EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- From Bobby Turner's run on Mike Shanahan's 1990s Super Bowl teams to current position coach Lou Ayeni, every Denver Broncos running backs coach has been asked about the biggest hurdle for a rookie back to get on the field.Each of them have offered similar versions of the same answer."Third down," is how Chicago Bears running backs coach Eric Studesville, who was the Broncos' RB coach from 2010-16, phrased it. "Beyond what you do running the ball ... with a rookie who isn't the No. 1, it's going to be [pass] protection. When I was [in Denver], how am I going to go to [then-coach John Fox] and tell him a rookie is ready to play and then a protection gets missed and Peyton [Manning] gets hit?"A rookie can't play in all the situations until he can protect."Enter Jonah Coleman, the Broncos' fourth-round pick last month. The 22-year-old's ball-carrying chops are well-established, as the 5-foot-8, 220-pounder averaged 5.5 yards per carry in four college seasons (two at Arizona, two at Washington) and scored a combined 25 rushing touchdowns for the Huskies the past two years.That running prowess drew the Broncos in during predraft evaluations, but they also concluded that Coleman was the most proficient pass protector of this running back class. And that could be what gets Coleman in the mix early in a Denver running backs room that also includes veteran J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, the Broncos' second-round pick in 2025."You saw it in [the] college tape," Broncos coach Sean Payton said at the Broncos' recent rookie minicamp. "... Most of the time when you're drafting or signing a college running back, there's going to be a learning curve with protections. ... That was a strong suit when you were looking at his tape, different than the rest of the class."In his end-of-season assessment following the Broncos' loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Payton quickly concluded that run-game consistency was a top issue he wanted to address this offseason. That was a result of how the Broncos fared after Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury during a Week 10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.Before the injury, the Broncos were ninth in rushing yards per game, tied for fifth in runs of 10 or more yards and fourth in average yards per carry over expected. In the seven games following Dobbins' injury, the Broncos fell to 23rd, 24th and 31st, respectively, in those three categories. So it wasn't surprising that Denver re-signed Dobbins in free agency, but it also wanted to cover its bases by drafting a back with a similar skill set, like Coleman."I saw something that compared his running style, and I think the comparison was J.K., and I think that's a compliment obviously," Payton said just after Coleman was selected. "[Coleman is] a physical runner ... [and] he can play on third down. ... His frame is such when you see him, that he does a really good job in blocking pressure looks."Coleman made the most of his 156 carries last season, with 35% of them finishing in either a first down or touchdown, and 71% of his rushing yardage (538 of 758) coming after first contact. And many league talent evaluators say that physicality translates to pass protection.The Broncos used a mix-and-match approach on third-and-longer passing downs, especially after Dobbins' injury, utilizing Harvey, Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin. Coleman is ready to do his part to contribute in that role."Playing my role and doing what I do," Coleman said at rookie minicamp when asked about his pass-protection skills. "I did a lot of pass pro a lot in college, but I'm not in college anymore. This is the NFL; this is a lot of guys who've been playing football a long time."Coleman said he wants to show that he "can take coaching" and wants to move through the Broncos' offseason program and into training camp. He also arrived intending to show off his conditioning level to his new coaches and teammates.He said he added boxing to his predraft regimen. And when asked about the impact of the altitude in his new NFL home, he was quick to point out his success the last time he played in the state of Colorado. Coleman ran 11 times for 179 yards in Arizona's 34-31 victory over Colorado in November 2023 and wants to build on that now that he's in Denver full-time."Just do my job, be able to be a sponge," Coleman said. "... Being able to take coaching and working on the details I need on work on."
