Five RB Draft Fits to Round out the Broncos' Depth Chart

Even though the Denver Broncos brought back J.K. Dobbins, his medical history and contract raise concerns about his long-term viability with the team. His deal is a one-year term with a team option for the second year.

RJ Harvey showed improvement as a blocker last season and did well as a receiver, but his rushing was very much an issue. The Broncos' running game was dead on arrival after Dobbins got hurt.

Denver could look at this running back class to raise the floor of the room behind Dobbins and Harvey by upgrading over Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie and adding a potential future option. This isn’t a great class, but there are a few options that could fit the room.

We're going to break down five such options, including a cliff-notes scouting report on each.

Jadarian Price | Notre Dame

Pros

Price has a wide range of projections, with some having him in the first round and others in the fourth. He is an explosive runner who offers good returner capabilities on special teams and could benefit from the current NFL kickoff rules.

There aren't many miles on Price's tires due to being stuck behind Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, but he made the most of his 8.7 offensive touches per game. Price is a smooth mover who makes clean, crisp cuts, which, paired with good vision, lead to explosive runs.

Price's acceleration is great, and he reaches top speed in an instant, which helps with how quickly he is on his cuts. He runs loose and free and doesn’t seem to feel the pressure of the moment, and takes what defenses are giving him.

Cons

Is there much to work with as a receiver? The blocking is nonexistent, which raises serious questions about Price's ability to be a third-down back. Right now, he projects as a two-down runner only until he can prove the receiving and blocking ability.

Ball security is another question, with a fumble on every 40 touches in 2025, but the bigger issue is how the fumbles came about. Price put two on the ground in the goalline, and it comes from carrying the ball loose and free, giving defenders a large target to punch at.

There are limitations to Price's power as a runner, and he can struggle to churn his legs through contact or even to break free from some bad tackle attempts. There are few backs to make it in the NFL who averaged under 10 touches per game, and there has only been one drafted since 2010 in the top 100.

Fit With the Broncos

There are many similarities between Harvey and Price when Harvey was coming into the NFL. What did they have to offer on third down?

Harvey proved he can catch and showed improvements as a blocker. Can Price do the same? The biggest difference is the special-teams value, which should keep Price as an option for the Broncos.

I have Price ranked as my No. 1 slasher back.

Grade: Round 3

Kaelon Black | Indiana

Pros

Black runs well inside and out in zone concepts, but has shown enough to work in gap concepts as well. He runs with a physical no-quit mentality, which can make him extremely tough to tackle. His legs carry a lot of power, and he keeps them churning through contact to pick up yards.

Despite limited exposure as a receiver, Black has flashed, in those limited opportunities, the ability to be a solid option out of the backfield. There is no quit in him, or questions about his love of the game, and the ball security is exceptional.

Cons

Those flashes as a receiver led to nine catches in Black's two years at Indiana, so it is pure projection off such a small sample size. He isn’t a runner who creates for himself very well, so if the blocking doesn’t hold up, then it often ends in a tackle for a loss.

As a blocker, the technique needs to improve significantly. The desire and mentality are there, but they can only carry a player so far. Black lacks the long speed to be a consistent threat to break off long runs.

Fit With the Broncos

While Black has the traits of being an all-around back, there is a lot of development needed as a pass catcher and blocker to reach that point. He has enough to be scheme-averse, though his best work does come in zone concepts, and Denver’s base run scheme is inside zone, and they expanded to include wide zone last year.

He's my No. 3 all-around back in this class.

Grade: Round 5

Roman Hemby | Indiana

Pros

Hemby is an inside-zone runner who runs with more power than his size suggests, paired with solid speed to create chunk plays. He does his best work rushing through the A and B gaps, with a lot of trust in the blocking in front of him.

The ball security is excellent, and he will gather himself, burst into contact, and fall forward consistently. There is enough as a blocker and a receiver to offer value on third down to round out the room.

Cons

Hemby is a one-cut-and-go downhill runner who struggles to make quick, clean cuts. His vision is consistently questionable, especially when he does get outside and has to hit his landmarks.

Hemby will need to work on his pass protection technique and pad level, as he can get blown up by blitzing linebackers. There is an overall lack of scheme and role versatility, which will reduce the number of teams interested.

Fit With the Broncos

The scheme fit is there with Hemby, but he also fits as a downhill, between-the-tackles runner who trusts the blocking to do its job and takes what the defense gives him. However, to fully take a spot on the roster, Hemby would have to show significant improvements in pass-down usage.

He's my fifth-ranked power back.

Grade: Round 7

Chip Trayanum | Toledo

Pros

Trayanum is a big power back with good blocking and receiving abilities. Despite his size, he was in the top 15 last year in breakaway percentage, runs of 10-plus and 15-plus yards, and broken tackles.

There is surprising quickness and speed to Trayanum's game that can make him hard to tackle. The athleticism is there, and he has a good, compact build.

Trayanum's pass protection can keep him around in the NFL for a while, as a third-down back with the receiving ability to boot. During his time in Toledo, he was trusted on third and fourth down consistently because of the physical traits he brings.

Cons

He isn’t a great athlete, and the overall speed is concerning at the NFL level. Trayanum's running style will likely be limited to a downhill, between-the-tackles runner, rather than working outside. He also bounced around in college and had only one year of good production, which is concerning for an older rookie.

Trayanum's overall value to an NFL team will be scheme- and role-specific, so that he won’t be an option for every team. There is tightness in his lower body that affects his change of direction, which limits him to a between-the-tackles runner.

Fit With the Broncos

Short yardage, third down, back in a gap/inside zone heavy scheme? Well, that can be what the Broncos looking for to round out their room behind Dobbins and Harvey.

Trayanum would be direct competition with Badie for that third back role, which Badie struggled with last season. He's my fourth-ranked power back.

Grade: Round 6

Dean Connors | Houston

Pros

Connors has good third-down value with good receiving ability and capable blocking. He is a productive runner who has solid quickness, power, and overall speed to pick up yards in a flash. There is a solid spin to his game that helps him avoid contact.

Connors has good footwork, which enables him to make quick cuts, and enough power to keep his legs churning through contact. He also runs good routes out of the backfield with solid hands.

Cons

Connors's ball security is questionable, with one of the worst fumble rates in this year's class, stemming from how he carries the ball. There isn’t an elite trait to his evaluation, but he can round out the room with his jack-of-all-trades abilities to provide insurance in all areas.

The lack of exceptional traits is hard to overcome, especially for a running back, but it can keep Connors around for a while. There is also a chance he could be asked to bulk up some and become a fullback at the NFL level, but can he handle the blocking that could come with it?

Fit With the Broncos

As an undrafted free-agent projection, call it a fit. Connors would add direct competition with McLaughlin, Badie, and the other depth backs on the roster.

Connors is my seventh-ranked all-around back.

Grade: Undrafted/Priority Free Agent

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