Broncos GM & HC Tease the RB Question in Round 1 of the Draft

While the Denver Broncos have been connected to the first and fringe Round-1 running backs in this year's NFL draft, we don't actually know the team's philosophy on the subject. Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been involved in two draft hauls that selected a running back in the first round during his former tenure in New Orleans.

Broncos GM George Paton was involved in the Dalvin Cook pick in Minnesota, but that was in the second round. And Paton, of course, was Broncos GM when Javonte Williams was selected in the second round in 2021.

The Broncos haven't drafted a running back in the first round since Knowshon Moreno in 2009. A lot of time has passed since then.

On Thursday, Payton and Paton held court at Broncos HQ for their annual pre-draft press confernce. Payton shared a little insight on his philosophy surrounding the drafting of a first-round running back.

“I think it’s all about your vision and your vision for the player. I think there is this feeling, often times, that there are certain positions that may be more available in the offseason than others. And yet, you have to look at the ability," Payton said, before reminiscing over his time in New Orleans. "I remember the selection of [former Saints RB] Reggie [Bush] and how that evolved very clearly, and [former Saints RB Mark] Ingram. Our plan was to take Mark at [No.] 22, and then [Saints DE] Cam Jordan fell to us. We kind of still didn’t want to lose track of the Ingram thing, and then we traded back in."

Payton has a history of both drafting a first-round running back and trading up and back into Day 1's proceedings. To him, it's all about the fit and the vision.

"So I think if you have a real clear vision for how you want to use them, I think it’s just the team’s feeling for how good that player is and what type of career we think he can have," Payton said. "Then sometimes it’s just the way the draft unfolds. Sometimes [when] you don’t take one, it’s not that you don’t want to take one, it’s just that maybe another position landed in your lap. So a lot of it is your team and then the players specifically.”

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The question is, do the Broncos have a vision for any of the backs in this class? The Broncos have a massive hole at running back, having lost their starter in free agency.

And will/would any of these running backs stand a chance at being the best player available when the Broncos go on the clock? That seems to be a sticking point for the actual general manager.

"If he’s the best player on your board, he could impact your team," Paton said on Thursday alongside Payton. "I think you take him regardless of the position.”

So, the Broncos aren't diametrically opposed to drafting a back in Round 1. It's simply a matter of value (is he the best player available?), fit, and vision (does the team have a plan?).

Did we learn anything from Thursday's remarks that we didn't already know? Nothing earth-shattering, but Paton intimating that he's not opposed to drafting a running back in Round 1 if he's the best player available on his board.

So who could be there at pick 20 overall? Boise State's Ashton Jeanty almost surely won't be there. There's a good chance North Carolina's Omarion Hampton will be, and beyond those two, the other fringe first-round names are the Ohio State duo — TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins — and Iowa's Kaleb Johnson.

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