Getty Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs rushing against Tennessee.
The Denver Broncos are in need of offensive weapons in the offseason. So far this season the Broncos are averaging an NFL worst 14.9 points per game and they’re on pace to own one of the worst offenses in team history.
Denver also suffered some big injuries this season and one of them was running back Javonte Williams tearing his ACL against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. Since the injury occurred, the Broncos’ rushing attack has struggled.
When Williams was playing, the Denver offense was averaging 117 yards per game. Since the second-year running back went down for the year, the Broncos are averaging just 100 yards per game.
Denver has also been forced to make some changes within the running back room. The Broncos went out and signed Latavius Murray, Marlon Mack, and traded for Chase Edmonds. Denver was also forced to release Melvin Gordon after his fumbling issues all season.
With Williams unlikely to return before the start of the 2023 season, the Broncos are going to have to go out and find some depth to their rushing attack.
Draft a RB in Round One of the Draft?
After trading linebacker Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins, the Broncos were able to get a first-round pick in return. Now that pick was the San Francisco 49ers’ pick, so where ever Kyle Shanahan’s team finishes is where Denver will pick and it will likely be around the 20th pick range.
ESPN’s NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay released his first mock draft for the upcoming draft and has the Broncos selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the first-round with the 24th-overall pick.
“Denver doesn’t really need another receiver, and Russell Wilson is locked in as the quarterback. I’d love to get the Broncos another offensive tackle, but there’s a decent drop-off in talent there after Broderick Jones,” McShay said. “Gibbs is pretty intriguing, even for a three-win team.”
If the Broncos draft Gibbs, he would be the first running back they’ve taken in the first-round since 2009 when they drafted Knowshon Moreno.
Gibbs Compared to All-Pros
“My 20th-ranked prospect, he’s elusive with burst in and out of cuts and is a very effective pass-catcher out of the backfield” McShay said. “He could make the sort of impact we see regularly from Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook. And while Javonte Williams will return after tearing his right knee’s ACL and LCL, it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be off that injury while entering the third season of his four-year rookie deal.”
So far this season, Gibbs has rushed for 850 yards while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Playing at Georgia Tech and Alabama, Gibbs has been a big factor in the passing game and has 1,146 yards receiving in his 30-game college career.
The junior running back has caught 42 passes this season for Alabama and has totaled up 10 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.
The Broncos could use an elusive back in their backfield since they haven’t had a running back have a 400-yard receiving season since Moreno in 2013 (548).
Depending how active the Broncos are in free agency, the draft is going to be very important for this team turning the corner.