Jonah Coleman Is Forcing His Way Into the Broncos Running Back Conversation
- Football Nation
- Aug 7
- 2 min read
The Denver Broncos entered training camp wanting a more dependable rushing attack, and rookie Jonah Coleman is making sure the coaching staff has another name to consider. Coleman has produced several noticeable runs during camp, including a strong Day 7 practice in which Denver’s ground game showed more life.
Denver did not draft Coleman to stand on the sideline indefinitely. The fourth round pick arrived with a compact build, contact balance and a north south running style that can translate to the kind of efficient carries an offense needs when it does not want every possession to depend on Bo Nix creating a big play.
Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Why Coleman’s camp matters
J.K. Dobbins entered camp as the veteran leader of the running back room, but training camp is where coaches begin deciding how many touches each back can handle and which combinations fit different game situations. Coleman does not need to win a starting label to carve out a meaningful role. He needs to show that the offense stays on schedule when he is on the field.
The fastest way for a rookie back to earn trust is to avoid negative plays. That means hitting the correct crease, protecting the football, handling pass protection and turning routine blocking into four or five yards. Explosive runs get attention, but the dependable snaps are what usually determine whether a young back receives real regular season work.
What to watch in preseason
Coleman’s preseason carries should tell us more than his raw yardage. Watch whether he stays decisive behind the line, whether he can finish through contact and whether Denver trusts him on passing downs. If those pieces look solid, the Broncos can build a committee that keeps Dobbins fresh while still giving the rookie enough volume to develop.
Football Nation takeaway
Coleman is not winning a fantasy league or a depth chart battle in early August, but he is doing the first thing a rookie must do: forcing coaches to keep giving him opportunities. If the strong camp continues into preseason games, Denver may have a more interesting backfield split than it appeared to have when camp opened.
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