ENGLEWOOD — Broncos running backs pinched white towels in bent elbows to protect quarterback Bo Nix.
Lou Ayeni offers an explanation.
The third-year running backs coach discussed the practice drill last week during mandatory minicamp at Broncos Park. It begins with players upright in a blocking posture — hands up — with towels hanging from elbow creases. The ball is snapped. A coach-held blocking pad simulates a pass rusher. The running back must engage the pad while keeping the towels secure.
“You get young guys or guys who haven’t pass protected very well at a high level. Everything is about being tight and being inside. It’s like a boxer, right? You want to keep your hands up and protect your chin,” Ayeni told The Denver Gazette. “The chin to a boxer is like the chest to a football player. I don’t want these big, strong linebackers to throw me around. … I put the towels underneath, so they don’t get (wide), because you have no power like that.
“So, the elbows are tight, and we can deliver what I call a ‘6-inch punch’ right into their chest.”
Ayeni’s towel drill is one small piece of a complicated puzzle to determine running back hierarchy. Who will carry the load in 2025? Denver moved on from Javonte Williams and signed J.K. Dobbins in free agency. Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime return from last season. Don’t forget about second-round rookie RJ Harvey.
Broncos Running Back RJ Harvey (37) runs drills on the last day of the Broncos minicamp on Thursday, June 12, 2025
Of course, coach Sean Payton chastised any reporter who determined a pecking order in minicamp.
“No, don’t start counting. I’ve heard you guys counting. And it’s like, don’t count, because half of you will be wrong,” Payton said last week. “Let’s just see what they do.”
The running back position battle is up for grabs ahead of training camp next month at Broncos Park.
“It’s fun to have these guys here competing. It matches our football team,” Ayeni told The Denver Gazette. “We’ve got some good battles going, and our room is no different. It’s a bunch of guys who are hungry and want to help us keep moving forward. We’ve got a good competition going on in there.”
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Dobbins, on paper, enters the offseason as a clear favorite to be the featured back. The sixth-year NFL running back averages 5.2 yards per carry in his career. He went over 1,000 yards of total offense with the Chargers last season. He also suffered major injuries previously, including a torn ACL and Achilles tendon.
Dobbins, 26, observed minicamp and ran light drills following Thursday practice.
“You just see a talented player who can play in any system,” Ayeni said. “He’s got a veteran presence. I think that’s going to be a real big thing with this young room. You’ve got a guy who has walked it, talked it and done it. … He was a problem for us to deal with as a team.”
The Broncos drafted Harvey at No. 60 overall in the NFL draft from the University of Central Florida.
“He’s a dynamic player, explosive, who can make plays from anywhere on the field. You’re hoping that translates,” Ayeni said. “When you get him out here, you’re more impressed with the attitude, mindset, temperament, and intent to get better every day. That’s what’s been cool for me. Because he comes out here with the purpose of getting better.”
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Broncos Running back Audric Estime (23) runs drills on the last day of the Broncos minicamp on Thursday, June 12, 2025
Estime, a fifth-round pick in 2024, flashed promise at times as a rookie. He was inactive for Denver’s wild-card playoff loss in January. Estime averaged 4.1 yards per carry over 13 game appearances.
“The experience helps him a lot,” Ayeni said. “We’re real high on the kid. We want this kid to be a good player for us for a long time. The biggest thing I keep reiterating to him is: You’ve got to protect the two most important things in our program. Number one, you’ve got to protect the football. Number two, you’ve got to protect the quarterback.
“If you protect those two things, everything else will work itself out.”
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McLaughlin enters his third NFL season as a trusted change-of-pace running back. The undrafted Youngstown State product appeared on 29% of the team’s total offensive snaps a year ago (296). He’s logged two rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns over the last two seasons. McLaughlin welcomes added competition at his position.
“I love it,” McLaughlin said. “RJ is a hard worker. He’s very smart. A great football player. I love when you bring guys like that into the running back room. He’s truly awesome and his time is coming, for sure. … All of these guys are great.”
McLaughlin sets the tone with his legendary work ethic.
What time did he arrive at Broncos Park for mandatory minicamp?
“I think I got here around 4:40 (am) or something,” McLaughlin recalled on Tuesday.
Ayeni said: “To get to this point in this league, there’s got to be some sort of crazy to you. You know?”
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Denver’s running back competition will be among the more debated topics in training camp. One certainty is that pass blocking will be at a premium. The Broncos do not have a running back listed taller than 5-foot-11 or heavier than 230 pounds. But proper techniques can overcome a size disadvantage.
Embrace the towels.
“There comes a certain point where you’ve got to just go meet force with force. But the technique will give you a chance,” Ayeni told The Denver Gazette. “Understanding who to block and where your eyes are will speed up this process, so you don’t have to take those shots. … The quicker you can see it, the faster you can get to the spot, the quicker you can get your hands up and use the technique.
“Now, you can win. I don’t care how big you are.”