The Denver Broncos were looking for an upgrade at the running back position before the 2026 NFL regular season starts in a few months. On Saturday, in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Broncos drafted Washington running back Jonah Coleman.
Now that Coleman is going to play NFL ball in the Mile High City, the Denver running back room is going to change a little bit.
Broncos Get Jonah Coleman to Address Backfield Issues
In looking at the depth in Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s running back corps, J.K. Dobbins is RB1 right now. Dobbins, during the 2025 NFL regular season, had 153 carries for 772 yards and 4 touchdowns. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry, too.
According to the PFSN NFL RB Impact Metric, measured throughout the regular season, Dobbins had an impact score of 57.6 and graded out to an F.
RJ Harvey is second in line in the RB room. Last season, Harvey had 146 carries for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns. Per the PFSN NFL RB Impact Metric, Harvey had an impact score of 48.7, and he, too, graded out to an F.
Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie round out the Broncos’ depth chart at running back. Coleman, at worst, is expected to be the RB3 in Denver to start the season.
The Broncos received a B- grade for drafting Coleman from the PFSN NFL Draft HQ data. Coleman had an 82.5 prospect score, too.
“Jonah Coleman’s efficiency dipped a bit in 2025, but overall, he was an incredibly productive rusher across his four collegiate seasons,” according to PFSN draft analysis. “He totaled over 3,000 career yards and 34 touchdowns on the ground, and in 2025, he achieved a career-high 15 rushing scores, while also catching 31 passes for 354 yards and two scores.
“At around 5’9″, 229 pounds, Coleman is a compact, hyper-dense, and well-leveraged runner with energized foot speed and angle recalibration as a setup operator,” the PFSN draft analysis continued.
“He’s not overly explosive, nor does he have a dangerous top gear in space, but he compensates with his size-adjusted quickness, cutting flexibility, vision, and spatial IQ, and he can work through contact with his engagement balance and physicality,” PFSN draft analysis indicates.
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“While not a home-run threat, Coleman has all the hallmarks of a quality volume back.”
If Coleman can deliver some solid games for the Broncos this season, then the team’s running back room will immediately reach another level. Payton and the Broncos’ front office sure hope that Coleman can make the run game even better.
