Broncos’ Jaleel McLaughlin adds weight so he can get more yardage after contact

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin reviewed his 2024 work and knew he needed to do one thing better: Accumulate more yardage after contact.

His average per carry dropped from 5.4 yards to 4.4 — which still isn’t bad, but not where he wanted it to be. But a full half-yard of that can be found in the decline in his average yardage after contact, which dropped from 2.2 yards to 1.7, which was the lowest of any of the Broncos’ running backs with at least 10 carries.

Opportunities for breakaway, explosive runs — like one in Week 1 at Seattle last season — evaporated when he went down at first contact. And when McLaughlin reviewed his film, he knew that was where meat was left on the bone.

“After contact, being able to break tackles, being able to break more explosive runs,” he said.

That’s where he put his focus. Last year, it was on pass protection. This year, it was the wright room.

“I feel like I got better from Year One to Year Two in pass protection, cleaning up my eyes,” he said. “But now it’s just, ‘How can I be explosive in this offense?'”

So, he went to work.

“I didn’t take no time off,” he said.

And now McLaughlin stands at 199 pounds — 12 pounds above his listed weight on the Broncos’ roster.

He’ll never be built like RJ Harvey or Audric Estimé, of course. McLaughlin’s game is speed and quickness, and his body type doesn’t allow for him to carry the sort of bulk that those two backs too — particularly Estimé, who checks in at 227 pounds.

But there was room for McLaughlin to add to his 187-pound frame, especially if he wanted to handle more of the rigors of the NFL.

The question now is this: Does does the weight affect his speed? Because after all, his burst to the edge has always been one of his defining traits.

So far, he says, he feels the added bulk has — but not as you might expect.

“I feel like I got faster,” he said. “I feel like I got stronger, and I feel like I’m able to make those cuts, and it’s more efficient and it’s a stronger cut, and it’s more explosive, so, yeah, I feel great.”

PLAY OF THE DAY

Defensive plays don’t come much better than Talanoa Hufanga’s interception of Bo Nix during Friday’s practice, which saw him shoot forward for a lunging pick and return that would have been a touchdown in game conditions.

It was the type of explosive play that defined him during his time with the San Francisco 49ers — especially before the torn anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered 10 games into the 2023 season.

“If you really looked at his distance from the throw, I’ll bet it was like eight yards,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “So to be able to go up and catch that with a crowded look in front of him, I’m anxious to see it on film.

“… We made a comment in the offseason, there are certain players, the ball finds him, and he’s one of those guys. So, that play was sick.”

ATTENDANCE REPORT

Edge rusher Que Robinson was held out of practice once again. … Broncos inside linebackers Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton (thumb) and Drew Sanders (foot) remained sidelined.

BRONCOS CAMP NOTES

• Practice ended with the first “move-the-ball” period of training camp. The offense was given the ball with 1:48 left, possession at its 25-yard line, one timeout and a 23-17 deficit. The first-team offense drove 41 yards before the drive stalled, bogged down by an illegal-formation penalty and a Zach Allen sack that knocked it backwards.
• In the battle of No. 2 units, the second-team defense quickly took care of business. After a 5-yard Jarrett Stidham-to-Nate Adkins connection, Damarri Mathis ended matters by picking off Stidham after Pat Bryant slipped on his route. Setting up the errant throw was pressure from Broncos edge rusher Jonah Elliss.
• RJ Harvey had a solid day, turning upfield for some decent gains, including one where he made a sharp cutback on a sweep to the right for a gain that would have potentially been at least 10 yards in game conditions.
• Defensive lineman Enyi Uwazurike rotated in with the No. 1 defense and burst into the backfield on multiple occasions.
• The Broncos’ No. 2 offense struggled with pre-snap penalties. At one point, a pair of pre-snap infractions and a failed center-snap exchange led the coaches to temporarily relieve the unit from the team period and insert the No. 3 offense. Later, the No. 2 offense had three consecutive false-start infractions.

WHAT’S NEXT

A Saturday quasi-scrimmage. The session begins at 10 a.m. MDT.

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