The Denver Broncos have tried to fix their running back issues by skirting around what they probably really need to do — a free agent here, a couple of Day 2 draft picks there — but what they really need is a dyed-in-the-wool superstar.
Bleacher Report’s latest 2027 mock draft has the Broncos doing just that by drafting Florida running back Jaden Baugh in the first round — a player who has drawn multiple comparisons to Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Derrick Henry early in his career.
“The Denver Broncos’ offensive inadequacies continue unabated — so much so that head coach Sean Payton took play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Davis Webb,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote on October 14. “A more consistent run game could help the team get off to better starts and take pressure off of quarterback Bo Nix. Florida’s Jadan Baugh is the class’ RB1 with a complete skill set as an every-down back. Baugh is a compact and densely built running back with a mean stiff-arm. He’s a bell-cow back, who gets stronger as his touches accumulate. The Florida ball-carrier is a fleet-footed mover with open-field elusiveness to force missed tackles. Baugh will also finish runs downhill with a forward lean, making him a good short-yardage option. He can then be deployed out of the backfield as a legitimate threat in the passing game.”
Jadan Baugh: Ready for NFL Competition Right Now
It’s too bad the Broncos can’t have the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Baugh right now — he’s clearly ready to take on the NFL. In 6 games for the Gators this season, Baugh has rushed for 672 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
Baugh, a Decatur, Georgia, native, flashed as a true freshman in 2024 with 673 rushing yards and 8 total touchdowns.
He had a breakout season for the Gators in 2025, with 1,173 rushing yards, 210 receiving yards, and 10 total touchdowns, earning All-SEC honors.
Perhaps most important and most endearing to Florida fans, Baugh had a career day in a 40-21 win over archrival Florida State with 266 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 38 carries — the highest single-game rushing total for Florida since Pro Football Hall of Famer and NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith’s 316 rushing yards against New Mexico in 1989.
Broncos Keep Falling Short at Running Back
The Broncos haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019 and have worked hard in recent years to build depth at the position.
That includes using picks in each of the last two drafts on running backs—Denver drafted UCF’s RJ Harvey in the 2nd round of the 2025 draft and Washington’s Jonah Coleman in the 4th round of the 2026 draft.
J.K. Dobbins, who signed a 2-year, $16 million contract in March, leads the Broncos with 229 rushing yards through 5 games, but a closer look shows Denver is in a truly miserable state with their rushing attack — none of their three running backs are averaging over 4.0 yards per carry.
Broncos Predicted to Use 1st-Round Pick on Superstar SEC RB