Broncos New Running Back Looks Like A Sean Payton Special

The Denver Broncos have a new running back in the mix, and Jonah Coleman is getting complements. A couple of the biggest ones came from an NFL scout and an executive in a piece by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, who flagged 15 young players who are already drawing some buzz from around the league. 

Coleman won’t start right away, but according to Rodrigue evaluators “saw coach Sean Payton’s fingerprints all over Denver’s fourth-round selection of Coleman.”

Add in the injury history of J.K. Dobbins, who’s already had a small soft-tissue issue in camp, and there’s plenty in Coleman’s tool kit that could get him in the lineup sooner rather than later.  

“A ‘Sean Payton’ running back,” the scout said. “Bowling ball, balanced, has vision, compact, efficient, tough. Shades of Mark Ingram?”

Ingram’s explosiveness didn’t last all that long, though. He became a reliable runner between the tackles, and Coleman provides an intriguing combination of size and playmaking potential on an offense that’s looking to get more versatile and explosive. 

What drew the Broncos was Coleman’s knowledge of pass protection techniques from his time in college with the Washington Huskies. The Broncos reportedly grilled him about this, and Coleman had all the answers to the quiz.

“High floor runner, and he certainly showed that immediately in the preseason,” said the NFL executive Rodrigue quoted. “He will be one whose usage and role, over the season, will be fun to track.”

Coleman also brings size to the table, which is something none of Denver’s other running backs have. He could find himself in short yardage situations, and his ability to burst a run of a yard or two into a big play is part of the mix as well. 

The Broncos have a lot of weapons, but we also don’t know a lot about how new offensive coordinator Davis Webb is going to use them. He surprised everyone in the Broncos’ game against Green Bay by flashing running back RJ Harvey as a receiver, and Harvey proceeded to score a touchdown by running an accomplished wheel route as quarterback Bo Nix dropped a 26-yard touchdown pass over the top and into the bucket. 

Coleman also has that kind of ability as a receiver, although the Broncos probably won’t use it right away on complex routes. Some preseason predictions have him catching 30-40 passes out of the backfield, though, and the Broncos won’t be shy about using him as a target.