 run full speed 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.”

Having watched Booker closely not just while studying tape this off-season, but throughout his two spectacular seasons with the Utes, I confidently stand by every single word of that scouting report. His one weakness is undoubtedly his straight-line speed, he isn’t the type to find a lane and take off for 60 or 80 yards. He’s been extremely durable but did have some knee issues late in the 2015 season that kept him out three games (the only time he missed in two seasons at Utah). Outside of that, Booker’s running style reminds a bit of C.J. Anderson’s ability to make quick lateral jump-cuts, combined with the physicality with which he runs and takes on contact. Booker could also compliment Anderson as he’s a true weapon in the receiving game (80 receptions in his two seasons in the Pac-12). Booker’s ability to break off big plays on screen passes is also very promising when combined with Paxton Lynch, who might rely on the screen pass quite a bit early in his career. Unlike Hillman (the Broncos other receiving back) Booker can also be counted on in pass protection where he plays with a strong base and can hold his own.

Booker was selected with the 136th pick in the compensatory round of the fourth, that pick was given to the Broncos as compensation for the loss of Orlando Franklin in free agency last season. The value of a player who was given third round value for the loss of Franklin seems like a terrific selection, that could pay a huge dividend for the Broncos in the immediate future.