The Denver Broncos may have found the answer in Jonah Coleman.
Coleman is not the typical show-stealing rookie, taken in the fourth round of the 2026 draft. But he has impressed the Broncos, starting with head coach Sean Payton, who suggested the former Washington Husky has more than proven himself to be who they thought he was.
In his preseason debut, Coleman handled less than a handful of carries, all in the first quarter of the Broncos’ 27-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and that figures to be just the start for him.
Sean Payton Raves About Jonah Coleman
Coleman’s light workload belied what Payton thought of him, even if the efficiency–which led the team–provided a glimpse of why the Broncos tabbed the running back with the 108th overall pick.
“Good balance. A real good elusive runner for his size,” Payton told reporters on August 17 when asked what stood out about the rookie. “I would say good short-area quickness and good balance.
“The other night, we had a few good examples of that.
The comments as a whole certainly raised eyebrows. As for why Coleman did not see the ball more against the Falcons, Payton offered what may be his most telling remarks a bit later.
“I kind of felt like we knew what the roles were going to be like. And then, there was a point I think he had two or three carries, and ‘All right. I’ve seen enough. I’ve seen enough here.’ And so, it’s just your instincts relative to the evening and who’s playing. But I didn’t need to see additional evidence of what I’ve been seeing for three weeks. And so, we do the three phases. But then, we do, within each phase, who are the potential early outs, and in each phase, and all of that,” Payton said.
“If I didn’t have as, maybe, much–let’s say, enough snaps, maybe he plays a few more plays. But I I think a lot of it is just your instincts on where they’re at in the training camp.”
Sean Payton Pumps Brakes Despite Broncos RB Fitting ‘Prototype’
Payton fielded a question about the Broncos rostering all compact backs, standing between 5-foot-7 and 187 pounds (Jaleel McLaughlin) to 5-foot-10 (J.K. Dobbins) and 220 pounds (Coleman).
“I’m not saying it’s coincidence. But to some degree, there–there’s not really a height prototype with that position, but there is a stature prototype. So, they fit that stature,” Payton said.
“They just so happen to be that height, and I think that’s a little bit more of the coincidence.”
However, faced with a comparison Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle made between Jonah Coleman and Maurice Jones-Drew, Payton drew the line, perhaps showing he has learned his lesson after likening 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey to Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles.
“I remember Maurice. There’s a number of backs that have been built like him. And so, I’m not ready to comp a young player that early. But I like his balance,” Payton said.
“You don’t feel a young player just at practice.”
Jonah Coleman Showcased Tech Savviness
Coleman is multi-faceted on and off the field, and he showcased another one of his skills for his turn in the Broncos rookie showcase.
Coleman told KOA’s Ryan Edwards that he made a hype video for the Broncos.
He said that the project took him about two weeks to prepare, and that he is probably going to make more. It is a passion of his off the field–when he can find the time, he noted–and something that he otherwise keeps low-key.
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