After being caught up in the offseason saga involving where quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be suiting up this next season, the Denver Broncos made a sneaky addition in this year’s NFL Draft to grab their running back of the future. With UNC’s Javonte Williams being followed by his teammate Michael Carter into the league to the Jets, Williams joins Melvin Gordon in the backfield, providing head coach Vic Fangio with a legitimate two-headed monster behind Teddy Bridgewater.

The Broncos were looked at as a likely landing spot for one of the top QBs in this year’s draft, and they even passed up the opportunity to select Justin Fields, going with Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II instead. While Fangio certainly is defensive in nature, the front office’s inability to address the offense in the first round may be a decision that haunts them for years to come.

Williams comes from an up-tempo Tar Heels offense, one that he rushed for over 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns on in his junior season. Alongside Carter, Williams helped break the mold of UNC not necessarily being known for producing draftable offensive talent, and both he and Carter were able to co-exist with one another, potentially providing a look into what a backfield that includes both Gordon and Williams may look like.

Gordon is heading into the final year of his contract, but he projects to at least be a solid option that could become the second fiddle before the year is over. Even though Gordon signed with a bellcow outlook last offseason, he certainly benefits more from a tandem backfield, seeing as how Phillip Lindsay, who departed for the Houston Texans this offseason, earned around eight carries per game.

The Broncos did not use the 35th overall selection just to sit a player, so Williams figures to see playing time right out of the game, something that can help Bridgewater acclimate to this offense. With surging sophomore Jerry Jeudy and proven veteran Courtland Sutton as pass catchers, as well as upstart tight end Noah Fant, this offense certainly has the right pieces in the right places to surprise in a very competitive AFC West division.

Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos

2021 Projections

191 carries / 882 yards / 6 TDs / 25 receptions / 207 yards / 2 TDs

Expecting a fast start for Williams out of the gate may not be a reality, especially if/when the temporary commitment to Gordon slows down the hype train. If looking for a potential upstart rookie with the skills to take over a starting role in Week 5, Williams may very easily be that guy, especially if Gordon ends up taking a productivity nose dive or gets schemed out of his starting role amount of touches.

However, even if he does have a slow start to the season due to scheme and play calling, Williams can easily prove his coaches wrong for holding him back and immediately slide into the starting role. If keeping Gordon healthier by having him fill out an RB2 role helps make this offense more efficient, then hopefully the coaching staff would understand the importance of ushering in the future, today.

The Broncos cannot afford to waste another season struggling in their division – with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert as the two best QBs in the division, they are only going to get better, meaning that the window of competition is closing fast. A stout defense seems to be the reason why they are kept in many games, something that can be tied to Fangio being this team’s head coach, but it is time for the offense to be able to finally take some heat off that unit’s shoulders.

Putting up just under 1,100 total yards would be an absolutely great start to his career in Denver, especially with that total being on top of whatever Gordon produced. Handing over just short of a 200-carry workload to a rookie is no easy thing to do, yet proving his worth is exactly what Williams should look to do in his rookie season.

A competent rushing attack will only help maximize Bridgewater's efficiency in his first season with the team, which also will help keep Fant, Jeudy, and Sutton on track to forming a solid passing attack. By integrating Williams and his fresh legs into the offense, it can help spread the pressure amongst more bodies, ultimately helping keep everyone more efficient in the long run.

If Denver wants to try and set itself up to keep its head above water in 2021, then pushing Williams into a starting role sooner rather than later is the easiest way to make that happen. The time is now to usher in the future for the Broncos, and while there were two backs taken from North Carolina, giving Williams the chance to prove he is the better option when compared to Carter can happen as soon as the regular season begins.