The biggest question for the Denver Broncos heading into the NFL Draft on April 24 is when the Broncos will take a running back.
Broncos general manager George Paton has said that the team will take a running back in this draft, but nobody knows when.
In nearly every mock draft out there, the top choice for the Broncos with the 20th overall pick is North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has climbed up draft boards and is likely to go into the top-10 of the draft, but could another team look to draft Hampton ahead of the Broncos? Could a team behind Denver look to jump them for the powerful runner?
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had a conference call on April 18 and explained that Denver probably doesn't need to move up for a running back.
"Omarion Hampton would be an unbelievable pick there (at 20), but I think there's enough guys and there's enough depth at this position that I don't know if you necessarily have to do that. I think you can let and see how it falls at that specific position."
Apr 24, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah speaks to the media at the Play Football Prospect Clinic at The Corner Ballpark
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jeremiah was also asked, other than Jeanty and Hampton, who does he like for the Broncos?
"To me TreVeyon Henderson would be a heck of a weapon. We've seen Sean (Payton) with running backs like that. To me he would be a fun one. The other one I would look at for them in kind of that (Darren) Sproles-ish role, but someone who would just be a nightmare out of the backfield, if they wanted to throw the ball to the backs; which he loves to do, Jayden Blue from Texas. Big-time speed and he is an excellent route runner."
On his top-50 list, Jeremiah has Hampton as the 13th-best player in this draft, and Henderson is ranked at No. 34.
"If I’m Denver, say, you’re looking at TreVeyon Henderson or trade back,” Jeremiah said.” I love TreVeyon Henderson, but if they don’t take TreVeyon Henderson, they (Broncos) trade back. You get his teammate in Quinshon, Judkins, who’s a really good player and I get a future pick next year, maybe it’s a two."
If Denver is looking to trade down in the first round, they need to hope that a team wants to trade up for a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart if they slide.
