Today’s question about the Broncos comes from Jeff Lantz:
Q: My question is will Denver draft a higher-profile running back in this year’s draft or see what they have in and ?
A: Jeff, the Broncos are certainly on track to add a running back in next weekend’s draft.
Just how high of a profile that new back has remains to be seen. That said, there is some depth on the board overall at the position, but that depth really comes through in the second and third rounds — i.e., the second day of the draft.
Alabama’s Trent Richardson is the unquestioned top RB on the board. He’s got it all — strength, speed, power, elusiveness, a quality blocker, can catch the ball and he played in the program most NFL teams believe is the best right now at preparing future professional players.
Boise State’s Doug Martin could sneak into the bottom of the first round and figures to be the next back taken after Richardson — or should be, anyway.
The Broncos have looked hard at Martin and like what they have seen. He would be a consideration with their pick at No. 25 if the board didn’t shake out defensively at that point, especially if a run on defensive tackles happens and players that remain at the position have second-round grades.
They’ve also looked at San Diego State’s Ronnie Hillman and Washington’s Chris Polk, though Polk has a significant medical red flag because of multiple shoulder surgeries.
Another back worthy of a down-the-board look is Temple’s Bernard Pierce, a 218-pounder who clocked a 4.49 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. Pierce has had plenty of this-and-that type injuries in his career, so some evaluators are a little concerned he can’t consistently keep himself on the field. But he had two 1,300-yard rushing seasons and scored 27 rushing touchdowns this past season alone.
Utah State’s Robert Turbin is another intriguing back because he certainly has the look and the lower-body power that running back coaches covet. He has missed almost two full seasons with injuries — a torn ACL in 2010 and a foot injury in 2007 — but he ran for 1,296 yards in 2009 and 1,517 last season.
In the right offense, he could be a productive, no-frills back who strings together first downs.
The Broncos liked what they saw from Fannin — it’s hard not to like a 231-pound back who ran back-to-back 4.37 40s at the combine in 2011 — before he suffered his season-ending knee injury in training camp. He is part of the equation this time around as well.
Overall, though, they want more power in the run game and somebody who could spell on early downs if they choose. Last season, especially after was hurt, they basically had McGahee and a group of situational players on the depth chart.
They want another early-down runner in that mix who could then play on third down if needed. To be that guy, Fannin will have to show more decisiveness heading into the line of scrimmage.
He had 97 career receptions at Auburn, including 42 in ’09, so he has some potential there, but he’s really going to have to show up in training camp as a runner willing to get it up the field quickly and use his 231 pounds to make a lane if he’s going to carve out a roster spot.
The Broncos know what they have in Johnson — a situational player whose best fit is really on third-down or long-yardage situations.
Overall, with Moreno still a ways off from recovering from his ACL injury, the Broncos want another threat in their play-action run game beyond McGahee. McGahee certainly powered the Broncos’ running game this past season on the way to a Pro Bowl trip as an injury replacement, but he will turn 31 during the upcoming season.
And for an NFL running back, that means the clock is ticking.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
