The Denver Broncos have a young group of receivers. They needed a running back after losing Phillip Lindsay to the Houston Texans. They got that running back through a trade in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday. Denver traded up to No. 35 with the Atlanta Falcons to grab North Carolina running back Javonte Williams.
Denver traded into No. 35 to draft NC RB Javonte Williams.
Atlanta traded No. 35 and No. 219 to Denver for pick 40 and Denver’s fourth at No. 114. https://t.co/ontfpcSusF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 30, 2021
Javonte Williams is a tough, shifty and versatile running back. He has open-field speed, he makes the first man miss, and he bounces off tacklers after the first point of contact. He gives the Broncos a valuable weapon, presumably for quarterback Drew Lock.
The Broncos seem committed to Lock, given that they did not pick a quarterback at No. 9 in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday. There have been rumors that Denver was in the running to acquire Green Bay Packers quarterback and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, but Green Bay has been adamant that it will not trade its superstar. Rodgers has also offered hints that he might simply retire instead of playing for another team in 2021.
This is what Broncos fans can look forward to with Javonte Williams. He made tons of big plays for North Carolina last season, but no run was more spectacular or impressive than this one against Miami, on a day when the Tar Heels scored over 60 points and ran wild.
Notice that Williams — while not a massive, hulking back such as Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans — can still truck-stick opposing defenders. He is balletic and elusive, but he can bring the hammer when necessary:
It's a delightfully diverse package Denver fans should really enjoy. The obvious concern with the Broncos is not the running back, nor the health of the wide receiver group, but the quality of the quarterback in 2021. Denver has to solve that position in order for a talent such as Javonte Williams to flourish, and for this proud franchise to return to the playoffs.
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