Broncos 34-TD rookie emerging as possible key piece for 2026 season

If you're a football fan who loves offseason signings and trades, you were probably extremely bored with the Denver Broncos over the last several months. 

The Broncos surprisingly didn't make any notable moves in free agency. Sure, the team was one win away from the Super Bowl in 2025, but no team is perfect and you would have thought there would have been SOME moves that made sense. 

Instead, the Broncos simply traded for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and then headed for the draft. Waddle should definitely help the offense, but the Broncos took a player in the draft who could surprisingly help the offense just as much. 

Broncos' fourth-round pick is a player to watch 

In the fourth round, the Broncos selected running back Jonah Coleman out of Washington. Coleman was underrated, even in a shallow running back class, but he could easily end up being one of the best backs in the class. 

Justin Melo of NFL Draft On SI recently identified one rookie from each round who is already moving up the depth chart. For the fourth round, Melo identified Coleman and offered the following analysis: 

Jonah Coleman was the most underrated running back prospect in the draft. He's a productive and versatile three-down back with excellent vision on early downs. Coleman can also play as a receiver and protect the quarterback on third down, giving the Denver Broncos true three-down flexibility.

The Broncos are crowded at running back after re-signing J.K. Dobbins and drafting RJ Harvey last year. Despite that, Coleman has looked "really good" at OTAs, per Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Dobbins and Harvey should be weary of the threat Coleman poses.

As Melo pointed out, Coleman has a case to be the most underrated running back from this draft. The Washington product is a true three-down back who had his best season as a pass-catcher in 2025 as well. 

Sure, the Broncos have J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey. However, Dobbins has a lengthy injury history and the Broncos' ground game really wasn't as efficient as people think it was last year. The running game stalled out in the postseason and was just middle-of-the-road in terms of rushing yards per game. 

It's thus not hard to imagine Coleman forcing his way onto the field quickly. As mentioned above, he's a solid pass-catcher and also has good burst and can easily break through contact. 

In 2025, Coleman rushed for 758 yards and 15 touchdowns and also caught 31 passes for 354 yards and two more scores. 

Can Broncos go a step further in 2026? 

As I mentioned, the Broncos were so close to making another Super Bowl appearance. Clearly, the team felt like it needed more offensive firepower, so we'll see if the Waddle addition is enough to catapult the team to the next level. 

If Coleman is as good as some think, though, the Broncos could be in even better shape. A trio of Harvey, Dobbins, and Coleman has the potential to be one of the best running back groupings in the league. 

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