Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey is the perfect fit for the Broncos

Stanford’s star tailback is primed to follow in his father’s footsteps in Denver come the 2017 NFL Draft.

First off, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Christian McCaffrey skipping Stanford’s final game of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft.

Just thought I’d get that out of the way.

Based on his historic production and the oodles of cash he’s almost single-handedly made for the Cardinal over the past two years, McCaffrey has clearly earned the right to pass on the Sun Bowl and not risk injury.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

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You being the thoughtful reader that you are have already seen this article’s title, so you know that I obviously believe McCaffrey is a great fit for the Denver Broncos.

And that great fit has nothing to do with what his father Ed accomplished during his time in the Mile High City.

One of the Broncos’ few problems this season was the lack of a dynamic threat in the backfield. Even with a healthy C.J. Anderson at running back, there was still no true sparkplug at the position.

Most – if not every – successful offense in the NFL has a versatile playmaker that can tote the rock between the tackles and come out of the backfield as a receiver. Take the New England Patriots, for example; where would they be without Dion Lewis or James White?

McCaffrey could be to the Broncos what Lewis and White are to the Patriots, and probably so much more.

The 6-foot, 200-pound back arrived on campus in 2014 and saw little in the way of playing time during his true freshman campaign.

No player in all of college football enjoyed a better season than McCaffrey in 2015, though. When his breakout sophomore year concluded, the Heisman Trophy runner-up had compiled more than 3,800 total offensive yards and 17 touchdowns, not to mention an incredible Rose Bowl performance against Iowa.

It was more of the same for McCaffrey this season, too, as No. 5 leads the nation with 2,327 all-purpose yards. If not for an underwhelming Stanford team, he would’ve been right back in Heisman consideration.

Stanford Cardinal

In any case, McCaffrey is a fine prospect with star potential written all over him.

McCaffrey would add a reliable, explosive element to Denver’s offense – and special teams – that has been missing for some time. While wideouts Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have formed a special duo on the outside, no Lewis-esque threat of turning a small play into a big one is present.

There isn’t a type of player that’s more quarterback-friendly, either, especially in short-yardage cases. Considering the Broncos current situation with Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch, it’s sensible to bring McCaffrey aboard.

And who wouldn’t love to see the 20-year-old join Anderson and Devontae Booker in the backfield? Yikes.

So, is McCaffrey really a perfect fit in Denver? Well, in terms of what the Broncos are in need of at the moment, he most certainly is.