Ronnie Hillman

Hillman served as Denver's lead back at various points over the past two seasons, typically vying with C.J. Anderson for backfield supremacy. Although the two continued to share work late last season, Anderson vastly outplayed his teammate down the stretch and into the playoffs, leading to a reward in the form of a four-year, $18 million contract this past offseason. Hillman, on the other hand, settled for a one-year deal worth approximately $2 million, despite logging more carries, rushing yards and touchdowns than Anderson did last season. The major caveat is that Hillman enjoyed good health throughout the year, whereas Anderson was severely limited by a foot injury early in the season, but then proved superior once healthy. Anderson enters camp as the unquestioned lead back.

A 2012 third-round pick, Hillman saw his workload increase last year following the departure of Knowshon Moreno, but shoulder and foot injuries limited him to just eight games and prevented him from fully seizing his opportunity. A 5-10, 195-pound scatback, Hillman doesn't possess great top-end speed and is only adequate as a receiver, but his burst, balance and agility make him a consistent threat to get to the second level. He has the skills to be a three-down back rather than just a change-of-pace option. While he was on the shelf in the second half, however, C.J. Anderson claimed the starting job in Denver, and incoming coach Gary Kubiak has a long track record of avoiding committees. Hillman will battle Montee Ball for backup snaps, but unless Anderson gets hurt or stumbles badly, there might not be many backup snaps to go around.

Hillman saw very little use last year behind Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball – so little that he sat out six games while perfectly healthy – but has a chance to make a far greater impact this season, as Moreno's left town, promoting Ball to primary back and Hillman to third-down man. At 5-10, 195, Hillman's a scat back with more receiving skills than between-the-tackles ability, and his career's been derailed to this point by fumbling and blocking issues, which will again be at the forefront this year as he tries to hold off third-stringer C.J. Anderson for touches. This is Hillman's third NFL campaign, and it's getting to be a do-or-die situation. He's got the hands and the speed to be a major PPR asset, and the Broncos clearly have that Darren Sproles-esque role in mind for him if he proves he can hold onto the ball and play well away from it.

With the aging Willis McGahee and inconsistent Knowshon Moreno both coming off knee injuries, Hillman might have had a shot at a bigger role – that is, until the team drafted Montee Ball to be its lead back in the second round. At 5-9, 185, Hillman didn't gain the trust of the Broncos coaching staff as a pass protector during his rookie year and saw only 211 regular-season snaps as a result. But if Hillman can learn to keep Peyton Manning clean, he might carve out the Darren Sproles-like role Denver envisioned when it traded up to select him in last year's third round.

After racking up 1,981 yards and 20 touchdowns, Hillman left San Diego State after his sophomore season last year. While many considered it a premature move, the Broncos traded up to draft him early in the third round. John Elway later referred to Hillman as a change of pace compared to what they have, which might mean they envision a third-down-type role during his first year in the league. Then again, a different pace than incumbent Willis McGahee could mean the team is searching for playmaking ability out of the backfield, as Hillman is much more explosive at this stage of their respective careers. With Peyton Manning taking over at QB, Denver’s offense should be much improved, making Hillman a sleeper.