After going undrafted out of Youngstown State last spring, running back Jaleel McLaughlin signed with the Denver Broncos and quickly impressed the team’s coaching staff.
Despite his size (5-8, 187 pounds) and small-school resume, McLaughlin won a spot on the team’s 53-man roster as a third-string running back. After getting 107 touches as a rookie, McLaughlin wants a bigger role in 2024.
Broncos coach Sean Payton has taken note of the RB’s dedication this offseason.
“I think his continued growth,” Payton said on June 4 when asked what McLaughlin has to do in order to carve out a larger role. “You see him protecting the football and he is very disciplined as a change-of-pace route runner. I know he wants to continue to work on his role in the passing game.
“He’ll come up and wear me out asking for cut ups and looking at certain routes. So, it’s one-to-two. But he’s here at 5:15 [a.m.], even in the offseason, [and is the] first one here running in the weight room. By the time he’s at breakfast and most people are arriving, he’s put in a good hour and a half’s worth of work. It’s just the way he’s wired, and it’s impressive.”
That mentality will serve McLaughlin well going into his second season. After drafting Audric Estimé and signing Blake Watson as a college free agent, Denver has a crowded running back depth chart. McLaughlin seems like a lock to make the team, the question is whether or not he’ll get more touches in his second season. He’s certainly making a good impression by doing everything right off the field. We’ll see if it leads to a larger workload.
