RB R.J. Harvey will be a big part of the Broncos offense this upcoming season

Rookie running back R.J. Harvey will be a big part of the Broncos offense.

Last season, the Denver Broncos‘ leading rusher was Javonte Williams with just 513 yards on the ground. Due to these struggles, the team made improving their run game a priority this past offseason. It became even more of a priority after they allowed Williams to hit free agency, where he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Despite Williams leaving the team and their struggles in the run game, the team decided not to sign a back during free agency. That meant the team would look towards the draft to find their new starting running back.

It was no secret that the Broncos would draft a back; it was just a matter of when. Many assumed they would select one in the first round, but they would go on to draft Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with their 20th overall selection. On day two of the draft, they would go get their running back. With their 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected UCF running back R.J. Harvey.

Harvey played a total of four seasons at UCF and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons for them. During his four seasons, he appeared in 41 games and had 579 carries for 3,792 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and had 43 rushing touchdowns while also having 61 receptions for 720 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. This past season, he appeared in 12 games and had 232 carries for 1,577 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, and 22 rushing touchdowns while having 20 receptions for 267 yards, and 3 receiving touchdowns.

Now, he joins a Broncos backfield where he is expected to take on a major role in their offense right away. He is an explosive back who has a chance to take it to the house whenever he touches the ball and is expected to have a key role in the passing game as well. Look for Harvey to fill the Alvin Kamara/Darren Sproles role in Sean Payton’s offense moving forward.

Player Profile

R.J. Harvey | Running Back | Broncos

• Height: 5-8
• Weight: 205 pounds
• Age: 24 years old
• Experience: Rookie
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.4 seconds
• 10-Yard Split: 1.57 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 38 inches
• Broad Jump: 10’7”
• 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.34 seconds
• Bench Press: 16 reps

Broncos rookie RB R.J. Harvey’s 2025 Outlook

Harvey will be the Broncos’ starting running back this upcoming season and a key member of the offense.

We will see Harvey featured in the run game and the passing game. He is a home run threat whenever he has the ball in his hands, and we know how Sean Payton loves to utilize his backs in the passing game. He’ll likely share the backfield with a between-the-tackles guy like Audric Estime, J.K. Dobbins, or whoever, but will likely lead all backs with touches.

During their press conference following the conclusion of day two of the draft, Broncos General Manager George Paton called Harvey their “pet cat” of the draft process. He would go on to call Harvey an explosive and dynamic running back who they believed might have had the best vision of any back in the draft.

“His running style, he’s dynamic, really good vision, really good instincts, really good contact balance, highly explosive. We thought maybe he had the best vision in the draft. You see the plus-10s, I think he leads everyone with plus-10 runs. Home run ability… We feel like he can improve in the pass game. He wasn’t featured there, but we really liked this [running] back.”

As Paton mentions, he wasn’t used a ton in the passing game at UCF, but they believe they can improve that area of his game. Last season, despite his struggles, Javonte Williams had 70 targets in the passing game, so we could see Harvey come close or surpass that amount this upcoming season.

There have been reports of Harvey already making plays as a receiver during OTA’s so hopefully, we see that continue throughout the summer and into the regular season.

Final Thoughts

I am excited to see what Harvey can do in Sean Payton’s offense. He is a legitimate home run threat, and if you pair that with an improved passing game, the sky is the limit for this offense.

The Broncos need Harvey to be an instant playmaker and big-play threat in their offense. Their run game was putrid last season, and any improvement in that area of the game would be huge for the entire offense. He’ll likely share the backfield with someone (Estime, Dobbins, or someone) but will still be the main guy in the run game.

I have high hopes for Harvey and believe he could easily top 1,200 total yards from scrimmage for the Broncos and be an AP Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate.