The Broncos roster features every Duck but Daffy. Coach Sean Payton bet on himself with Bo Nix, staking his legacy to a quarterback critics view with a low ceiling, but he believes will exceed expectations.
The Broncos have shown they are motivated to fit around Nix rather than the other way around.
Alex Forsyth, his Oregon center in 2022, figures to start this season for Denver, serving as Nix’s security blanket. Receiver Troy Franklin, who was Nix’s favorite Oregon target and drafted in the fourth round on Saturday, is his rocket.
They believe Nix is the Fix.
He is 24 and understands he is not just a quarterback. He lives the position. But let’s sober up and recognize that he is not Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams. Nix requires help beyond good coaching.
So in assessing this draft class, where the Broncos addressed multiple needs, the key lies in a sleeper. Or specifically a bulldozer. Get to know the name Audric Estime. He is a player who can make the offensive puzzle pieces fit.
He is a fifth-round selection. I get it. Hear me out.
For Nix to microwave his development, he needs a balanced offense. He made Sunday throws on Saturday, more than most realize. But the quickest way for him to fail is facing third-and-long on a regular basis. Payton does not want this. He is not a fan of street ball, of coloring outside the lines.
The Broncos need to be boring. And the Broncos are built to run the football.
It is why they used the American Express Black Card to land right tackle Mike McGlinchey and left guard Ben Powers last March in free agency.
For the first month of Payton’s first season, the Broncos ranked among the league leaders in yards per carry. In their most complete performance of the season, they left tire tracks on the Cleveland Browns’ chest with a season-high 169 yards rushing. Then they became Forrest Gump. They were done running, went home and stopped winning. They averaged 78.8 yards on the ground over the final four games.
I am going to Estime — sorry, couldn’t help it — that the Notre Dame bruiser is going to receive his share of carries next season. He runs angry. His collisions with defenders require the exchange of insurance papers. He leaves a wake of tacklers limping to the sideline. Estime’s Instagram reveals a player who looks capable of not only trampling an opponent, but tearing off limbs.
He is listed at 5-foot-11, 221 pounds. He is not a straight-line runner, but did post a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. When a franchise aims to snap an eight-year playoff drought and seven consecutive losing seasons, they need something special to happen. An unexpected player to pop in the draft.
It happened with the Rams last year with Puka Nacua. He was a fifth-round pick who caught 105 passes and six touchdowns. I am not suggesting Estime will have that impact. But so many good Broncos offenses over the past three decades featured a surprise contribution from a running back. Terrell Davis reached the Hall of Fame with his ability to put his foot in the ground and go north and south. But there was also memorable impacts from Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Reuben Droughns and C.J. Anderson.
The Broncos finished 18th in rushing at 106.5 per game a year ago. We all love Javonte Williams’ miraculous recovery from his wrecked knee, but he averaged 3.2 yards per carry over the final 10 games. The Broncos have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2019.
At worst, Estime should form a one-two punch with Williams. At most, he takes over as a starter and becomes a much-needed hammer at the goal line.
Find me a more intimidating running back in this draft. I will hang up and listen. Estime is a brute. Could he use more burst? Yes. But when he sat on the board, it was an auto pick. The value was impossible to pass up. Payton views him as a first- and second-down back. They comped him internally with at least one star runner who had a history of wearing down defenses, of taking away the will to tackle.
“He is a physical player,” Payton said. “He has real good vision, and was one of the higher graded players after contact.”
At Notre Dame, Estime never tired. His coaches viewed him as the team’s hardest worker. His strength does not waver (looking at his weight room photos will make you want to tuck your head under the covers in fear).
He was a sled horse. He played in an offense with pro-style concepts. He picked up the dirty yards, and he did not need Siri to find the end zone. He finished with an Irish single-season record 18 touchdowns. Williams led the Broncos with three rushing scores.
The Broncos are in transition. They need an offensive identity. They are like a duck, calm and cool above the water, but paddling like crazy beneath the surface.
For Nix to fly, the Broncos need Estime to make defenders run and hide.
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