After a promising rookie year, Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin continued to develop this offseason. Per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, “McLaughlin’s offseason program turned heads among coaches, teammates, and onlookers at practice. It would not be a stretch to say he was the Broncos’ most dynamic offensive player during OTAs and minicamp.”
Broncos HC Sean Payton said recently that his backfield is an open competition heading into the season. "All these guys, they're all competing for different roles, spots," Payton said. "We never put a cap on what they're competing for. I wanna see it. And then we'll go by what we see."
The Broncos selected Notre Dame RB Audric Estime in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A four-star prospect, Estime chose Notre Dame over others like Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia, and Nebraska. After a quiet freshman season behind Kyren Williams, the New York native split carries in 2022. The result? Team-highs in yards (920), yards per carry (5.9), and TDs (11). His production then rose across the board last fall. He flashed top-notch power with 4.27 yards after contact per attempt and tallied a strong Elusive Rating from PFF (126.5). The raw numbers turned up several career highs (209 carries, 1,341 yards, 18 TDs). While Estime caught all 26 of his college targets, we don’t forecast much of a receiving ceiling in the NFL. He also lacks the top-end speed to rip off explosives at the next level. Estime’s 4.71 forty-time at the NFL Combine was disappointing, but his Relative Athletic Score of 6.58 shows the strength of his complete profile. At 221 pounds, he tallied an 86th-percentile vertical and an 87th-percentile broad jump. Also note: Estime’s ten-yard split placed him in the 53rd percentile. The rookie joins a crowded backfield in Denver alongside Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine – although Williams and Perine are both scheduled to be free agents next offseason.
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