2013 NFL Draft picks: Montee Ball selected by Broncos with No. 58 pick

Peyton Manning gets another offensive weapon as the Broncos select a running back in the second round.

Apr 27, 2013, 12:25 AM UTC

Gregory Shamus

With the No. 58 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos selected Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball. SB Nation's Dan Kadar ranks Ball as the No. 8 running back and No. 89 overall player in this year's draft class.

There may be questions about Wisconsin halfbacks in the NFL after guys such as Ron Dayne and P.J. Hill failed to approach their college production, but Montee Ball isn't their kind of back. He's agile. He's lithe. He can occasionally catch a swing pass. There are things that tie him in with Dayne and Hill, though. For one, he is tough as nails between the tackles. For another, he is productive on obscene levels. He scored 33 touchdowns as a junior, then came back to score 22 more as a senior. He's not Dayne. He's not anti-Dayne. He's the evolutionary Dayne, made for the NFL.

Scouts expected Ball to enter the 2012 NFL Draft after a dominant junior year in which he rushed for 1,923 yards and scored a record-tying 39 touchdowns, including six receiving. He returned for one final campaign, though, to manage impressive numbers once again.

The Broncos have both Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno on the roster at the running back position, but adding Ball gives them a player with a proven track record of production. Ball was outstanding for the Wisconsin Badgers in his time there and is able to run between the tackles. Though he has a lot of miles on his legs, he should be a fresh back for Peyton Manning and could see a lot of red zone carries. If both McGahee and Moreno are on the team with Ball when the season begins, the Broncos will likely rotate their backs in to keep them fresh.

In a prospect profile from SB Nation, Ball’s technique coming out of the backfield received a lot of attention.

Ball’s footwork is exceptional. He also has the patience to read blocking and rushers and then the speed to take advantage of what he sees.

Ball scored another 22 times in his senior year, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He left Wisconsin with 924 carries for 5,140 yards and 77 rushing touchdowns. The mileage put on his tires might be bit daunting given the standard shelf life of running backs, but Ball will continue to be a workhorse in the NFL.

He now holds the FBS record for all-time touchdowns. The 2012 Doak Walker Award winner possesses a nice blend of power and speed. Ten games eclipsing the 100-yard mark last year proves he can run all over just about every defense he faces.