Javonte Williams Expected to Be Workhorse for Denver Broncos

There’s a new era beginning in the Denver Broncos backfield, and it could be coming sooner than some expected. 

Second-round pick Javonte Williams has the inside track to handle the bulk of the carries for the Broncos this season. While Denver has Melvin Gordon under contract for the 2021 season, Williams should have a major role after the team let Phillip Lindsay walk in free agency. 

"If Gordon has a productive training camp, I see a situation where he takes the first snap/series of the game and the Broncos ease Williams into a bigger role each week," the Denver Post’s Ryan O'Halloran wrote.

If Williams ends up leading the Broncos in rushing attempts as early as this season, it likely means Gordon, who is in the final year of a two-year deal, won’t be back with the team in 2022. 

WynnBET still sees Denver’s backfield as a timeshare at the moment, as both Gordon and Williams have +20000 odds to lead the league in rushing yards this season. 

Still, this is great news for Williams’ Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, and he’s currently a great value at +2000 odds. Williams was a dominant runner at the University of North Carolina, as he ran for 1,140 yards last season while averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

Considering that three of the last six players to win Offensive Rookie of the Year have been running backs, Williams is a solid value as the No. 2 running back behind Najee Harris (+1600) on WynnBET’s odds list. 

The Broncos certainly want to see if Williams can be a workhorse for the future, and Denver needs to find a way to jump start an offense that totaled the 10th-fewest yards in the NFL last season. 

WynnBET has the Broncos projected to win 8.5 games this season with the over (-130) as the favorite to the under (+110). That’s a major improvement from last season’s 5-11 record, but Denver is still not expected to make the playoffs, as they have just +155 odds to make the field and -210 odds to miss.