Broncos Draft 'Burly' Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé in Round 5

The Denver Broncos added a nice complement to Javonte Williams in Audric Estimé.

Nov 18, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos selected Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé with the No. 147 pick in the fifth round. Estimé came on the heels of Denver drafting Mizzou cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine just two picks prior at No. 145.

The Broncos celebrated the Estimé pick on X.

Another one. 👏

Welcome to #BroncosCountry, @AudricEstime! pic.twitter.com/sq1NaKR2Qq

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 27, 2024

At 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, Estimé is a big back for modern standards. But Broncos fans can remember Clinton Portis, who dominated the NFL his first two years in the league, checking in at 5-foot-11 and only a few pounds lighter than Estimé.

Estimé rushed for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior last season at Notre Dame, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. The man is a beast.

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Here's what Mile High Huddle's Lance Sanderson wrote about Estimé in his Finding Broncos scouting report.

"A big, burly running back with a thick upper body, Estime is a pure power back who runs like a Mack truck. He's nearly impossible to get to the ground when he has a head of steam, which happened a lot for the Irish.

"Estime has good vision and finds lanes to exploit early and later in the down, and he has surprisingly good footwork and cutting ability for his size. He is a high-quality pass protector who aggressively steps into the hole and delivers huge blows to blitzers to knock them off course. There's some sneaky pass-catching ability, which could open up another dimension in his game at the next level," Sanderson wrote.

While he may lack the breakaway long speed, Estimé is a physical grinder who, like his new teammate in Denver, Javonte Williams, seems to seek out contact. The other asset Estimé brings to the table is his receiving ability out of the backfield.

That's something Sean Payton will most certainly look to exploit with Estimé moving forward. The former Fighting Irish star joins quarterback Bo Nix (Round 1) and wide receiver Troy Franklin (Round 4) as weapons added to the Broncos offense in this year's draft thus far.

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