Jonah Coleman didn’t just make noise this summer. He forced the Broncos to take him seriously.
That’s the unusual part here. Rookie buzz usually lives in the safe space of OTAs and training camp, where a good run can get people talking and a clean rep can turn into a highlight.
But until the pads come on and the games start, there’s always a built-in pause button. Mike Evans spelled out that skepticism on a recent edition of “Stokley and Evans, with Mark Schlereth” on 104.3 The Fan, noting how Coleman’s early praise came with the usual warning label.
“In the early part of camp, whenever Jonah Coleman would do something, and it’d be an impressive run, there would always be the ‘Yeah, but…,'” Evans said.
He said the hesitation made sense because of the setting.
“They’re in shorts, they’re not tackling to the ground, they’re not playing real football, so temper your expectations. Temper your enthusiasm until we get out there and play real football,” Evans said.
That real football arrived Friday night against the Falcons, and Coleman answered fast. He carried the ball four times and picked up 24 yards in his first NFL preseason action.
It wasn’t a long audition. It didn’t need to be.
The Broncos staff got what it wanted from those snaps.
“All right, we go out there, we play real football on Friday. And after just four carries, both Sean Payton and Davis Webb are saying, ‘Yep, seen all we need to see from this guy,'” Evans said.
That kind of reaction from a coaching staff this early is not normal, especially for a fourth-round pick. Evans said as much while putting Coleman’s rise in perspective.
“I can’t recall another rookie, never mind a fourth-round pick, being given this kind of endorsement this early in his rookie year,” Evans said.
For the Broncos, the takeaway is clear. Coleman has gone from draft pick to one of the most talked-about players on the roster in a hurry, and he has done it by backing up the camp hype once the contact finally counted. The questions that hung over those early flashes have started to disappear.
The “Yeah, buts” are gone. The shorts-and-helmets asterisks are gone too.
Coleman showed enough on Friday to make the practice field production feel real, and that matters even more with J.K. Dobbins’ injury history sitting over the depth chart and R.J.
Harvey still developing.
The Broncos didn’t just find a fourth-round running back. They may have found one who has already earned his place. The 108th pick is starting to look like a steal, and if Friday was any indication, there may be a lot more coming.
In Other News...
Sean Payton Leaves Broncos Fans Waiting On J.K. Dobbins Decision
J.K. Dobbins sat out the Broncos preseason matchup with the Packers after a minor soft-tissue injury in training camp, leaving Sean Payton to navigate the backfield without one of the biggest offseason additions. In Dobbins absence, Denver leaned on its other runners, with RJ Harvey getting the start and also adding a touchdown catch to help carry the workload.
Payton said Dobbins could be in line to make his debut in the final preseason game against the Vikings, which gives Denver at least one more chance to see how the backfield pieces fit before the games start to count. For a Broncos offense still sorting out roles, Dobbins status is worth watching closely, especially with the team trying to balance caution now with the need to get him ready for the real thing. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos May Have A Davis Webb Problem If Bo Nix Takes Off
The Broncos built this offseason around Bo Nix, and the ripple effects have already shown up in the coaching staff. Denver added receiver Jaylen Waddle to help give the rookie quarterback more juice on the perimeter, then elevated Davis Webb to offensive coordinator with play-calling duties. Webb has handled the offense well in the preseason, and the early returns have only strengthened the sense that the Broncos are trying to create the kind of structure that can help Nix settle in quickly.
Davis Webbs rise, though, comes with the kind of long-term wrinkle Denver knows all too well. He is young, he has already shown an ability to organize the offense, and that combination can make a coach look like a future head-coaching candidate before long. The Broncos have lived through staff turnover before, and if Nix takes off the way they hope, Webb may not stay tucked away for long as the teams offensive brain trust starts drawing outside attention. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Roster Crunch Could Turn One Familiar Name Into A Trade Chip
The Broncos are in the middle of the kind of late-summer roster sorting that forces tough decisions on players who have been around the building and know the system, but still may not fit once the 53-man cutdown is done. Denver has to weigh depth, special teams value and future upside all at once, and that puts names like Franklin, McLaughlin and Skinner in the mix as the front office looks at who stays put and who might be exposed to waivers.
Franklin stands out because he carries the most trade value of that group, which gives Denver a little more flexibility if another team comes calling before the roster picture settles. McLaughlin and Skinner could also factor into the churn depending on how the Broncos prioritize their needs, but nothing has been finalized yet, and this is the kind of situation that can shift quickly as teams around the league make their own last-minute moves. [Read more 🡒]