Maybe the most disappointing position group on the entire Denver Broncos roster in 2024 was the running back room.
It’s hard to find a single member of the room who meaningfully lived up to, let alone surpassed, expectations. Now, the Broncos are primed to overhaul the position with a series of offseason moves, thanks to highly tantalizing free-agent and draft classes at running back.
What should Broncos Country expect this offseason, and what do they need to know about all of the room’s current members? Let’s look.
Javonte Williams
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Not. Good. At All.
When Javonte Williams didn’t look like his old self in 2023, after miraculously returning from a devastating knee injury, it was completely understandable. The fact he was even on the field was amazing. Sure, the play wasn’t what you would want to see from your starting running back, but the hope was that, with another year removed from that wound, he would be more like himself in 2024.
Instead, it seems like his game regressed further, making his future outlook quite dubious.
This running back, who broke more tackles on a per-carry basis in 2021 than any other running back had in a single season since at least 2006, created the least yards after contact on a per-carry basis in 2024.
Highest forced missed tackle rate in a season since 2006 (min. 100+ attempts)
— Jarad Evans (@Jarad_Evans) November 29, 2021
1. Javonte Williams ('21) – 36%
2. Nick Chubb ('20) – 31%
2. Marshawn Lynch ('14) – 31%
Williams also ranked 40th among 41 qualifying backs in rushing yards over expectation per attempt, and 38th of 41 in EPA per carry. He was comfortably one of football’s worst running backs.
But not only was he a much less dynamic back this past season. He also saw his greatest talent — the ability to brush off opposing tacklers like you shrug off your niece at the annual Turkey Bowl — evaporate entirely.
If Denver had any quality back on its roster this past season, Williams would have quickly been buried on the depth chart and become an afterthought. Instead, he got the privilege of slowly wilting in front of our eyes as his planned role slowly dwindled to that of 2023 Samaje Perine, but somehow an even less inspiring version.
Pass blocking for running backs on Third downs is not an easy job. Typically you are scanning between multiple players, diagnosing who will be the most dangerous threat. Good processing, pickup and finish here by Javonte Williams. pic.twitter.com/IC6kdgdroB
— The Film Room (@Cover1FilmRoom) February 26, 2025
The debate surrounding Williams is no longer whether or not he could develop into one of the league’s better starting backs. It is now, “is he worth a Perine-esque contract to be the last running back in the room and a designated pass-blocker?”
That shift tells you all you need to know.
Grade: D-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Should Javonte Williams be brought back as a cheap, experienced veteran who can do the dirty work for Denver’s running backs?
On one hand, Bo Nix is the franchise’s future, and you absolutely have to ensure he’s protected, especially at this early stage in his career. Plus, rookie backs generally struggle to provide adequate protection for their quarterbacks.
That said, devoting a roster spot and a couple of million dollars to a designated pass-blocker out of the backfield seems like an unnecessary luxury expenditure for a team presently trying to rebuild its foundation. Plus, even if that is the desire, why not lean on Burton to do that job? He’s a better blocker, and he’s not all that much less threatening as a receiver or runner than Williams at this point.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Williams is an option worthy of consideration for the reasons listed above, but ultimately, he’s a very flawed and limited commodity with questionable upside. The Broncos should hope to find any option that boasts more upside or dynamism, while still being competent in pass protection.
If they’re forced to turn to Williams to fill that niche on the roster, so be it, but that should only be the backup plan assuming nothing else works out.
Jaleel McLaughlin
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Considering his 2023 campaign and semi-recent injury, it wasn’t too surprising that Williams disappointed this season. That said, it was unexpected that the Broncos’ entrenched backup plan — Jaleel McLaughlin, who had impressed the prior year — wasn’t able to pick up the slack.
McLaughlin’s high-end burst, short-area quickness, and vision were valuable tools for the Broncos’ backfield, but the glimpses of brilliance brought on by those traits were too few and too far between. He averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry — often viewed as the Mendoza line for running backs — in just half of the Broncos’ games this season, and only averaged 4.3 over the entirety of this season.
Even though McLaughlin was a slight upgrade on Williams, that said more about Williams than it did McLaughlin, as the second-year undrafted back ranked 33rd among 41 qualifying backs in rushing yards over expectation. That’s better than 40th, but still below starting caliber.
More concerning for McLaughlin than the metrics though is the fact that, when the team needed an alternative at running back, he was unable to come through for them. Knowing that, and knowing his limitations in pass protection, why would the Broncos want to carry him onto next year’s final roster?
The only reason seems to be “if they’re unable to add anything better,” and, unfortunately for McLaughlin, that’s gonna be a low bar.
Grade: D
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Jaleel McLaughlin is an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, which means the Denver Broncos will get to decide whether or not they want to bring him back on a vet-minimum contract with no guaranteed money. If they do — and it would be deeply surprising if they don’t even despite McLaughlin’s poor season, because it’s basically free to do so — McLaughlin will have no choice but to accept.
At that point, they can carry McLaughlin into training camp, and determine from there whether or not he’s worthy of a roster spot.
Plays like this is why I would not mind Jaleel McLaughlin still being a piece of the #Broncos backfield next year #BroncosCountry @MileHighReport pic.twitter.com/YS1PWBcXPe
— Ross (@Ross_MHR) January 29, 2025
His speed and burst aren’t things the Broncos have a lot of, so the idea of him hanging on at the backend of the roster isn’t far-fetched.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Like with Javonte Williams, if McLaughlin is brought back as the team’s No. 3 running back option, that’s acceptable, but it’s not ideal, and the team should expend any avenue at its disposal to avoid that reality.
The greatest missing element in this offense is a difference-making back, so the Broncos can’t settle for McLaughlin.
Tyler Badie
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
This is definitely one of the tougher grades at the running back spot to dole out.
Tyler Badie touched the ball just 14 times this year and gained 84 yards. He also only appeared in three games as he first had to climb his way up from the practice squad, and then promptly re-exited the lineup after suffering a back injury.
However, once he was healthy, the Broncos rushed him right back onto the active roster, in favor of their in-house rookie draft pick, for the team’s first playoff game in nine years. Also, although he barely touched the ball, he did enough on those few carries to become a cult hero in Broncos Country.
The commentating ruined a great 43-yard run by Tyler Badie.
— Let’s Talk Broncos (Muse) (@TheLTBMuse) September 22, 2024
“Everybody came on somebody” – The announcer pic.twitter.com/6nFvxUggMP
As Denver’s backs continued to struggle down the stretch, many fans clung to the hope of Badie’s return, and that impact is meaningful. Against all odds, he’s now the No. 3 back and has a decent chance of making 2025’s team.
Grade: C+
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Is the mystery box of Tyler Badie more intriguing than the unknown quantity that is a Day-3 rookie running back selection? He’s under contract for next year, so that is all Denver has to figure out this offseason with him.
As we just saw this season, when Badie stole Audric Estime’s job, drafting a running back isn’t a surefire way to find an upgrade at the position. It’s the option with the much higher ceiling, but also, a slightly lower floor.
On paper, it seems like that calculation should be easy, but it’s possible Badie’s practice reps left Denver’s coaching staff utterly infatuated with what he could become when healthy.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Allowing Badie to compete for that No. 3 role would be wise, but the goal for the Denver Broncos should be to upgrade the running back room to the extent that they aren’t looking at players like Badie as potential saviors. He’s a fine insurance plan though in case they miss in the draft.
Audric Estime
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Audric Estime’s 2024 rookie campaign was extremely disappointing. With Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams flailing with ineptitude, Denver’s run game needed serious help from any running back with a pulse and Estime wasn’t up to the task.
In fact, he fell so far short of taking over the needy position that he was made a healthy scratch for the team’s playoff game, in favor of Tyler Badie, who had an 11-carry sample size to work off of.
Now, he had his bright spots. On his first 15 carries, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry, but he also unfortunately fumbled the ball twice, which seriously limited his playing time early in the season. But, as he got more playing time, he became much less explosive, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry from Week 10 on.
Weirdly, it feels harder to picture Estime on the 2025 Denver Broncos than either Williams or McLaughlin, despite both being low-wattage options. Williams is still useful in pass-protection, and McLaughlin brings burst that no one else in the room has. What does Estime offer?
Grade: F
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Really, what does Estime offer? That’s the question that needs to be answered to determine if he’s worthy of a final roster spot.
Random thought but after all the offseason of tape and the way this group is performing in drills, I don’t know how you can have a strong opinion about Audric Estime having a significant role next year
— Robby (@Robby_NFL) March 1, 2025
He’s not a dynamic receiver and he’s a subpar pass protector. He also boasts major ball-security problems and failed to add any juice to the offense as a runner.
After the Broncos make some running back additions this spring, Estime is going to be competing with the likes of Jaleel McLaughlin, Blake Watson, and potentially others. McLaughlin and Watson can pitch their speed and receiving ability as something they offer to the offense, and Estime can’t quite do the same.
Estime’s best hope right now is probably that Denver loads up on undersized speed backs, making Estime’s size and physicality a much more valued commodity in the Broncos’ backfield.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
It’s harsh, but the Denver Broncos should hope to make enough quality additions at running back this offseason that Estime becomes a complete afterthought.
Would Audric Estime be a top-20 back in this class?
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) March 1, 2025
That way, if he takes a sizeable leap and can contribute to the 2025 team, that’s great, but if he doesn’t, he can be moved on from without any pain.
Blake Watson
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
It’s hard to judge Blake Watson’s 2024.
On one hand, he was expected to go in the seventh round and, unfortunately for him, wound up going undrafted. He also barely saw the field in a pretty weak room, toting the ball just four times for 10 yards.
On the other, the Denver Broncos signed him to a three-year deal, which is a pretty nice win for a UDFA, and, although his yards-per-carry average is underwhelming, his rushing success rate of 75% is plenty strong. Plus, the failings of the room’s other backs opens up legitimate opportunities for Watson in 2025, especially with him being one of the team’s few backs under contract for the upcoming season.
Grade: C-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
Can Watson make the final 53-man roster despite an influx of backfield talent?
“Not to compare him to Kamara but…”
— Bradley Stalder (@FFStalder) May 13, 2024
Proceeds to compare Blake Watson to Alvin Kamara
pic.twitter.com/SIBZa8ErNi
Denver is going to add at least one outside running back to this room, potentially two, and adding three isn’t out of the question. That could leave six Broncos running backs battling for three roster spots once training camp rolls around.
Now, thankfully for Watson, there’s a real path to him making that final 53, even if the group is loaded with competition. As it stands now, the other backs on the roster, likely to return to the roster, or likely to be added to the roster fit a very different archetype than Watson, with the exception being Jaleel McLaughlin.
If Denver’s staff decides they want a jitterbug in the room, Watson could be left just needing to outperform McLaughlin in the summer to earn a roster spot. That’s a position battle where Watson would only be a slight underdog.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
They should keep an open mind about Watson surpassing someone like McLaughlin, but beyond that, they should do absolutely nothing regarding Watson.
He’s under contract, so no worries there, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly enough to impact any of the Broncos’ decision-making and team-building this spring.
Michael Burton
How Did 2024 Go For Them?
Michael Burton saw a very similar snap count to what he experienced during his first season in Denver, back in 2023, and offered similar production in a nearly identical role. The big difference was that he saw more snaps as a receiver, but that probably has more to do with swapping out Samaje Perine for Audric Estime than anything else.
The most noteworthy aspect of Burton’s 2024 campaign is probably the fact that he spent much of the season on the team’s practice squad.
That highlights his age and expandability, but it also demonstrates that it should be easy to retain him, and isn’t the end of the world. Most 33-year-old fullbacks are expendable.
Grade: C-
What Needs To Be Addressed This Offseason?
With a contract expiring in a few weeks, Burton will almost certainly get the privilege of testing out the free-agent market, though it’s unlikely he garners much interest.
As the NFL’s offensive pendulum swings back towards the run game, size, and physicality, fullbacks are experiencing a slight renaissance, but it’s hard to imagine Burton getting poached now considering there were so many opportunities to poach him over the past several months, and nobody was interested.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey made the highlight play to score this TD but watch the effort from Michael Burton on 3rd down.
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) January 2, 2024
Huge blitz pickup, doesn't stop running and finds another key block 35-yards downfield and finishes the block near the 5. pic.twitter.com/xP2PWYyKQZ
If the Denver Broncos want Burton back, they should have no problem inking him a fresh near-minimum deal.
That said, Reggie Gilliam and Adam Prentice — two younger fullback options who have played very well in recent years — are also set to hit the open market and should be easily affordable if Denver wants to make a splash at the position. Making that upgrade potentially even more appealing to the Broncos is the fact that both have experience operating in Payton’s offensive ecosystem, as Prentice has spent the past few seasons with the Saints, and Gilliam is coming from a Bills offense operated by Payton disciple Joe Brady.
What Should the Denver Broncos Do?
Honestly, the Broncos should make a splash here. The league’s most expensive fullbacks make a mere $4 million a year, which is plenty affordable for Denver, and neither Gilliam nor Prentice should yield much attention on the open market.
Plus, although the position might be experiencing a slight resurgence, there are still very few fullbacks currently in the league. Burton is 33, so Payton won’t be able to rely on him much longer, and when’s the next time we’ll see two high-end sub-30 replacements with schematic familiarity on the open market? This seems like the perfect off-ramp for Denver to usher in the new era at the fullback position.
