Getty Javonte Williams #33 of the Denver Broncos.
The Denver Broncos will have an inexperienced quarterback under center in 2024, be it incumbent Jarrett Stidham, trade acquisition Zach Wilson, or rookie first-round pick Bo Nix.
Keeping the offense on schedule and ahead of the chains could mean relying on the ground game. Denver ranked 18th in both attempts and yards on the ground in 2023. The Broncos have several options they can lean on, including former second-round pick Javonte Williams.
However, Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon believes that depth could work against Williams.
Kenyon predicts Williams, the No. 35 overall pick of the 2021 draft who started 13 games in 2023, will be the Broncos’ “biggest bust” of the 2024 season.
“Look, I’m not giving up on his talent; the situation might not be positive for Javonte Williams,” Kenyon wrote on July 14. “He missed 13 games in 2022 and averaged only 3.6 yards per carry last year, while Jaleel McLaughlin impressed as a rookie. Denver then drafted Audric Estime. Williams’ snap share may be trending the wrong direction in 2024.”
Williams, 24, rushed for 774 yards and three touchdowns in 2023, adding another 228 yards and two scores on 47 receptions. He also set a new career high with 217 carries one year removed from tearing multiple knee ligaments in his knee, ending his 2022 campaign after four games.
Still, his inefficiency in 2023 stood out.
Williams’ 3.6 yards per carry in 2023 tied Tampa Bay Buccaneers back Rachaad White for the second-fewest among players with at least 200 carries in 2023, per Stathead.
Only former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, now of the Green Bay Packers, was worse. Jacobs and White each had at least 16 more carries than Williams did in 2023. Williams also ranked 17th in yards after contact per rush among the 200-plus-carry group.
He was 22nd in the 23-man field in yards before contact per rush.
The Broncos’ offensive line earned the fourth-best run-blocking grade for the 2023 season from Pro Football Focus. Their rushing grade ranked 19th.
Williams is also in the final year of his four-year, $8.8 million contract. He counts $2.8 million against the salary cap in 2024. But the Broncos can cut him and save more than $1.9 million against the 2024 cap, per Spotrac.
Jaleel McLaughlin ‘Impressive’ During Broncos’ Offseason Program
GettyJaleel McLaughlin #38 of the Denver Broncos.
McLaughlin has been a favorite of the Broncos coaching staff since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He is more of a complement to Williams. But Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi noted McLaughlin had made strides in pass protection.
“One thing you know about Jaleel is he’s going to work hard. Whatever you ask him to do, he’s going to work at it,” Lombardi told reporters on June 12.
“Obviously, we’re not in pads, so you can’t see everything. But just as far as his intention and assignment on pass protection has been outstanding. And I don’t know if there’s anyone who works harder than him. His speed, his acceleration, his explosiveness has all been impressive this spring.”
McLaughlin had 410 yards and one touchdown on 76 carries in 2023.
He said he was “p***** off” about PFF’s Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman ranking the Broncos’ roster last for the 2024 season during an interview on “The Drive with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay” in May.
McLaughlin’s stature – he is listed at 5-foot-7 and 187 pounds – could keep him from securing a significantly larger role with the Broncos than he already has which could be good for Williams.
Audric Estime Could Pose Greatest Threat to Javonte Williams in Broncos’ RB Battle
GettyRunning back Audric Estime #37 of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos also have veteran Samaje Perine, whose skill set more closely resembles Williams’. But the greatest threat to Williams’ future with the Broncos may be Estime.
A fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Estime is slightly bigger at 5-foot-11 and 227 pounds. He also enters the NFL with slightly greater college production than Williams did on the ground, though the latter was the superior option in the passing game.
An arthroscopic procedure on his knee knocked Estime out of the offseason program.
He is expected to fully recover by training camp, per Payton on May 30. The Broncos also added undrafted runner Blake Watson, who also impressed in the offseason.
But Watson’s skill set is closer to McLaughlin’s, though the former is bigger at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds. Estime could be the Broncos back Williams has to worry about most with Kenyon’s prediction for the 2024 season.
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