Photo Credit: AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
The Denver Broncos didn’t hesitate when their second-round pick (No. 60 overall) came up in the 2025 NFL Draft. After hours of film study and data analysis, they believed UCF’s RJ Harvey was the best running back available—second only to Ashton Jeanty.
“Harvey — [he] was kind of our pet cat throughout the process,” Broncos general manager George Paton said. “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.”
Replacing Javonte Williams
Much of Denver’s offseason talk focused on finding a versatile “joker” running back—someone who could run and catch—similar to what head coach Sean Payton used during his time with the Saints. But the team also needed a new lead back after Javonte Williams left for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
Despite having one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league (74.9% win rate), Williams averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in 2024. Still, he led the team with 139 carries, 513 rushing yards, and four touchdowns, and added 52 catches, the second-most on the team.
Heading into the draft, the Broncos had Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime at the top of their depth chart. But they wanted more firepower—and Harvey fit the bill.
A Quarterback-Turned-Rusher
Harvey began his college career as a quarterback at Virginia before transferring to UCF, where he played four years as a running back. He delivered back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons, including 1,577 yards in 2024, and averaged 6.5 yards per carry across his career. He also protected the football well, losing only one fumble on 252 touches last season.
“I feel I can do it all,” Harvey said. “I can catch the ball out of the backfield, I can run it in space, and I’m ready to just showcase all my skills. I’m excited.”
Early Impressions and Big Plays
Harvey is now in Denver for rookie minicamp, joining other draft picks and tryout players as the team begins its offseason program. Payton and his staff were impressed with Harvey early in the process. In fact, Payton didn’t want to tip their interest in the 5-foot-9, 208-pound back.
“You really just try to just go through each one with an open mind. … I can’t remember what afternoon [specifically], but I can remember the two hours on this player,” Payton said. “And then it was like, ‘Alright, be quiet’ and that was hard … someone put his name in an article as a riser and you don’t want to read that, but he was explosive.”
Explosive is exactly what the Broncos’ run game has been missing. Harvey ranked second in the FBS last season in 10-plus-yard runs (54) and had 32 carries of 15 yards or more. He also ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the combine, the third-fastest time among running backs.
Vision and Versatility
Beyond his speed and burst, the Broncos love how Harvey sees plays unfold.
“The very first thing you see in the evaluation is his running ability,” said Payton. “I heard comparisons to [former Saints running back] Darren Sproles. … So contact balance, vision.”
Like Sproles, as well as Reggie Bush and Alvin Kamara—other Payton-era Saints backs—the Broncos believe Harvey can grow into a key piece of their passing game. He caught just 61 passes over his final three college seasons, never more than 22 in one year, but Denver believes he can do more.
They studied every catch Harvey made, plus his route work at the combine and his pro day. What they saw convinced them he could develop into a reliable pass-catcher.
“You can see it, his ability to get in and out, his ability to catch, you can see his instincts, the pass game,” Paton said. “He had a lot of big plays in the pass game. You just don’t see all the routes and you can see those at the pro day, and we think he can keep going like this and really in pass protection he can improve as well, like all these college runners.”
Ready to Be the Lead Back
Harvey knows what’s expected of him and embraces the chance to shine in Payton’s offense.
“Coach Payton has a great track record with running backs,” he said. “I’m just excited to get into his system and just do whatever I can to help my team move the ball down the field and score touchdowns.”
If Payton draws up another “Run It!” play like he famously did against the Chargers last December, Harvey wants to be the guy getting the ball.
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This report used information from ESPN.
