With the 203rd overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft the Denver Broncos selected running back De’Angelo Henderson from Coastal Carolina, their first running back in this draft.
By selecting Henderson, the Broncos have now used all but two draft selections on offense, clearly looking to continue to reload their offense with scoring threats.
Henderson comes out of Coastal Carolina leaving behind a great legacy. He set school records in rushing yards (4,635), touchdowns (58) and yards per rush attempt (6.43). In 2015, he was named the Big South Offensive Player of the Year.
Measuring in at 5-foot-7 and 208 pounds, Henderson has good size and frame for a running back in the NFL. He possesses good vision and is quick to hit the hole without hesitation. Henderson measured well at the NFL Scouting Combine as well, running a 4.49 40-yard dash and putting up 20 bench press reps.
Despite his smaller size, Henderson has not been afraid to grind out extra yards and lowers his shoulder instead of running away from contact.
Henderson has some adjustments to make at the next level, particularly when running between the tackles. Derailed by injuries in 2016, his durability was also put in to question after his numbers dipped from 2015 to 2016.
Some also question his production, wondering if he could duplicate those numbers in a larger, more competitive conference.
After trading away Kapri Bibbs earlier in the day, the Broncos needed depth at the running back position and have appropriately address it with selecting Henderson. Henderson will join a backfield that consists of: starter C.J. Anderson, former fourth rounder Devontae Booker, Juwan Thomspon, and Bernard Pierce.
Bronco fans hope that Henderson can have a significant career the way another sixth round Bronco running back did.