RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
Getty
RJ Harvey #7 of the UCF Golden Knights does a drill at the 2025 NFL Combine.
If the Denver Broncos want to take the next step offensively in 2025, they must improve their run game to support quarterback Bo Nix. That job could fall largely on rookie second-round pick RJ Harvey, whom the Broncos selected 60th overall in April.
Harvey was the fifth back off the board and joins a crowded backfield that includes 2024 fifth-round pick Audric Estime and coaching staff favorite Jaleel McLaughlin.
Still, ESPN’s Benjamin Solak believes Harvey is the “name to know” in the Broncos’ backfield.
“The Broncos, who have an incredible offensive line and a coach historically willing to involve the running back in the passing game, drafted Harvey in the second round,” Solak wrote on May 27. “The 24-year-old carried a big load at UCF, so he’s presumably pro-ready for the primary role in the backfield, and he showed some talent in the passing game.”
“The Broncos need better performances from all their non-Courtland Sutton playmakers, and Harvey is first in line to provide that jump.”
RJ Harvey Looking to Make Major Impact for Broncos
RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
GettyRJ Harvey #7 of the UCF Knights catches the ball against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Showcasing his dual-threat skill set, Harvey posted 3,498 combined yards on 497 total touches in 2023 and 2024 combined for the UCF Golden Knights.
The former converted quarterback is also extremely confident, expressing a strong desire to be greater. Then the running backs who have played for Broncos head coach Sean Payton in the past, and the willingness to work to reach those heights.
“Darren Sproles … he went crazy with the Saints. [Alvin] Kamara, too,” Harvey told reporters on May 10. “I want to be better than those guys, so I’m gonna work every day, get better, and just prove myself to all the vets and the coaches. And I want to make a immediate impact in this league.”
No Broncos back rushed for more than 513 yards in 2024, and that was Javonte Williams.
The Broncos let him walk in free agency, where he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and is primed to lead their backfield.
Harvey turned heads during his first stint practicing with the Broncos’ rookies during minicamp. His next opportunity to cement his position on the depth chart is during OTAs, which begin on May 27th.
Expect RJ Harvey to Begin at Back of Broncos’ Depth Chart
Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Payton took the surprising measure of placing Nix third on the Broncos’ initial depth chart coming out of the offseason program last year. Nix quickly rose up the depth chart to claim his predestined spot as the Broncos’ QB1.
Payton’s message on that decision looms large for Harvey and his fellow rookies.
“Rookies are at the back of the line,” Payton told reporters in August 2024, only to name Nix the starter three days later.
If Harvey’s explosiveness, vision, and versatility show during training camp in the preseason as they did during the 2024 season and the predraft process, Harvey’s rise to the top of the depth chart should happen quickly, like Nix’s.
Perhaps even by Week 1 of the regular season, as many have come to expect.