The Denver Broncos have one of the more interesting setups for the 2026 NFL season following the NFL Draft, free agency, and the trade market.
Jaylen Waddle was a huge addition and will lead the wide receiver room. Tight end looks roughly the same with some late-round rookies who could fight for a starting spot. But running back is by far the most interesting position heading into camp and the season.
In the battle between J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, with rookie fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman looming, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport is projecting a winner.
"RB: J.K. Dobbins," Davenport projected. "... running back J.K. Dobbins (who will share backfield work with RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman)..."
If this projection comes true, and Harvey, in year two, is still the backup running back, then it would be more than simply bad news for Harvey. The Round 2 RB might not be as valuable a pick as he initially seemed.
Broncos' projected RB starter is bad news for RJ Harvey
With the Broncos investing roughly $16 million over two years into Dobbins, it's not a massive surprise that Dobbins is projected to be the starter.
Before his season-ending foot injury last season, he was playing as well as he's ever played in his NFL career.
Harvey, meanwhile, had a decent rookie season coming out of UCF as a second-round pick at No. 60 overall. He ran for 540 yards and seven touchdowns on 146 attempts to go with 47 receptions for 356 yards and five touchdowns.
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Even though Dobbins will act as the starter, Harvey will still see some work in year two as the backup in Denver. However, there's a lot more uncertainty than what seemed like it could be the case after year one.
Not only is Dobbins back, but he's projected to get the lion's share of the carries this upcoming season. Add in that Coleman will need to receive some work, especially near the goal line, and Harvey's production might take a big hit this upcoming season.
This projection would be bad news for Harvey, only in the sense of his ability to truly breakout into a star RB in the NFL. He should still see a decent amount of touches, but compared to the potential, it feels a bit lackluster.
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