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Finding Broncos: 5 RBs to Add Future Stability
If the Denver Broncos want to add stability to the running back room, there are plenty of day three options.
The Denver Broncos have more questions than answers when it comes to the roster, but the one room that seems rounded out the best appears to be running back. Even so, there are questions about the future of Javonte Williams, who is entering the last year of his rookie contract.
There's also a possibility that the Broncos will move on from Samaje Perine as a salary cap casualty, leaving the only “solidified” member of the room as former undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin. Despite his explosive play-making potential, McLaughlin isn’t nearly durable enough to be a bell-cow back.
The talent is undoubtedly there, but Denver could be looking for another back to add to the fold in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are five guys that could be great additions on day three.
Isaac Guerendo | Louisville
Isaac Guerendo
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Pros
A well-built and explosive back, Guerendo is fully capable of being a lead back for a room that can be effective on all three downs. He is incredibly fast but uses multiple speeds in his game to set up blockers and defenders, then bursts to full speed to erase pursuit angles.
Guerendo shows smooth hands as a receiver and can create explosive plays when out in open space. He can run with enough power to be effective in short-yardage situations, and his footwork is very clean through the hole.
Cons
Though Guerendo is a capable pass protector in terms of effort, his technique is a bit shaky, and he can struggle to land on opponents who use quick lateral agility in their rush plan. He lacks wiggle and lateral agility, and his first step burst is a bit lacking from his cuts.
Guerendo is often overly patient and borderline indecisive, which can cause holes to close up before he gets through them. He also wants to bounce outside and open up his strides rather than attack gaps with aggression.
My Grade: Round 4
Erick Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 148
Audric Estime | Notre Dame
Audric Estime
Brandon Sloter/GettyImages
Pros
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.
Cons
Speed is a big issue for Estime, both in his initial burst and in long-speed situations. While he's a physical runner, it often appears that he is looking for contact to break tackles more than finding daylight to run to in open spaces.
Estime isn’t a refined route runner out of the backfield, and he can get bogged down when needing to use sharp changes of direction with deep angles. He will probably be limited to a gap scheme at the professional level.
My Grade: Round 5
Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 129
Cody Schrader | Missouri
Cody Schrader
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Pros
Schrader is a smaller running back in height, but he plays well behind his pads and shows elite-level vision as a zone running back. He finds lanes at will, shows good one-cut-and-go burst, and constantly rips off long runs for Missouri.
Schrader was highly productive for the Tigers for two years after transferring from Truman State, with multiple games with eye-popping numbers. He is a capable receiver with smooth hands, which adds to his ability, and he could become a great third-down option at the next level coming out of the backfield.
Cons
Schrader's size will hurt him at the next level, and he isn’t very effective in short-yardage situations. He lacks explosive speed as a home run hitter, which hurts, given his smaller size. While he has good hands, he isn’t a refined route runner and was used more as a check-down option, though that could be attributed to the Missouri offensive scheme more than a lack of ability. He's not a good pass protector and will likely be limited to an outside zone scheme at the next level.
My Grade: Round 5
Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 170
Will Shipley | Clemson
Will Shipley
Isaiah Vazquez/GettyImages
Pros
Shipley is a twitchy and explosive running back who is very versatile. He has good route-running ability as a pass catcher, kick return experience, and is an accomplished runner out of the backfield.
Shipley sets up defenders well and exploits over pursuit with the solid cutting ability and lateral agility. He has enough speed to break away from pursuit angles and enough burst to create gobs of separation over the middle of the field as a receiver.
Cons
Vision is a concern behind the line of scrimmage, and there are too many instances where he ducks his head and plows forward rather than finding open space. He isn’t a very physical runner, and he gets taken down too easily at times.
Shipley gets pushed backward far too often as the pile builds up. Despite showing good feet and route running, he fights the football in the air as a receiver and needs accurate throws between his numbers to be truly effective as a pass catcher.
My Grade: Round 5
Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 164
Dylan Laube | New Hampshire
Dylan Laube
Mark Brown/GettyImages
Pros
Laube is an elite-level receiving prospect for the position. He shows smooth hands and a fantastic route-running ability to create separation easily. He can be shifted out as a slot receiver and shows a good enough burst to put pressure on defenders as a vertical option in the passing game.
Laub tore up small school competitions, showing good vision and one-cut ability in a zone-heavy scheme. He also brings punt and kickoff return ability, which will help his stock in the long run.
Cons
As good as he is in one-cut situations as a runner and as a route runner as a receiver, Laub lacks lateral agility to slide past tacklers and gets tackled too easily in the hole. He isn’t overly explosive, which is a detriment for his size. He lacks power as a tackle breaker and in pass protection. He will likely be limited to a third-down back as a pass catcher only and to a zone scheme that opens up his vision for him.
My Grade: Round 7
Trickel’s Big Board Position: No. 192
Bottom Line
The Broncos running back room looks solid as constructed for the 2024 season, but there is certainly a discussion to be had going into the future. Should the team look to add to the room in this year’s class, Guerendo makes obvious sense with his ability as a receiver and explosiveness as a runner.
Guerendo fits the scheme well, and Sean Payton had a similar player in Alvin Kamara back when he was with the New Orleans Saints. If Denver wants to add a more dynamic receiver, Laube's upside as a late-round option makes a lot of sense.
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