BREAKING: Broncos RB Projected to Take Heisman Trophy Favorite in 2025
Just five games into the 2024 regular season, the Denver Broncos continue their streak without a player surpassing 1,000 yards in rushing or receiving, a trend that has persisted since 2019.
As they prepare for a Week 6 home matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, running back Javonte Williams leads the Broncos with 190 rushing yards and no touchdowns, averaging 38.0 yards per game. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton, the last Bronco to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark, tops the team with 224 receiving yards and one touchdown, averaging 44.8 yards.
The statistics are concerning.
While immediate help may be distant, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggests that the Broncos could draft dynamic Boise State running back in the 2025 NFL Draft.
As of now, Jeanty is also favored to win the Heisman Trophy as he heads into a game at Hawaii on October 12. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Frisco, Texas, is the reigning Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Jeanty could be worth the wait, as he recently became just the eighth player in the FBS since 1996 to achieve over 1,000 rushing yards in the first five games of a season, highlighted by his 186 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries during a 62-30 victory against Utah State on October 5.
“If Bo Nix is going to work out as the franchise quarterback, it’s going to take a talented supporting cast to make it work,” Ballentine noted. “That means finding a back who can be Sean Payton’s Alvin Kamara in Denver. Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin have struggled to find their rhythm this season. Meanwhile, Ashton Jeanty is building a Heisman campaign … he’s posting video-game-like numbers, but he’s also displayed the versatility, balance, and vision to be a Day 1 pick.”
Jeanty Has Taken His Game to Another Level
In 2023, Jeanty amassed 1,814 total offensive yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore, with 1,262 rushing and 552 receiving yards. However, he struggled against top-tier competition, failing to surpass 100 rushing yards and scoring just one touchdown in losses to College Football Playoff runner-up Washington and UCLA.
This season, Jeanty has avoided those issues. He made a strong case for the Heisman Trophy when he nearly led Boise State to victory against No. 3 Oregon at Autzen Stadium on September 7, rushing 25 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a narrow 37-34 defeat.
Ashton Jeanty is the Heisman front runner.
The beautiful thing about his game is that it’s not just him running through huge gaps in the defense created by the blocking scheme. He is breaking tackles in the back field and 20 yards down the field to make routine runs SPECTACULAR. pic.twitter.com/vPgfHR8iMI— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 6, 2024
Jeanty followed that performance with another impressive showing, racking up 26 carries for 259 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-24 victory over Washington State on September 28.
“There are no egos in our offense or on our team,” Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson told The Associated Press after the win over Utah State. “It’s about ‘What does the team need?’ That’s the mindset we have, especially with a leader like Ashton Jeanty. He was waiting for me on Tuesday before practice to see if he could contribute on special teams.”
Broncos Rarely Take RBs in First Round
The Broncos have seldom selected running backs in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The last instance was in 2009, when they chose Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno with the 12th overall pick. Prior to Moreno, the team’s last first-round running back was Oklahoma’s Steve Sewell, picked 26th overall in 1985.