Javonte Williams 2023 Outlook
George Paton and the Denver Broncos’ front office had designs on using Williams as a three-down back in 2022. Williams was off to a decent start before suffering multiple tears in his right knee in Week 4, cutting his season short. It was the start of an excruciatingly long season for the Broncos’ offense, which had multiple other injuries at running back while dealing with, um, quarterback-related problems as well. Provided Williams is healthy (and uncertainty regarding the timetable for his return explains his ranking here), we like him to have at least a modest bounce-back year in 2023. Former backfield mate Melvin Gordon is out of the picture. Denver reinforced its offensive line. Most important of all, Sean Payton has taken over, giving Williams, Russell Wilson and company one of the most experienced coaches in the NFL and one of the smartest offensive minds. The Broncos may have the best receiver depth in the league, but Payton can be trusted to utilize Williams in all the right ways. Just watch out for new No. 2 back Samaje Perine peeling off some carries after reviving his career in Cincinnati.
Javonte Williams 2022 Outlook
Williams was a pleasant surprise as a rookie in 2021. Many think he's on the verge of becoming a star in the Denver offense. The question is whether he'll get the chances to make that happen. New coach Nathaniel Hackett was asked by reporters in March whether the Broncos will find a tailback to split carries with Williams. "I think with any running back, you always want to have as many as you can," Hackett said. "You want a big stable." Hackett continued: "You want to have a guy that you can feed and make sure he gets a lot. He's still a young player, and he's still learning. You want to make sure you can split it as much as you can. I think last year, we had a great -- actually, a lot of the places that I've been, there's always been kind of two guys because you always want to try to split the load as much as you can. At the same time, he's a great player. We'll just have to see how the whole thing goes. ..." In April, the team re-signed Melvin Gordon. Last year, Williams and Gordon had 203 attempts each, exactly. Gordon gained 918 rushing yards; William gained 903. Williams added 316 as a receiver. Gordon had 213. While Williams is still our preferred option here, the price will remain high and Gordon will be a limiting factor. Keep it in mind when investing in Williams early.
Javonte Williams 2021 Outlook
The Broncos identified their guy and made a move to go get him. Denver traded up with Atlanta to the 35th overall pick to select North Carolina's Williams on night two of April's draft. ... Per NFL.com, Williams compares favorably to a current NFL star: Cleveland's Nick Chubb. Williams runs with power, sending defenders flying upon contact before bursting through open space for big gains. NFL Media's Lance Zierlein compared Williams to another Browns back, Kareem Hunt, who runs with similar violence and explosion. His physical presence helped him compile the most missed tackles per rush (0.48) in the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2014, per Pro Football Focus, and it should make him an immediate contributor with the Broncos. Williams joins a backfield led by Melvin Gordon, who is entering his second season with the Broncos and whose presence essentially forced former undrafted darling Phillip Lindsay out the side door to free agency. Williams will challenge Gordon and brings depth to the backfield, making Denver's rushing attack legitimate from the start of the season. With Gordon's contract set to expire after this season, it's easy to see a future in which Williams becomes Denver's three-down back, making an impact in the running and passing game.
