Following the 2024 NFL draft, Memphis running back Blake Watson was one of the top college free agents available, and the Denver Broncos managed to sign him as part of their UDFA class.
After rushing 26 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in preseason and adding two receptions for 41 yards, Watson made Denver’s 53-man roster. He’s on the squad, but Watson might be a candidate for the inactive list early in the season.
“[He is a] developmental running back,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said last week. “He has ‘Joker’ traits. I’d say he’s strong in traffic. When you just watch his preseason runs, they’re unremarkable if you will, but then when you watch them in a row, there’s power with his finish.
“He had these rare times, 4.31, 11.2 and all these blue marks. Then you see his ball skills. I think he fell behind a little bit at the start with his injury, but we felt strongly it was going to be hard for us to clear him through waivers. That was based on the six or seven teams that we were competing with [to sign him this spring]. That’s where he’s at today.”
Right now, Watson is behind Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime on the depth chart, so he probably won’t have a big role right out of the gate. Backfields can change quickly in the NFL, though, so we can’t rule out the possibility of Watson getting opportunities this fall. As things stand, Watson is one to watch for the future.
