ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jonah Coleman knows that adjusting quickly to the NFL level doesn't happen by chance.
It takes work. It takes coaching. It takes the help of teammates.
"It's a mix of it all," Coleman said. "You can't just come in here and be like, 'Oh, I'm adapted.'
"It's a want to and a willingness to. I want to be good. I want to be great. I want to be able to play fast and play free."
In the early months of his NFL career, the rookie fourth-round pick has shown his coaches and teammates the signs of that potential.
"He's savvy, he's smart," Head Coach Sean Payton said Monday. "I've said this a number of times: You don't feel a young player. That's a real good trait. He's smart, he has real good contact balance — and so that lends itself to a little bit smoother transition than maybe some. We've been around successful players that maybe took a little longer when they arrived — and then some that arrived a little quicker."
Against the Falcons, Coleman rushed for 24 yards on four touches, including a 13-yard carry in which he absorbed contact and spun away from a defender. Coleman added another three carries for nine yards against the Packers.
"He runs the ball really well," inside linebacker Alex Singleton said. "… [Him being] able to be a patient runner and really attack it every single time has been special. Every time we've gone live with preseason, he's just taken another step each week and that's all you can ask for from a guy like that. He's done it."
Coleman notched more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his final three collegiate seasons, and he totaled 27 total touchdowns in his two years at the University of Washington from 2024-25. As he enters the NFL, Coleman has shown his talent while maintaining an understanding of how much he still can learn.
"It's preseason," Coleman said. "I've still got a long way to go. I'm still in my first year, so just still being a sponge and still being able to grow and know the areas that I want to grow in. I had one good preseason game, but I'm still chopping wood and trying to be the best teammate I can be."
Coleman said it "means a lot" to have the confidence of his coaches and teammates, and he's determined to learn from those with more experience. J.K. Dobbins, in particular, has been a key figure for Coleman.
"J.K. is really smart," Coleman said. "He has really high football IQ. So, he's playing the game, [and] he's playing faster than I would say I was playing when I got here. He's kind of breaking [it down] like 'Hey, you see that hole, you've got to hit it. It's going to close like that. You see this look right here, you automatically know that's going to happen, so just make sure you do this, you do that.'
"I'm able to ask J.K. anything about his experiences. It's Year 8 for him. He's got eight years on me. I just continue to be a sponge and learn from him every day. There's any question, I go to him."
Coleman said Dobbins has provided consistent feedback — both in what Coleman has done well and the areas where he can improve.
"He just wants the best for me," Coleman said. "Being able to have him in the room has definitely been really helpful for me. Good teams push each other. It starts with the players, and J.K.'s one of those guys that's going to push you to get the best out of you. Even if you had a good run, [he'll say], 'Oh, you could've done this.' … If there's something that I need to tweak or correct, J.K. will be the first person to tell me."
Coleman said he's working to be able "to adjust and adapt to anything thrown at you," and that comes from spending additional time learning the nuances of the playbook while he's away from Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit.
As Coleman puts in the work to earn a role as a rookie, veteran wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said it's important for Coleman to maintain the level of confidence that helped him reach the NFL.
"Jonah, he's been making plays since he got here," Waddle said Monday. "He's a confident guy. Go out there and play with that confidence, that's kind of my advice. Don't lose that confidence just because you're in the NFL now. Just stay true to your game and hit what you see."
Coleman's ultimate Year 1 goal, though, doesn't have much to do with making individual plays. Instead, his perspective of the Broncos' backfield is shaped by advice from his collegiate running back coach, Scottie Graham.
"You shine, we shine, we shine together," said Coleman, remembering his former coach's advice. "… That's what it's all about: Getting that dub. No matter how we get it, it's about winning at the end of the day. Everyone in the running back room wants to win. That's why we come every day competing. That's why we're pushing each other. That's why J.K. comes and gets on me about the smallest little details, because he wants to win."
And it's also why Coleman remains laser-focused on each step of the process leading to the regular season. The season opener in Kansas City — which will be the first regular-season NFL game that Coleman has attended in person — is still far from his mind.
"Everyone's excited for Week 1 of the regular season, but … our focus right now is the Vikings," Coleman said. "As soon as the fourth quarter hits zero, that's when that switch flips. Definitely looking forward to the Vikings this week. Still got to go play — and still got to go get a 'W'."
For Coleman, the Broncos' week of practice and preseason finale is another key step toward where he and the Broncos are trying to go.
"We're just trying to take things day by day and get better and just keep chopping wood," Coleman said. "That's what it's all about."
