The Denver Broncos finally added a noteworthy player in RB Jonah Coleman to go with left tackle Kage Casey of Boise St.
The Denver Broncos finally took inoffensive player the fan base can get excited about in Day 3 of the NFL draft, taking running back Jonah Coleman of Washington with pick No. 108, then quickly getting back in character by adding left tackle Kage Casey out of Boise State with No. 111. The moves were reported locally by Parker Gabriel and Luca Evans of the Denver Post.
Coleman has become a familiar name for Broncos fans lately, as the writers described him as a “clean fit” who did a draft visit with Denver. He’s considered a powerful early-down runner on a team that lacks size and needs just that, so he’ll have the opportunity to start if he shows out in camp. Coleman is small at 5’9” but he packs plenty of power at 228 pounds.
The running back said the Broncos mostly talked about pass protection when he visited with him at the combine back in February, so he’ll have a lot to learn there as well.
“We talked about the run game, but it was more so my plays, because we run similar offenses,” Coleman said at the event. “So just being able to recite the plays.”
Coleman has provided production at Washington, scoring 25 touchdowns. That will be welcome for a team that often couldn’t run well in the red zone, and he also caught 51 passes in two years at Washington while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Casey, meanwhile, has been a starter at Boise State for three years, and he becomes the highest-drafted offensive lineman of the Sean Payton era, according to the writers. He’s also the first lineman selected in the first four rounds under George Paton since Quinn Meinerz was selected No. 98 overall in 2021.
Casey won’t start, but his development is important. Mel Kiper of ESPN praised Casey’s footwork and his run blocking, but added that Casey was often overpowered by better pass rushers. He’ll get an opportunity to work on that with some of the best in the business in Denver, and at 6’6” and 310 pounds there’s certainly room for Casey to muscle up.
The reason his development is key is because the Broncos have some age in their offensive line. It’s one of the top-rated units in the NFL, maybe even the best, but several in the group are either over 30 or getting there fast, so Casey will have opportunities to move up in the depth chart.
The Broncos went into the final day of the draft with a total of eight picks, so it will be interning to see if they make yet another trade to thin the prospective herd somewhat.