The Broncos are confident that Jonah will be a whale of a player.

Running back Jonah Coleman already loved playing against Colorado teams and meeting twice with the Broncos’ coaches.

Called “Mr. Unstoppable’’ in Pop Warner kids football, “The Lincoln Legend” in California prep football and “Touchdown Machine” in college football, Coleman will attempt to make another name for himself in professional football for the Broncos after being selected in the fourth round Saturday.

The Broncos’ blah, bland, boring NFL draft metamorphosed into an eventual energizing event as the franchise leaders picked a hard-charging defensive lineman who will contribute this year, a potential future starting tackle, another pair of tight ends, a safety and a linebacker to conclude the draft, but the most memorable moment was the announcement of Coleman coming to Colorado.

Consider: The squatty, scrappy Coleman produced the two greatest games of his college career against the Buffaloes and the Rams. In Boulder Nov. 11, 2023, vs. CU, the University of Arizona running back carried 11 times for 179 yards (16.3 yards per). Two years later, perhaps the most versatile runner, receiver, returner, pass protector and touchdown scorer in NCAA football for Washington rushed for 177 yards (7.4) at home against CSU.

Coleman’s college coach Jedd Fisch had served briefly with the Broncos as a wide receivers assistant under Mike Shanahan before Josh McDaniels dumped him. Fisch obviously liked Coleman’s two seasons in Arizona because he persuaded the running back to join him in Washington for two more exceptional seasons. Coleman earned $1.2 million in NIL payments in ‘25, but will take a salary cut to $885,000 as a rookie.

Jonah will compete with J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie and Deuce Vaughn in the backfield battle, but is anticipated to be No. 3 with a chance to start someday.

Sean Peyton, who always has treasured tall receivers and short running backs in New Orleans and Denver, obviously had the loudest voice in drafting Harvey and Coleman. Both are 5-foot-8.

Interestingly, Coleman said as a teenager he idolized Alvin Kamara, Peyton’s longtime special back with the Saints.

Peyton and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb met with Coleman at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and officially invited him to Dove Valley two weeks ago. Coleman proclaimed publicly his best pre-draft visit was with the Broncos.

A match made in the fourth round.

The Broncos chose Washington’s Coleman over Mike Washington Jr. of Arkansas, who was rated above Coleman, but didn’t seem superior. Meanwhile, the Broncos liked Coleman, who was a captain with the Huskies, a bull with 35 percent of his runs resulting in a first down or a touchdown, a player who only fumbled once in four seasons and played in 50 games with 3,054 rushing yards with 34 touchdowns and 87 receptions for 838 yards and three more scores. His grade-point average was 3.93, and Coleman was a finalist for the Campbell scholar-athlete national award.

However, Coleman suffered an annoying knee injury, his first, in November and played sporadically until the end of the season when he started in the Huskies’ bowl. Although he dropped on most teams’ draft lists, Broncos doctors examined Coleman and diagnosed the knee had sufficiently recovered.

Coleman’s parents and eight siblings from Stockton, Calif., celebrated Saturday.

He won’t be Hall of Famer Terrell Davis, but Jonah certainly could be another C.J. Anderson, who also was from California and spent five solid seasons with the Broncos accumulating 3,497 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns and was the starter in the Super Bowl 50 victory.

C.J. was 5-8 and 225 pounds. Jonah is 5-8, 220.

Jonah lasted until 108th, and the Broncos jumped. The general grade evaluation for Coleman and the Broncos was A- or B+.

Of course the Broncos claim their first, third and fourth choices were the trade for Dolphins’ wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who was chosen sixth overall in ‘21.

But they believe that the pick in the fourth round they got in return was responsible for the opportunity to secure Coleman.

The Broncos also got defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim at the beginning of the third round, offensive lineman Kage Casey in the fourth round, tight end Justin Joly in the fifth and three picks late in the seventh round – safety Miles Scott, tight end Dallen Bentley and Mr. Irrelevant Red Murdock.

The Broncos’ apathetic start to the draft Thursday ended well and with a whale of a Saturday.