Broncos' Biggest Remaining Roster Need Pinpointed by PFF Draft Czar

The Denver Broncos have built up a good roster under head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton, but they still have some areas of concern. There's no such thing as a perfect roster, as there is always an area a team can improve.

When deep-dive into the Broncos roster, there is one clear area of need. 

Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema listed his biggest needs for each team, with running back being Denver's biggest roster question. This differs from PFF's Mason Cameron, who had safety as Denver's biggest remaining move to make, due to injury concerns at the position. However, running back does have the most questions when it comes to the Broncos roster. 

“The Broncos' defense is incredibly stout, their offensive line is solid and they should get enough production out of Courtland Sutton, Devaughn Vele and Marvin Mims Jr. as receivers, all of whom recorded PFF overall grades above 70.0," Sikkema wrote. "But the run game remains a weak point. Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin earned just 61.1 and 70.2 PFF rushing grades, respectively, last season. The hope is that rookie RJ Harvey can boost that group.”

Estime did have his issues last season, starting with two fumbles on his first nine carries, and he dealt with an injury. He picked up 310 yards on 76 carries, which is 4.1 yards per carry, and added two rushing touchdowns. However, Estime was clearly the short-yardage back, and how the Broncos used him didn’t help his average. 

Estime, a 2024 fifth-round draft pick, will turn 22 on September 6. So, he's still extremely young and has room to grow.

Estime showed flashes to close out the 2024 season, and while he needs to be more consistent, the potential remains. The most significant areas in which Estime will need to show growth are as a receiver and pass protector, as the Broncos are looking at him to replace Javonte Williams in that aspect. 

Rookie second-rounder RJ Harvey will be the Broncos' top back, and his explosive ability shows up consistently as a runner and can help lead to a breakout. Helping Harvey and all the running backs is the infrastructure the Broncos have, with how well their offensive line did. But until Harvey plays a snap in the NFL, it's all potential and hype without any proof of concept available. 

Tyler Badie had a bright moment against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but a back injury the following game saw him miss the rest of the season. Blake Watson was a hyped-up undrafted rookie, and he had some moments on the season, but not enough for Payton and the Broncos to hang their hat on. 

That leaves McLaughlin. He has done well as a quicker-than-fast slasher back who makes one cut and gets upfield. However, he has not grown as a receiver or blocker, limiting his usage. As he enters Year 3, he will have to show significant improvements to see the field more than a handful of times per game. 

Harvey and McLaughlin are two different rushers. Harvey is more explosive and has outstanding vision, while McLaughlin is quick and full of burst to pick up yards quickly.

The two Broncos backs will have very different roles, but questions about both in the passing game raise a concern because, ideally, you can turn to one of these two as the receiver instead of the power back. 

So, Sikkema is right. Running back is still needed for the Broncos, but it isn’t for the running game. What they need is a receiving back who can also block it because they are missing that in the room right now.

The Broncos have potential answers, but it's all potential. The three rushing roles Payton employs are filled with Harvey as the explosive back, Estime as the power, and McLaughlin as the slasher. But, again, the issue is they lack the passing game weapon out of the backfield and can use a veteran to help the room in those regards, although Payton sounds bullish on Harvey being able to quickly be that receiver.