Player: Devontae Booker
Position: Running Back
School: Utah
Draft Status: Fourth Round, 136th Pick
Rookie Running Back Ranking: #4
College Stats | Year | Class | Rush | Yards | AVG | TD | Rec | Yards | TD |
| 2014 | Junior | 292 | 1,512 | 5.2 | 10 | 43 | 306 | 2 |
| 2015 | Senior | 268 | 1,261 | 4.7 | 11 | 37 | 316 | 0 |
| Totals | Two Years | 560 | 2,773 | 5.0 | 21 | 80 | 622 | 2 |
Booker played at small American River College in 2011 and 2012 before attempting to transfter to Utah. Unfortunately, he didn't meet the academic guidelines and had to wait a year to join the Utes. Once in Utah, Booker took the starting running back job immediately.
As a junior in 2014, he started his career with a 139-yard, two-touchdown performance against Idaho State. Booker followed that up with two substandard games against Fresno State and Michigan before absolutely dominating Pac-12 competition over the next 10 games. He tallied an average of 133 yards during that span, including outings of 178 yards against Washington State and 229 yards against Oregon State. Booker capped off his first season with Utah by tallying 176 total yards in a 45-10 win over Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Giving some consideration to going pro following 2014, Booker decided to return to Utah for his senior season. He went on to put up nearly 1,500 total yards and double-digit scores, including 388 total yards in back-to-back surprising wins against Oregon and California. Unfortunately, Booker missed his final three games after suffering a torn meniscus against Arizona. Overall, Booker put up 100-plus total yards in his final 20 games with Utah. Talk about production.
Scouting Report
Strengths: Patience with an ability to follow his blocks. Can be decisive when he needs to be. Low center of gravity makes him hard to bring down at initial POC. Excellent field vision with above-average lateral and cut-back abilities. Solid footwork and receiving ability out of the backfield.
Weaknesses: Speed will be somewhat of an issue in the NFL, especially at the next level. He's not going to break the long run. This coupled with a less-than-ideal frame (5-foot-11 and 219) drew some concerns leading up to the draft. A torn meniscus he suffered last season also caused a drop down the draft board.
2016 Outlook
Booker isn't necessarily a reliable option in re-draft leagues, especially after the Broncos spent a ton of money to retain C.J. Anderson. The re-signing of Ronnie Hillman will also definitely play a role here. Though, Booker's skill-set fits Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme to an absolute T. If he shows his stuff during camp and the preseason, there's no real reason to expect him to be limited to No. 3 running back duties.
While I would normally say to take a wait-and-see approach while relying on the early-season waiver-wire process, maybe take a shot on Booker as a late-round add in your standard 12-team leagues. It could pay off big time moving forward on the season.
Dynasty Outlook
A stud. There's no other way to put it. We've seen underrated running backs such as Arian Foster and Justin Forsett have success in Kubiak's system. Denver has also proven willing to give the mid-to-late round guy a chance in the past. See C.J. Anderson for a case study there.
Even if Booker doesn't see the field a whole lot as a rookie, his dyno value is through the roof. Expect top-12 production from him within two years.