Finding Broncos: Five Running Backs to Bring a Boost to the Position

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of running backs to boost the position.

While the Denver Broncos signed Samaje Perine, they can still use more help in their running back room. In addition, there is a question about how long Javontae Williams will be out, with some saying he could miss the season, others half a season. The Broncos' front office is putting out positivity for him to be ready by the season, but they still need additional help at the position.

With Perine, and a healthy Williams, the Broncos would have plenty of power in the room. However, they must find someone to bring more explosive playmaking ability to the room. Someone who can be a home run hitter and take advantage of a defense that would hopefully get worn down dealing with the power backs at the top of the depth chart. 

Roschon Johnson | RB | Texas

© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has good size and a great build. 
• He is a good athlete with good explosion and excellent burst. 
• His ball security is excellent, with only one career fumble.
• There is plenty of tread left on the tires.
• He was reliable and consistent during his career as a runner and receiver.
• His vision is ready-made for the NFL.
• He runs with exceptional balance
• He brings experience on special teams in all phases, with some returner experience. 
• He has done exceptionally well breaking through tackles, and arm tackles aren't enough to bring him down.

Cons

• His experience as a receiver wasn't abundant, and he did have five drops on 74 targets.
• He isn't the most agile runner, and his feet can be choppy. 
• There are hiccups with his jump cuts. 
• He doesn't protect himself and is willing to take on contact every time he touches the ball. 
• There are instances on tape he can be over-patient, or even late, to burst through the lane, having it clogged up early. 
• He isn't a creative runner and can struggle to create for himself. 
• There isn't an instant acceleration after he has to slow or changes direction. 
• He runs with a pad level, making cutting his legs out from under him easy. 

Fit with Broncos

Johnson is a powerful back who tested out a little better than expected. He still doesn't have great home-run speed, which the Broncos could use in the room. If they want only to have power backs and physically beat down defenses, then Johnson can fit in perfectly. 

Sean Tucker | RB | Syracuse

© Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has solid size with a good build. 
• He has a great fumble rate, with three career fumbles, one each season, on 588 carries. 
• The production in the last two seasons was excellent, with almost 2,600 yards and 23 touchdowns. 
• He has a good center of gravity, low pad level, and good balance. 
• He does well to get through tackles and churns his legs to fall forward. 
• He has crisp cuts, good footwork, and good explosion to burst off his plant foot. 
• There is plenty of power, especially in his lower half. 
• Arm tackles mean nothing to him. 
• His vision is solid, and he can find the lane to get outside the tackles when there isn't anything there inside. 

Cons

• He got exposure as a receiver and did ok, but his hands aren't reliable, with 10 drops on 94 targets. 
• He has a bad habit of being overly patient as a runner. 
• There isn't a lot of dynamic ability working out of the backfield. 
• There are issues between the tackles, where his footwork falters, and he can get tripped up. 
• He has little to offer on third down, with poor pass protection and unreliable hands. 

Fit with Broncos

Tucker is a hard evaluation because he has the physical traits to be a dynamic runner between the tackles, but he doesn't seem to be comfortable there. Instead, he consistently tried to break it outside, where he may not have enough burst to out-run NFL defenses. While he can fit with the Broncos, they may be better suited looking elsewhere with someone who offers up more on third down. 

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Chase Brown | RB | Illinois

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has solid size with a good build on his frame. 
• He is balanced with his weight. 
• He is an exceptional athlete with plenty of explosion, burst, and long speed. 
• While he is on the higher side, his amount of touches is under the max teams look for. 
• He has the speed to be a home-run hitter and the burst to get outside. 
• The desire and attitude to hang in as a blocker are there. 
• He has light and quick feet with good footwork. 
• When he gets into space, he does exceptionally well in setting up defenders. 
• There are flashes to work as a receiver out of the backfield. 

Cons

• His fumble rate isn't great, with eight career fumbles, averaging a fumble every 84.3 carries. 
• Five of his eight fumbles came in 2022, where he averaged a fumble every 65.8 carries. 
• He loves to bounce it outside, often leaving yards on the field between the tackles. 
• He did quite well with yards after contact in 2021, but it fell off in 2022. 
• There are issues stretching out the defense and will look to cut early. 
• There is no change of pace or tempo with his running. 
• While he is tough in pass protection, the technique is lacking. 

Fit with Broncos

Brown has the home-run speed and receiving ability to be the running back the Broncos can use. He can be a good option to change the pace of the running game, but he has to work on varying his tempo and pace with his running. If Williams is back, Brown fits in as the third guy in the rotation or be the backup to Perine until Williams is back. They must figure out the fumble issues that popped up during the 2022 season. 

Kendre Miller | RB | TCU

© Joe Rondone / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

• He has a good frame and a solid build, but can use a little more mass. 
• There is plenty of tread left on the tires, with only one year over 100 carries and a career total of 361. 
• The production in 2022 was excellent, with 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns. 
• There are excellent instincts, and he does run with good tempo. 
• His vision is excellent, and he is quick to find the lane. 
• There is good awareness as a runner with the flow of defenders. 
• He maintains good body control and balance between the tackles. 

Cons

• There is a ball security concern, with six career fumbles or a fumble every 60.2 carries. 
• There isn't much there as a receiver out of the backfield, and his hands aren't overly reliable, with three drops on less than 40 targets. 
• He isn't overly explosive or elusive as a runner and can struggle to make defenders miss, especially in space. 
• There is a lackadaisical attitude when kept in as a blocker. 
• There isn't much to work with on third down in the NFL. 
• His transitions as a runner are clunky, with wasted steps and movement. 
• His upright running style leaves his legs unprotected and easy to cut. 

Fit with Broncos

Kendre Miller has solid power with good vision as a runner, but his ball security and lack of ability on third down are a significant concern. With both of those concerns, he isn't a great option for the Broncos, with other options that could be on the board in the same range as Miller. 

Deuce Vaughn | RB | Kansas State

© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has the home-run speed, which is needed for how undersized he is. 
• The ball security was excellent, with only two fumbles on 646 carries over three seasons. 
• Over the last two seasons, he posted 27 touchdowns (34 in his career) and nearly 3,000 yards as a runner. 
• He is an excellent receiving option with great production and reliability as a receiver. 
• You can move him around and create mismatches with his ability as a receiver. 
• Despite his size, he showed he could stay on the field and is durable. 
• He runs with good balance and a low center of gravity, helping him stay on his feet. 
• His cuts are clean and crisp. 
• The footwork is excellent, with light feet. 
• He is naturally small, but he can make himself smaller through holes. 

Cons

• He is highly undersized, with few running backs his size making it to the NFL and only one having success. 
• Darren Sproles is the typical comparison, but Sproles had a better build on his frame and weighed about 10 pounds more. 
• While he is an option on third down, it will come as a receiver only with little there to work in pass protection. 
• With his size, he will be a gadget running back more than a traditional running back in the NFL. 
• There is a lack of consistency in his play with technique and nuance. 
• He can be overly patient, looking for the big running lane. 
• There isn't any difficulty bringing him down. 
• He has a bit of a long strider to his runs, which can get him in trouble before getting out into space. 

Fit with Broncos

Vaughn is exactly the archetype the Broncos can use. He has that home-run speed and excellent versatility as a receiver to complement the Broncos' power perfectly. 

The issue is his size, and this could lead to an interesting discussion among the Broncos brass. Geroge Paton has size requirements, and over two drafts, he has stuck with it. Sean Payton got a lot out of Darren Sproles, who Vaughn is often compared with. 

This isn't a great running back room, but it isn't terrible. With the few picks the Broncos have, they could prefer to wait until after the draft to add to the room. However, using one of their picks if the right player falls to the right spot wouldn't be a bad idea, especially with it looking like they will be a heavy run offense. 

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