With the No. 71 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected Royce Freeman, running back out of Oregon.

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Grade: B+

Pete Prisco: I like his pick for the Broncos. They need a back and he is a tough runner who will help Case Keenum.

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Scouting report

Chris Trapasso: Boulder-like frame with thick upper body and tree-trunks for legs. Bouncy running style makes him surprisingly agile in the open field and when he meets a linebacker in the hole. Possesses top-level balance and adequate power to run through arm tackles. Three-down back in the NFL.

Fantasy impact

Jamey Eisenberg: The Broncos needed a running back to replace  C.J. Anderson, and they made an excellent pick in Royce Freeman. Our NFL analyst Brady Quinn called Freeman the steal of the draft at the running back position, and he could be a starter for Fantasy owners right away. Freeman is worth drafting as a No. 2 running back with a pick in Round 5 or 6 in re-draft leagues, and he's a first-round pick in rookie-only drafts for dynasty leagues.

NCAA recap

R.J. White: A 247Sports Composite four-star recruit out of Imperial, California, Freeman was named Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after totaling 1,365 yards on 252 caries with 18 touchdowns, chipping in 158 yards and another TD on 16 receptions. He then delivered his best collegiate season as a sophomore, finishing fourth in the nation with 1,836 rushing yards on 283 carries with 17 touchdowns as well as a career-best 348 yards on 26 receptions with two more TDs. Freeman was a bit dinged up in his junior season but still managed 1,089 yards and 10 TDs on 191 total touches.

Freeman rebounded as a senior, racking up 1,475 yards (10th in the nation) on 244 carries and scoring 16 touchdowns on the ground. He opened the year with three straight games with at least 150 yards rushing and multiple TDs but slowed thereafter while dealing with injury issues. He ramped things back up with 143 yards on 18 carries at Stanford and rushed for at least 120 yards in every game through the end of the season. Freeman decided not to play in his team's bowl game or the Senior Bowl.