ENGLEWOOD \u2014 Broncos running backs pinched white towels in bent elbows to protect quarterback Bo Nix.<\/p>\n
Lou Ayeni offers an explanation.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 hands up \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get young guys or guys who haven\u2019t pass protected very well at a high level. Everything is about being tight and being inside. It\u2019s like a boxer, right? You want to keep your hands up and protect your chin,\u201d Ayeni told The Denver Gazette. \u201cThe chin to a boxer is like the chest to a football player. I don\u2019t want these big, strong linebackers to throw me around. … I put the towels underneath, so they don\u2019t get (wide), because you have no power like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, the elbows are tight, and we can deliver what I call a \u20186-inch punch\u2019 right into their chest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ayeni\u2019s 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\u2019t forget about second-round rookie RJ Harvey.<\/p>\n
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Broncos Running Back RJ Harvey (37) runs drills on the last day of the Broncos minicamp on Thursday, June 12, 2025<\/p>\n
Stephen Swofford<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, coach Sean Payton chastised any reporter who determined a pecking order in minicamp.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, don\u2019t start counting. I\u2019ve heard you guys counting. And it\u2019s like, don\u2019t count, because half of you will be wrong,\u201d Payton said last week. \u201cLet\u2019s just see what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n The running back position battle is up for grabs ahead of training camp next month at Broncos Park.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fun to have these guys here competing. It matches our football team,\u201d Ayeni told The Denver Gazette. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some good battles going, and our room is no different. It\u2019s a bunch of guys who are hungry and want to help us keep moving forward. We\u2019ve got a good competition going on in there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sean Payton draws on Bill Parcells for conditioning techniques in Broncos offseason<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Dobbins, 26, observed minicamp and ran light drills following Thursday practice.<\/p>\n \u201cYou just see a talented player who can play in any system,\u201d Ayeni said. \u201cHe\u2019s got a veteran presence. I think that\u2019s going to be a real big thing with this young room. You\u2019ve got a guy who has walked it, talked it and done it. … He was a problem for us to deal with as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n The Broncos drafted Harvey at No. 60 overall in the NFL draft from the University of Central Florida.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a dynamic player, explosive, who can make plays from anywhere on the field. You\u2019re hoping that translates,\u201d Ayeni said. \u201cWhen you get him out here, you\u2019re more impressed with the attitude, mindset, temperament, and intent to get better every day. That\u2019s what\u2019s been cool for me. Because he comes out here with the purpose of getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Your daily report on everything sports in Colorado – covering the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.\n <\/p>\n Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.<\/p>\n Broncos Running back Audric Estime (23) runs drills on the last day of the Broncos minicamp on Thursday, June 12, 2025<\/p>\n Stephen Swofford<\/a><\/p>\n Estime, a fifth-round pick in 2024, flashed promise at times as a rookie. He was inactive for Denver\u2019s wild-card playoff loss in January. Estime averaged 4.1 yards per carry over 13 game appearances.<\/p>\n \u201cThe experience helps him a lot,\u201d Ayeni said. \u201cWe\u2019re 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\u2019ve got to protect the two most important things in our program. Number one, you\u2019ve got to protect the football. Number two, you\u2019ve got to protect the quarterback.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you protect those two things, everything else will work itself out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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