The Denver Broncos aren’t drafting players with the hopes of developing them in a few years. They want production, and they want it right now.
That’s how it’s going to work for the Super Bowl contenders, with the pressure more pronounced after a devastating home loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Broncos rookie and 4th-round pick (No. 108 overall) Jonah Coleman will feel that pressure from the start, and Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Washington product pegged as the league’s most “overlooked” rookie running back.
While Coleman starts the season behind a pair of experienced running backs in veteran J.K. Dobbins and 2nd-year standout RJ Harvey, the expectation is all 3 will get touches from the jump.
“The Broncos re-upped J.K. Dobbins in the offseason after he averaged five yards a carry in his first season in the Mile High City, but he also missed seven games for the fourth time in six seasons,” Davenport wrote on July 16. “Harvey showed some flashes as a rookie, especially as a receiver out of the backfield, but he also averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. At the very least, Coleman is going to be used to spell Dobbins in an effort to keep him healthy. It’s not especially difficult to imagine Coleman eating into Harvey’s share of the backfield workload. And if Dobbins goes down (again), Coleman could go from Day 3 rookie to the lead back for a Super Bowl contender.”
Jonah Coleman Became Stats Machine for Huskies
Coleman put up big numbers for Washington over the last 2 seasons. It’s something that matches what the Broncos seemed to be looking for in Harvey, a 2025 2nd-round pick (No. 60 overall) who rushed for over 1,400 yards in each of his final 2 seasons at UCF.
Harvey scored 12 touchdowns and took on a much bigger role following a season-ending injury to Dobbins in Week 10.
“Broncos’ new RB Jonah Coleman can do it all,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account in April. “Last two years at Washington, he racked up 1,811 rushing yards and 531 receiving yards with a whopping 27 total TDs … Broncos RB room: J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Tyler Badie.”
Jonah Coleman Compared to Former NFL Star
Coleman, 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, drew pre-draft comparisons to former NFL star running back Maurice Jones-Drew — a 5-foot-7, 210-pound NFL All-Pro and 3-time Pro Bowler.
“Jonah Coleman was being compared to Maurice Jones-Drew during the pre-draft process,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “Legit bowling ball very tough to bring down.”
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein correctly predicted Coleman would be a 4th round pick.
Coleman started his college career with 2 seasons at Arizona before transferring to Washington for his final 2 seasons.
“Team captain and productive three-down back,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Coleman has a clear understanding of run-blocking schemes and protection duties. He knows where blocks are likely to develop and finds those spots. However, he lacks speed as an outside runner and has average burst between the tackles. He’s more of a tackle-slipper than a tackle-breaker, so it’s imperative that Coleman plays at a brisker pace to stay ahead of closing defenders. He projects as a Day 3 option who can compete for a job as a three-down backup.”
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