Ronnie Hillman

Ronnie Hillman on Broncos' roster bubble

Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman is facing competition for his 53-man roster spot, head coach Gary Kubiak admitted on Monday.

What It Means:

"Ronnie is in a battle, a helluva battle with Kapri [Bibbs] and [Devontae Booker] right now," Kubiak said. "There’s no way around that. I'm just being honest with you. Special teams are going to be real important. Ronnie is going to play a lot this week, and he’s going to have to play some special teams, so it’s a very competitive situation right now." This will be Hillman's first action on special teams since entering the league in 2012. Booker, a rookie fourth-round pick, is essentially guaranteed a spot on the roster. Bibbs led the Broncos in rushing for their preseason opener.

Among the 44 running backs to see at least 100 carries last season, Hillman ranked 26th in Rushing Net Expected Points per carry. Our algorithms currently project him for 127 rushes for 490 yards and 2.88 touchdowns, as well as 17 receptions for 104 yards this upcoming season. That ranks 53rd, while Booker sits close behind at 61st.