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Sean Payton Reveals Plan for Impressive Rookie in Second-Year

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Douglas Santo | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Denver Broncos ranked No. 16 in rushing offense in 2024 with 1,908 yards. However, only 1,415 of those yards came from the running backs, which was mainly a three-man committee.

Javonte Williams led the Broncos with 513 rushing yards, with Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime just behind with 496 and 310 yards, respectively. With Williams heading to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency, it leaves a big hole for other guys to step into.

One answer is giving the second-year back out of Notre Dame an opportunity to truly show what he possesses.

The Broncos drafted Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft after a stellar career at Notre Dame. Estime didn't have the greatest stats in his rookie season, but that's mainly due to his lack of volume. Something Sean Payton said will change in 2025.

Estime earned just 76 carries in 2024 with the Broncos using a three-man committee. He ran for 310 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. However, in the final three weeks of the season, Estime saw 30 carries and scored both his touchdowns.

In OTAs last week, Payton expressed his intent to get Estime more volume in 2025.

"His physicality, the things that got him drafted ... for a handful of these guys, I don't want to say the grade was incomplete, but they just didn't have enough (reps)," Payton said. "(Estime's) a back that requires enough touches. He's going to get those opportunities."

Estime is a player who has shown his productivity when he gets enough touches. At Notre Dame, he rushed for 2,321 yards and 29 touchdowns in three years.

In his junior year, Estime handled 210 carries for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns before declaring for the NFL Draft.

The fifth-round pick is a physical, powerful runner who wears the defense down with every touch. Those type of backs needs volume to be most effective.

The Broncos did draft RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, who was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist in 2023. However, Harvey likely needs some time to adjust to the NFL level and will serve as a change of pace back alongside Estime, with McLaughlin mainly used as a pass-catching back.

Regardless, Payton has made it clear that he intends to give Estime a higher volume in 2025 to give him a chance to prove he should be the lead back.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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