Jaleel McLaughlin, the Youngstown State running back who went undrafted last spring, signed with the Denver Broncos and quickly made an impression on 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 McLaughlin’s dedication this offseason. “I think his continued growth is what he needs to do to carve out a larger role,” Payton said on June 4 when asked what McLaughlin has to do in order to get more touches. “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.”
McLaughlin’s mentality will serve him well going into his second season with the Broncos, which have a crowded running back depth chart after drafting Audric Estimé and signing Blake Watson as a college free agent. Whether or not he’ll get more touches in his second season remains to be seen, but McLaughlin seems like a lock to make the team based on his impressive performance last year and his dedication during offseason training.
