With two preseason games left to play, the Denver Broncos still have some tough decisions to make when it comes to forming their initial 53-man roster. The most interesting decisions will come at the running back position.
With six running backs on the roster who all have a case to be on the team, the Broncos are going to have to part with a player or two that they don’t really want to part with. J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey hold two spots on the roster and with the team expected to keep four running backs, that leaves four players fighting for two spots.
Ahead of last week’s preseason opener against San Francisco, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime would have been the favorites for those spots. But with the way Tyler Badie and Blake Watson played in that game, that could now be flipped.
Will the Denver Broncos keep just three running backs, or try to squeeze in a fourth? Will Tyler Badie beat out Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime? | The Rundown with @RichieCarni pic.twitter.com/cf27UEPmhl
— Denver Sports 104.3 (@DenSports1043) August 16, 2025
All four running backs should get ample opportunity to state their case in the last two preseason games, but Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report feels that McLaughlin should be kept off the final roster.
“Much has been made of the battle between veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey to start at running back for the Denver Broncos in 2025. What has flown under the radar a bit is the logjam the team now has at the position.
Someone is going to be the odd man out—and that could be third-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin.
McLaughlin is a decent player. He set the NCAA’s all-time rushing record at Youngstown State and averaged a respectable 4.4 yards a pop on 113 carries in 2024. He’s also a capable receiver out of backfield.
But Harvey and Dobbins are locks to make the roster. Audric Estime, who was drafted by the current regime a year ago, likely is as well. Assuming the Broncos carry four running backs into the regular season, that leaves one roster spot for either McLaughlin, Tyler Badie or Blake Watson.
With Badie and Watson impressing in camp, McLaughlin’s days in the Mile High City could be numbered”, wrote Davenport.
It would be tough for the Broncos to cut McLaughlin. He was undrafted in 2023 and is definitely on the smaller side as far as running backs are concerned, but he also answers the bell every time his number is called. In 2023, he was probably the team’s most explosive running back and last year he posted respectable numbers despite still not being a huge part of the Denver offense.
McLaughlin has rushed for 906 yards in his first two seasons, but the best number on the stat sheet is the 4.8 yards per carry that he has averaged. He also had 55 career receptions and four receiving touchdowns.
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Davenport’s assumption that Estime is a “lock” to make the roster is a bit off as well. Estime is on the roster bubble as much as anyone in Denver, even if he was part of last year’s draft class. He’s still young, but if the Broncos are picking between McLaughlin and Estime, McLaughlin is probably the safer bet.
The Broncos will closely evaluate these running backs in the last two preseason games, starting with one against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. It seems inevitable that some tough cuts will be made, but one could argue that out of the four running backs in question, McLaughlin should be the one in the safest position.
If the Broncos were to cut McLaughlin, they would have to hope he slipped through waivers without being claimed in order to put him back on the practice squad, but that would probably be wishful thinking.
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