Finding Broncos: Scouting Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo

The Denver Broncos are in the running back market with the NFL draft approaching. Denver has been linked to nearly every running back in the top 100 and many beyond it.

One such top-100 option is Arizona State's Cam Skattebo. Would he be a fit in Denver?

Let's examine Skattebo's scouting report.

Biography

Skattebo recently turned 23 years old. He committed to Sacramento State, where he had almost 300 touches in two years.

After the 2022 season, Skattebo transferred to Arizona State, where he played the last two seasons and had 526 total touches, 338 of which came last season. 

Size & Athleticism

Skattebo has good size at 5-foot-9.5 and 219 pounds, but more importantly, he has a good build on his frame. While he isn’t a great athlete, he's solid, but he lacks long speed. 

Key Statistic

Skattebo was a big-play machine in 2024, with 20 plays gaining at least 20 yards. He also punted, all 50 yards or more, and has 19 passing attempts for 191 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. With his versatility, he can be a trick-play option in the NFL. 

Pros

 Skattebo's contact balance and fluidity are elite traits that he brings to the NFL. His frame is clean and compact, and he runs with excellent control and a low center of gravity.

Those help Skattebo glance off contact and keep moving forward. His vision is good, and he is quick to read the developing blocks and defenses as they react. 

Skattebo has enough agility to make defenders miss, especially when they get into the backfield quickly, and can turn what seems like a loss into a gain. He can make himself smaller and harder to take down when working between the tackles. There is also the anticipation, which boosts his agility and vision. 

Skattebo has good receiving ability out of the backfield and shows high-level route running on traditional running back routes. He quickly transitions from receiver to ball carrier and promptly sees a path to pick up yards. While he can struggle with knowing when enough is enough, he does well taking what the defense gives him, but the issue comes when trying to get more than that at times. 

Skattebo's acceleration is great, allowing him to reach his modest top speed quickly. This helps when coming out of cuts or breaks to get back up to speed and make chunk plays. Skattebo also shows good ball-tracking ability when working on wheel or deeper routes. 

Cons

One of Skattebo's biggest issues on the field is not knowing when to give up. This leads to extra contact, creating durability concerns and fumble issues.

Sometimes, a back has to know when the run is over and live to play another down. Skattebo's build is good and compact, but he is already entering the NFL with a ton of wear and tear on his body from his college usage. 

His catch radius isn’t great; he has suffered from some receiving issues over the years. His fumble rate isn’t great, as he fumbled once every 68.5 touches.

Skattebo's high pad level makes it hard for him to break through tacklers or push piles. While he has power, he has bad habits that sometimes hinder his power, limiting his overall efficiency as a runner. 

Skattebo doesn’t always keep the legs churning when he gets caught in tackle attempts, which is one of those bad habits. It would be fine if he had the long speed to punish defense, but his power and contact balance are supposed to be where he makes his money.

Finally, Skattebo needs to square up to contact, instead of taking glancing blows off his frame, which only adds to the wear and tear on his body. 

Skattebo's pass protection is dangerous to himself as he lowers his head into contact, risking an injury to his neck. On top of the bad habit of lowering his head, his technique is atrocious. As a rookie, he likely won’t see the field in pass protection duties, and he may never end up even adequate as a blocker. 

Fit with Broncos

There are no questions about Skattebo's fit with the Broncos' scheme, as his versatile skill set makes him an easy match. His ability to be used for some trickery may draw Sean Payton’s attention, who loves to have tricks up his sleeve.

There are some athletic concerns with Skattebo, but he is a footballer with no questions about his love for the game, which is another aspect Payton covets in his players. 

Draft Grade: Round 3