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Melvin Gordon III 2022 NFL Player Outlook: Likely The 1B Role In Denver's New Look Offense
3 years agoAfter two productive seasons in Denver, Melvin Gordon III signed a one-year, $4 million deal to remain with the Broncos in 2022. The difference between this season, and the two previous ones, is that Gordon is likely to play more of a 1B role. It'll be Javonte Williams, likely, commanding more than 50% of the opportunities if even just due to Gordon's age (29). Williams was selected 35th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to be the heir apparent to MGIII, but the Broncos clearly believe the veteran still has some juice left in the tank. His opportunities went down slightly from 2020 (17.3) to 2021 (15.1) due to the presence of Williams, but he still managed to churn out 1,131 total yards and 10 touchdowns. In fact, Gordon hasn't scored fewer than nine total touchdowns. The chances of him fading away completely in an offense led by Russell Wilson, even at age 29, is highly unlikely. The opportunities per game could decrease yet again, but it's unlikely they fall below 10-12 per game. Gordon has finished as an RB2 each of the past two seasons, which may not be the case in 2022 if the opportunities regress. Consider him a standalone RB3 with top-15 upside should Williams be forced to miss any time in 2022.
