Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - VALUE: Why Denver Broncos BENEFIT From J.K. Dobbins Return in 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 J.K. Dobbins was so valuable to the Broncos run game offense last season before his injury, and that's exactly why they brought him back in 2026. You are locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. What's up, Broncos country? I'm Cody York. Today's episode is brought to you by Fandu, and during the tournament, Fandu was offering $300 back in bonus bets every day for 10 days. Head of Fandu.com to get started as a today's show. we talk about J.K. Dobbins. Sean Payton highlighted that Dobbins was a priority over all others.

Starting point is 00:00:39 We're going to hear from Sean and kind of put that into a microscope a little bit. But we're going to kick things off by talking about how much JK truly meant to the Broncos run game offense last season. There's some interesting numbers that tell a little bit of a deeper story about that impact. And there's a reason why Denver brought him back because of his ability in the run game on top of him being a compound player here. So let's dive into it here. Broncos country. Week 10, we know the injury that J.K. suffered the Liz Frank injury. That was something that was out of his control. As Sean Peyton and George Payton have said, it's not soft tissue injuries that have been a problem for JK. That was the type of situation

Starting point is 00:01:13 where one defensive player drops all of his body weight onto your foot. It causes the break and required him to have surgery. I mean, he'd still finish the game against the Raiders on Thursday night despite that. But I think a lot of people and even JK himself have taken exception to the injury prone label. And I would say the problem would be if he was having hamstring injuries, quad injuries, all these soft tissue injuries consistently popping up, then I would say that. The injuries that have happened to JK, though, have been kind of these freak catastrophic ones. And he's always bounced back. He's always gotten stronger from that here. But when you look at the overall numbers from JK early on the season, week 10, he had around

Starting point is 00:01:50 700 something rushing yards at that point. He was a top five rusher in the NFL going into week 10 behind James Cook and a handful of other players. And he really was kind of the energizer bunny of getting the Broncos run game going here. He was averaging five yards per carry before his injury here. And they had a top five rushing offense prior to his injury. The moment that he got injured, Denver's rushing offense, they dipped off quite a bit. RJ Harvey Harvey had a little bit more of an extensive plate, more responsibilities in terms of what he had to learn inside the offense, what he had to become.

Starting point is 00:02:24 And the Broncos really didn't balance that run game production. amongst anybody else except RJ. I mean, they kept RJ as the primary run guy. They also used him a lot in the passing game. So he did have a little bit of a different role, but the Bronco was missed the dynamic of JK and RJ together. It was one of the more impressive young dynamics that we saw in the NFL last season. So what stood out to me about JK's production and obviously being a top five

Starting point is 00:02:49 rusher at the time prior to the injury, his production against stacked boxes. We're not talking about, you know, hey, he's finding a hole against a four-man defensive front. It's, hey, defenses are loading the box to stop the Broncos run game. They're daring them to try to throw. They're covering Cortland Sutton. They're daring them to throw to other players, but they're going to run. They're going to try to stack the box. They're going to try to stop it. So I have some numbers according to our friends over there at True Media against six men boxes, seven men boxes, eight man boxes, and nine men boxes. And I tell you what, JK's production against all of those is in an elite category when you talk about yards per carry

Starting point is 00:03:24 efficiency here. Let's start off with six-man boxes here. True Media says that JK last year against six-man boxes, he had 6.2 yards per carry on 33 total runs last season. That right there is efficient. And it just goes to show like, hey, six-man box is usually pretty light in today's NFL, right? And so he's succeeding against that. Six-point-two yards per carry. We would take that every day if I was calling plays offensive. It's say, you know what, let's find a way if we get this type of look, let's run. Maybe check into a run. You know, You got to balance your run pass from time to time. But when you start seeing seven-man boxes, eight-man boxes,

Starting point is 00:03:59 it really showcases the defense's effort to go out there and try to stop the run. Seven-man box production for JK last season, 5.0 yards per carry on 42 rushing attempts last season. That's a very good efficiency. Eight-man box, which is we are essentially allocating eight of our players to stop the run. We got three guys that are covering in the passing game if it happens to be a pass. stacked stacked box right there. 5.1 yards per carry folks on 38 rushing attempts for JK last season

Starting point is 00:04:30 against eight-man boxes. That level of efficiency is valuable here for Denver offensively. And I think going into 2026, it's a big reason why they also brought him back. He is a key for them unlocking the run game and being better. I think when you look at where they were at last year, making some tweaks to obviously the run game scheme that Sean Payton didn't feel very good about at the end of the season. So I'm curious to see how that maybe plays into

Starting point is 00:04:52 what we see offensively from them coming up into this upcoming season here. Then when you get into nine-man boxes, JK, once again, making something out of nothing often at times. And I did a film breakdown for the Everydayer Club where you see all the explosive runs that JK certainly had. There were some stacked boxes, nine-man boxes where he makes big time plays. 4.8 yards per carry on 33 runs against the nine-man box. JK, his numbers overall, when you look at the collectiveness of it,

Starting point is 00:05:19 the five yards per carry, that's one of the best in the best. NFL last season. That's efficient for where Denver was at and the fact that they got to week 10 with that type of efficiency, even though the run game, I would even say despite that, like, despite JK's production, the run game consistency, it wasn't good enough at times. And it could have gotten better. And maybe as the Broncos season went on and some of these other close games that they had, maybe the run game finally unlocked itself if JK never got hurt, right? That's always one thing we're going to be sitting here pondering. But there is a reason the Broncos decided to bring him back, not only because of his run game efficiency is because of what he brings to the locker

Starting point is 00:05:56 room to the team. He's a compound player. Sean Payton said, we're going to hear from Sean and why JK was a priority over all others here on today's episode of the show. Today's bonus episode, Lockdown Broncos is brought to you by friends over there at Fanduil. The tournament is here, and it's one of the best times of the year between brackets, buzzer beaters, and upsets. It's nonstop action from tip to the final cutdown. And right now, Fandul is giving new customers a way to stay in on the action all tournament long. Here's the best part about it, though, folks. You can get up to $300 back in bonus bets every day for 10 days.

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Starting point is 00:06:57 But ultimately, Broncos head coach Sean Payton says that J.K. Dobbins was a priority for them above all others. And I believe, Sean, even if Denver had interest, that doesn't necessarily mean that those other players were priorities over JK. But the Broncos and one thing that Sean dove into was the fact that JK, the reason he was a priority was because he's a compound player, what he does to the team. Not only just as a player, but he brings 10 other guys along with him. in a positive light, the impact that he has, the mentorship that I can tell you personally, he has inside that running back room there. He's a great leader. He's not a selfish guy.

Starting point is 00:07:32 He's willing to teach the younger guys like Deuce Vaughn, Tyler Badegh, little tips and tricks of the trade from what he's done. Like he's very much a guy who's willing to share his knowledge, his experience with some of the younger guys, even though we know the NFL, the business that it is, it's always competitive. And everyone's looking to start. everyone's looking to take your spot. That's what it is. But the Broncos culture is something that I think has kind of turned some things around from a perception standpoint,

Starting point is 00:07:59 from guys inside the locker room, how the locker room truly is, even if there is competition amongst players at positions, it's not ego. It's not selfish. There are a lot of guys that even if you're in a competition with somebody, they have so much genuine respect for one another in there. And it's competition. And at the end of the day, John has come in and has kind of set the standard of putting the teams needs before the individuals. And when you can get that collective buy-in from a group,

Starting point is 00:08:25 better things happen. Good things happen. That's why we've seen the Broncos turn things around. Even in 2024, they were able to rattle off 10 wins, despite the fact that they were struggling in a lot of one-score games. They found a way to win those types of games continue to evolve. They've overcome adversity. They won 11 straight games last season, which is one of the hardest things I think you can do in the NFL. They found a way to do that. And now it's going to make them better. When they are in tight-knit situations, their backs are against the wall, because you have a locker room and a culture that is built upon selflessness and, hey, the team, guys lock in, guys figure out. And Sean has done a great job of kind of milking that motivation from every single

Starting point is 00:09:04 player. And he does these things. You know, I think you go back to Pat Sertan's interview with the Julian Edelman podcast where he said, Sean goes into certain games with themes. Like one week, it was a bat game where it's going to require a hard hitting effort. You know, the Buffalo Bills game, it was oxygen takes because it's going to take four quarters and more. It's going to take every single breath that you can offer to be able to win that type of shootout. And exactly the Broncos did that. They outlasted and survived the bills in overtime and can't help but wonder if JK is healthy for the Broncos last season all year and in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:09:37 Maybe Denver does get to the Super Bowl. Maybe Denver wins the Super Bowl. We don't know. It's always going to be the biggest what if of the off season. But let's go to Broncos head coach Sean Payton earlier this week at the AFC coaches breakfast. when he talked about J.K. Dobbins and how he's a priority over all others. George and I, you know, we're all sitting in there going through the puzzle. And, yeah, I think there were certain priorities.

Starting point is 00:10:01 Dobbins was a priority ahead of all others. Now, that'll anger people. We know he's been injured. We understand. And the injuries haven't been soft tissue driven. But he's someone that's one of those, you know, those compound multipliers. like he brings 10 others along with him in a positive light. Like our success last year, he's got some fingerprints on that.

Starting point is 00:10:25 And that's true. I mean, his runs that he breaks off in key moments. You go back to week one against the Tennessee Titans. He had a breakaway touchdown. They really kind of broke things open for Denver in that game there. Philadelphia, I mean, there were a couple of times he put the Broncos on his back on a couple of key drives, especially late. He follows Ben Powers on a pole play.

Starting point is 00:10:46 and gets in for a touchdown. But yeah, I also look at his production. We talked about his numbers there, but you need an explosive play in the run game. JK is your guy. He's going to find a way to do that. He had 21 plays, 21 run plays folks of 10 plus yards last season. And they came at opportune times.

Starting point is 00:11:04 And there's times where it's against a nine-man box. And he has an inside handoff initially. He sees something. He bounced it to the outside. And he gets away from the defenders who are crashing inside the box right there. jk is going to make the smart play he doesn't turn the football over he does a really good job of protecting the ball there he is denver's best dynamic rusher and the broncos are banking on him staying healthy this upcoming season jk is as well and i'll tell you this is a guy who's motivated like last year in the buildup to the a fc championship game he's on

Starting point is 00:11:34 the practice field he's chatting with us media and saying you guys didn't think i was going to be back well want you guys to watch this now ultimately he didn't play that was the broncos decision not to play him and it was the smart decision because if Denver would have let Dobbins play, if they left it up to him, he would have played. And I don't know if that would have been good for him because he was at a little bit more risk of a re-rubster considering how fresh his surgery was. He had surgery in November. And we're talking about practicing and trying to play in January.

Starting point is 00:12:01 That timeline was very accelerated for JK. But him being on the practice field, having that energy and having that boost, this is a guy who loves the Denver Broncos. I think the fan base, even if they are concerned or skeptical about maybe. maybe his availability or durability. I think Broncos country also loves JK as well. He's a guy who's bought into the process and he says the right things, but he also does the right things as well.

Starting point is 00:12:24 And he's got a high standard for himself. He's got a high standard for the Broncos run game and the offense. Because I do remember after that Thursday night game, we really had no idea that he was injured, right? We're in there. I'm talking to him in the post game locker room interview. And we're talking about the Broncos offense lugging it out and a 10-7 win against the Raiders.

Starting point is 00:12:43 and he said, the fans deserve better. Like, we are going to be better. Like, this is not our standard how we want to play on the offensive side of the ball. We got to be better in the run game. I got to be better. We're going to change this Broncos country. And then a couple of days later, you know, he puts the tweet out about the hip drop tackle and just being angry. And then it's like, oh, now JK's going to miss the rest of the season.

Starting point is 00:13:02 It sucked the wind out of the sales for Broncos country. And it forced his team to adapt. But behind the scenes, JK had such a monumental role. Even though he had surgery, he was in the team facility going through his rehab. still in team meetings, working with RJ Harvey, working with running backs coach, Lou Iiani on getting these other guys ready. That's the type of dude that JK is that people don't really get to know outside of saying, hey, he's the Broncos running back.

Starting point is 00:13:26 But those are things that I know of JK. And that's like why I feel like my job as a reporter. I want to try to bring Broncos country as close as I can to things that maybe you don't get to see on the day to day, things that I don't even feel like a lot of us get a see on the beat unless we build relationships. but JK is a very, very confident player in his ability. And I think when you look at his numbers, as we talked about earlier, he can have a positive impact on this team.

Starting point is 00:13:50 How does that change now with Davis Webb? What does that approach look like? Is there going to be more run-pass balance? And if so, and if JK stays healthy, I believe the Broncos will have a top five rushing offense in 2026. And there's a chance they could even have a top five offense. If the run game is there and it complements Bo Nix in the passing game and J. Loadingto's addition all of a sudden means of the

Starting point is 00:14:10 Broncos have this explosive downfield offense that has the ability to gash you with the run game as well. It's a finesse. Like they'll take these little cuts like death by 1,000 paper cuts. And then they'll just gash you, you know, right when you're least expecting it, Denver's going to be a dangerous team. And JK is going to be a very important part of what they do here going forward. But Broncos, that'll wrap up today's bonus episode, lockdown Broncos. Appreciate you so much for Rock with us. Make sure if you haven't done so already, if you're interested in supporting the show, the best way to do that. Join the Every Day or Club. There's the member version. There's the All Access Club.

Starting point is 00:14:41 Both versions get you an ad-free version of the show, but All Access gets you access to all 22 film breakdowns. You also get access to our Discord, one-on-one texting with Sarah and myself. You get exclusive discounts on Lockdown Merchandise as well, plus so much more. So if you want to support the show, check it out. Lockdownbroncos.com. Sarah and myself will be back on Monday for a brand new episode of the show. Broncos Country.

Starting point is 00:15:03 Enjoy your weekend.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - VALUE: Why Denver Broncos BENEFIT From J.K. Dobbins Return in 2026

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