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Broncos Rookie Running Back Named Biggest Steal Of 2026 NFL Draft
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 13: Running back Jonah Coleman #1 of the Washington Huskies runs the ball against the Boise State Broncos during the second half of the LA Bowl Game at SoFi Stadium on December 13, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images) Getty
Jonah Coleman isn’t yet a household name. In fact, the wider NFL fandom outside of the Denver Metropolitan Area might never have heard of him. However, it might not take long for the Denver Broncos‘ rookie back to introduce himself to the league.
In fact, The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler believes the 22-year-old, whom the Broncos selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, could be the steal of the entire draft.
“Fourth round? $885,000 base salary? $1.19 millon cap hit? For the guy who’s been arguably the Broncos’ best runner in camp since they put pads on? Bargain of the draft,” Keeler wrote. He later added, “It wasn’t just smart to draft Coleman out of the University of Washington. It was borderline genius.”
Keeler hasn’t been alone in his praise, either. The University of Washington running back was one of the most popular sleeper candidates in an otherwise uninspiring RB class. Despite not hearing his name called until the fourth round, the former Huskie was only the fourth back off the board.
Joshua Dover of 104.3 The Fan has been the conductor of the Coleman hype train for a long time, and he feels vindicated in his praise.
“I would’ve taken him at 30. When I see Jonah Coleman, I see a first-round running back, and he’s performing better than that. We’re 10 days into training camp, and Jonah Coleman looks like the best back on the field every single day,” Dover said.
Jonah Coleman Is One Injury Away From Making A Massive Impact
J.K. Dobbins is an incredibly talented running back. However, the best ability is availability, and that’s always been the only one that he doesn’t possess. Since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he’s played in only 47 of 101 possible games. His rookie season was the only campaign in which he didn’t miss multiple games.
With Dobbins’ injury concerns, Sean Payton knew the team needed to prioritize the backup RB spot. The team selected RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he’s more of a change-of-pace option than someone they could rely on to handle a heavy workload in a pinch.
Unlike Harvey, who averaged only 3.7 yards per attempt during a middling rookie season (at least in terms of efficiency, as he managed to reach the end zone 12 times), Coleman has shown signs of being a complete back. He’s consistently been a standout at Broncos training camp and, according to The Denver Post’s Troy Renck , has even shown signs of being a quality blocker. That’s one area where Harvey, who is roughly the same height and 15 lbs. lighter than Coleman, is never going to thrive.
Sean Payton Historically Prefers Backfield Timeshares
The fact that Coleman might carve out a role regardless of Dobbins’ health is another major reason for optimism for the rookie RB. Dating back to his days in New Orleans, Payton has historically strayed away from deploying lead backs and usually takes a by-committee approach to his running back rooms.
Despite Dobbins proving to clearly be Denver’s best RB last season, Harvey still finished the season with nearly 200 touches. Jaleel McLaughlin, who has been a rumored trade target this offseason, also averaged just under 25 rushing yards over his eight games last season.
The Broncos re-signed Dobbins to a two-year deal this offseason, but Denver would save $8 million by cutting ties with him next offseason, according to Spotrac . Based on that fact, they might benefit from learning whether Coleman can shoulder more of the load this season.
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Jonah ColemanNFLDenver Metropolitan AreaHoweverDenver BroncosThe Denver Post’s Sean KeelerBroncosBroncos Rookie Running Back Named Biggest Steal OfNFL DraftHEAVYRunningWashington Huskies
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