At Notre Dame, running back Audric Estime was fearsome.
Playing with power and strength, exemplified by his Hulk-like arms, Estime was wrecking a ball, mowing down or even leaping over tacklers that stood in his way.
Even with shorts and a practice jersey during the Broncos’ rookie minicamp on Saturday afternoon, the fifth-round pick still looked like an imposing figure that someone wouldn’t want to get in front of when he’s moving at full speed.
The addition of Estime and undrafted rookie free agent Blake Watson has created an interesting competition within Denver’s running back room that will be closely monitored throughout the team’s offseason program and training camp. The Broncos have Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin already under contract. Still, they added two running backs who have the potential to have key roles in Year 1.
“All these guys, they’re all competing for different roles, spots,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said. “… I think that we never put a cap on what they’re competing for.”
After the Broncos lacked juice in the run game in 2023, competition was likely needed. Denver finished tied for 21st in yards per carry (four) and 28th in rushing touchdowns (eight). The Broncos rushed for under 100 yards in three of the final four games. Although Williams’ return from a torn ACL was remarkable, he averaged 3.6 yards per carry and didn’t surpass 50 rushing yards in the final four games.
Meanwhile, Perine’s game was limited to third downs and being a check down target.
Estime and Watson present two different skill sets that could be beneficial to Denver’s backfield. Estime is a power back who can generate yards after contact. In 2023, he rushed for 1,348 yards and 18 touchdowns, and in the final college game of his career he exploded for 238 yards and four touchdowns in a win at Stanford last November.
He also accumulated 892 yards after contact (4.27 per attempt) and 38 runs for over 10 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams averaged 2.71 yards after contact while Perine had 2.92, according to PFF.
While Payton values Estime’s power and physicality, he is intrigued by Watson’s pass-catching ability. The former Memphis running back caught 53 passes for 480 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 9.1 yards per catch.
Payton didn’t want to compare Watson to Saints running back Alvin Kamara, but both players had similar traits coming out of college.
“We saw a player that was (a) natural catching the ball,” Payton said. “That was a big draw. When we read a player, that was a draw to his vision.”
Denver’s running back competition will be one of the biggest ones to watch. Payton said on the last day of the NFL draft that Estime is viewed as a first- and second-down runner. If he flourished in that role during training camp, what happens to Williams and Perine, both of whom are in the final year of their deals?
Last season, the Broncos carried three running backs and fullback Michael Burton on the initial 53-man roster. Denver could very well have four running backs on the roster. Even still, how they split up the carries and roles is entirely up in the air.
“I want to see it, and then we’ll go by what we see,” Payton said. “That was the case with Jaleel a year ago. He sat here as an undrafted free agent that was going through the workouts, and then pretty soon you began to see it.”
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