The Denver Broncos entered the offseason with a need at running back. It remains heading into next week’s 2025 NFL Draft.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said on Thursday in his pre-draft news conference that the club intends to add to the stable.
“There will be focus on the running back position. It’s a pretty good draft for running backs,” Payton said, via the team’s official transcript.
The deep draft at running back has quieted the veteran free-agent market. The Broncos aren’t the only team hoping to cash in on the draft to add a cheap playmaker to their backfield.
“There are two great allies that I think to help quarterback play. It’s really good defense and obviously a really good running game,” Payton noted.
The Broncos upgrading their rushing attack would benefit quarterback Bo Nix’s Year 2 leap. Payton talked all offseason about the need to add at least one “Joker” type player -- specifically mentioning that would be a tight end or running back. They added one option, inking tight end Evan Engram in free agency. They could add another with a running back during the draft.
The Broncos backfield is currently comprised of jitterbug Jaleel McLaughlin, thumper Audric Estimé, Tyler Badie, 2024 undrafted free agent Blake Watson and fullback Michael Burton.
Payton didn’t rule out drafting a running back in the first round if the vision met the talent when the Broncos pick at No. 20.
“I think it’s all about your vision and your vision for the player,” Payton said when asked about drafting RBs in Round 1. “I think there is this feeling often times that there are certain positions that may be more available in the offseason than others. And yet, you have to look at the ability. I remember the selection of former Saints RB\] Reggie \[Bush\] and how that evolved very clearly, and \[former Saints RB Mark\] Ingram. Our plan was to take Mark at \[No.\] 22, and then \[Saints DE\] [Cam Jordan fell to us. We kind of still didn’t want to lose track of the Ingram thing, and then we traded back in.
"So I think if you have a real clear vision for how you want to use them, I think it’s just the team’s feeling for how good that player is and what type of career we think he can have. Then sometimes it’s just the way the draft unfolds. Sometimes [when] you don’t take one, it’s not that you don’t want to take one, it’s just that maybe another position landed in your lap. So a lot of it is your team and then the players specifically.”
Even if the Broncos don’t draft a running back on Thursday, they should do so before next weekend is out. The deep draft class at the position lines up well with Payton’s needs in 2025.