Mile High Report
While all eyes are on running backs J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey, the battle for the Broncos RB3 (and potentially RB4) jobs is heating up. Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Blake Watson, and Tyler Badie are all competing for that job.
While McLaughlin and/or Estime seem like the favorites for that role, do not sleep on running back Tyler Badie as the dark horse in this competition.
9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis tweeted out during the Broncos’ joint practice vs. the 49ers on Thursday that Tyler Badie has a “real shot” at the Broncos’ number three running back role. He has been having a good camp based on reports and is coming off a 2024 season where he showed some potential in limited snaps. Now, can he make the Broncos’ 53-man roster? Well, he is right in the thick of it, according to Head Coach Sean Payton.
“Yeah, he [RB Tyler Badie] does a lot of things well. He’s someone who can play on third down. He is I would say a very good receiver at that position, and he’s right there in the thick of it as we start evaluating that group of runners who are all competing for a spot or two.”
Badie seems like a back Sean Payton likes. He activated him over Audric Estime for their wildcard game vs. the Bills, and his skill set screams of a Sean Payton-type of back. In a small sample size, Badie looked like the Broncos’ most explosive running back. He is a very good receiver, and Payton has praised his blocking skills in the past. He checks a lot of boxes that you look at for an RB3 on a Sean Payton roster.
With that said, both Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime seem like the favorites for that role. Like Badie, McLaughlin checks a lot of boxes and seems like a player Payton really likes. Estime was a draft pick last season, and outside of Dobbins, he is the only pure inside power runner on the roster. Blake Watson has put together a few solid practices and could push for a roster spot as well, so it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
We will likely see a lot of these backs during the Broncos’ preseason opener on Saturday Night, and it will be interesting to see when all these backs come in. None of these backs can afford a poor performance and/or an injury during the preseason, so I am intrigued to see how everyone does, who stands out, and if anyone struggles.
I wouldn’t sleep on Tyler Badie, and I believe he will make it tough for the Broncos to cut him when they trim their roster down to 53 players.
