The Denver Broncos may target a running back in the NFL draft this year, as the class is very deep and past names like Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, players like Jeremy Langford, Ameer Abdullah, Duke Johnson, Tevin Coleman and David Cobb could be options for Peyton Manning and this comes as the team is hoping that they can sign Demaryius Thomas to a contract over a holdout.
The Broncos are coming into the offseason after a disappointing playoffs performance and they are looking to keep things going with Peyton Manning. The team has Gary Kubiak taking over as head coach for John Fox and that will put pressure on Manning and the team to get back to the Super Bowl. According to Pro Football Talk, the team is looking at the running back position as a main focus heading into the NFL draft this year.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford has met with the Broncos and he could be a potential mid-round pick for the team. The Broncos pick towards the back end of the first round and while Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley could be available, the team also has other needs. With the RB class deep, the Broncos can afford to wait to take a player at the position and they may go after an offensive lineman, wide receiver or linebacker.
The Broncos have Montee Ball along with CJ Anderson, Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson, but the team dealt with injuries last year and may want to add even more depth. The draft class is very deep this year and there should be some mid round players that likely would have been second round picks in other years. Langford is an option for the Broncos, as he is part of that second tier and he had a strong career in college at Michigan State.
The Broncos took one Big Ten back in Montee Ball and now they could look at some others. Cobb and Coleman have been getting attention from teams, with the Cowboys bringing in Coleman for a visit after he set school records at Indiana. Langford had 1522 yards last season and scored 22 touchdowns and he also had an average of over five yards per carry. Langford was the main starter the last two seasons and he had 1422 yards in 2013 and scored 40 touchdowns in his MSU career.
According to PFT, Langford had 100 yards or more in 10 straight games last season and he could be looked at as a target for the Broncos. Ameer Abdullah is a versatile back and after his strong season at Nebraska, he should get some attention in the draft as well. The Broncos rushed for 11 yards per game last season, but they ranked 15th in the league in that category.
Peyton Manning could use a more consistent rushing attack and the team also has Demaryius Thomas to sign back. Thomas has the franchise tag on him and the sides have until the summer to work out a deal. There is a chance that Thomas could play on the one year franchise deal over signing a long term contract.