Denver Broncos’ Season Plans For Rookie RB Ronnie Hillman
Ronnie Hillman, RB San Diego State (Round 3, Pick 67 Overall)
The Denver Broncos sent the Cleveland Browns their third-round pick, No. 87 overall, and a fourth-rounder (No. 120) in order to move up to pick 67 to select RB Ronnie Hillman. A workhorse for the Aztecs, Hillman finished his college career with 3,243 yards rushing. That’s third on the school’s all-time list, trailing only Marshall Faulk (4,589 yards) and Larry Ned (3,462).
Hillman stands at 5’9″ and 200 pounds and ran a 4.4. His best qualities are his determination, hard work, and quickness.
Hillman will more than likely serve as the backup for Willis McGahee, who led the team in rushing with 1,199 yards last season, but I could see him finding playing time and he could end up being one of newly acquired Broncos QB Peyton Manning’s favorite targets out of the backfield. He will battle Knowshon Moreno for playing time and to be the change of pace back to McGahee. Hillman reminds me a lot of Joseph Addai and the Broncos may have been trying to bring in a similar back that Manning had alongside while with the Indianapolis Colts.
My prediction for Hillman is that he will receive about 5 carries a game and have an opportunity to also catch 3-4 passes a game. I see him in on 3rd downs if he develops into a great blocker in pass protection. I could also see Hillman collecting 80 carries for 300+ yards and catch 30 receptions for 200+ yards. I just firmly believe that Moreno’s time may have came to an end in Denver as he has been a bust since being drafted in the 12th pick in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
John Fox has always done well with multiple talented backs and I hope that trend continues in Denver.
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