The Broncos got their longest, hardest practice of training camp on Wednesday, and Sean Payton came away with a clear early winner: rookie running back Jonah Coleman.
Denver spent more than two hours in pads during what was described as its most intense practice of the 2026 offseason. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle left the session, though Payton downplayed it afterward, saying it was "muscle tightness" and adding that he thinks he'll be fine.
But the bigger takeaway from Payton’s comments was Coleman. The fourth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft has already made enough of an impression that Payton said he "does not feel like a rookie," which is strong praise for a first-year back still settling into the building.
Payton was asked for a pleasant surprise early in camp and landed on Coleman after a long pause. The rookie’s ability to block and protect the football were already part of his profile coming into the league, so the early buzz fits with what Denver thought it was getting.
The fit matters, too. J.K.
Dobbins is the Broncos’ de-facto RB1, but durability has been the concern, even after he was hyper-efficient in 2025 over 10 games. That injury history almost certainly played into Denver’s decision to take Coleman in the fourth round.
Payton also said earlier in the offseason that Coleman’s running style reminds them of Dobbins, which only adds to the intrigue around how the backfield could sort itself out.
Coleman’s emergence is especially useful because Denver doesn’t need to run Dobbins into the ground. He averaged 15-plus carries per game during the 2025 season, but the smarter path could be trimming that workload and letting Coleman handle some of the tougher inside work, including short-yardage and goal-line chances.
With RJ Harvey also in the mix, the Broncos could wind up with a running back room that gives them multiple real options. If Coleman keeps trending this way, he could help immediately, ease the burden on Dobbins, and free Harvey to do more of what he does best: catching passes out of the backfield.
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The same theme has shown up elsewhere, where Butler, Austin, York, Bryant and Fresch have each managed to stand out in their own way. None of them can afford to relax as roster decisions get tighter, but that is exactly what makes this stretch of camp so interesting for Denver: the competition is not just sorting out the obvious starters, it is creating real pressure on the fringe spots and forcing the coaching staff to take a harder look at players who were easy to overlook in June. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Avoided A Bigger Jaylen Waddle Scare At The Right Time
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Sean Payton indicated the concern is a strain, and the plan is to avoid pushing it into something more troublesome. The Broncos are expecting Waddle to be back at practice in the next few days, which should ease the tension around a player who is important enough to merit patience, especially this early in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Is Fueling A Broncos Dream Fans Can Finally Feel
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Breer also noted that Nixs arm strength appears to be trending in the right direction, and that growth is showing up in the way he is handling different kinds of throws as he works back into form. There is a clear sense that Denvers setup for 2026 could be promising if Nix keeps moving this way, especially with the coaching structure giving him room to continue developing as a leader. The important part now is whether that progress keeps building once the real pressure of the season returns. [Read more 🡒]