The Broncos drafted Central Florida running back RJ Harvey with the 60th pick in the NFL Draft on Friday, filling the last glaring vacancy on their roster. Denver selected Harvey after twice trading back in the second round, acquiring an extra fourth-round selection in the process.
Harvey had one of the most productive seasons of any player in the position last season, rushing for 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns and adding 20 catches for 267 yards and three more scores.
“That call was the most joyful moment of my life,” Harvey said moments after being selected. “It’s a blessing. I’m just so excited.”
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Harvey ranked No. 92 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Though he doesn’t have the power to drive through the first level, he is a dynamic make-you-miss runner with his tempo and burst (54 carries of 10 or more yards in 2024), which made him a frequent visitor to the end zone (UCF-record 48 total touchdowns). He is below average as a pass-protecting blocker but has the tools to be a weapon catching the ball on screens and wheels. Overall, Harvey needs to develop better consistency on passing downs, but he is skilled at patiently settling his feet and changing lanes with his instinctive field vision and lateral quickness. Similar in ways to Tyjae Spears, he projects best in a timeshare role in the NFL.”
Nick Baumgardner grades the pick
Sean Payton loves his “Joker” players. Harvey gives up size, but he was an extremely productive player at UCF — as a rusher and pass catcher. Think of him as a slightly bigger version of Darren Sproles. He might not be able to handle a huge workload in the NFL, but this is a very nice fit.
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How he fits
The Broncos moved back twice in the second round, but they kept Harvey in their sights as a potential instant infusion for their backfield. The 24-year-old dealt with injuries early in his career, but he rushed for more yards during the past three seasons (3,789) than all but three other FBS running backs.
The 5-foot-9, 208-pound running back isn’t an especially bruising runner, but he has an extra gear when he reaches the second level. An FBS-best 23.3 percent of his carries last season went for 10 or more yards.
The Broncos lost leading rusher Javonte Williams in free agency. No other player on their current roster has rushed for more than 500 yards in a season. Harvey is not a perfect running back. He dealt with injuries early in his college career, including an ACL tear that wiped out his 2021 season. But he’s illustrated a big-play potential for the last three seasons that the Broncos simply didn’t have on their roster before they called Harvey’s name Friday night.
Depth-chart impact
Payton will make Harvey earn his carries and general playing time, just like he made rookie Bo Nix earn the job in a three-way quarterback competition last offseason. But make no mistake, Harvey is now the featured running back in Denver’s offense.
An intriguing subplot of the Harvey selection is how the depth will stack behind him. The Broncos have four running backs on their roster — Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estimé, Tyler Badie, Blake Watson — who could complement Harvey in different ways. There won’t be room for all of them, and Denver could still add another running back on Day 3.
They also could have picked …
The Broncos like the defensive line depth in this class. Though that position group returns every player from a stout 2024 unit, the Broncos could use a player ready to start as soon as next season. They could address that position in the third round … or the fourth … or with one of their two picks in the sixth. The same goes for tight end, a position that thinned out quickly during the early and middle portion of the second round. But there was no arguing Denver’s biggest position of need, and it would have made no sense to let the wait for a running back continue.
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Fast evaluation
The Broncos spent free agency plugging holes at linebacker (Dre Greenlaw), safety (Talanoa Hufanga) and tight end (Evan Engram). Running back was the one glaring vacancy remaining. The Broncos didn’t fill that void in the first round, opting instead to draft cornerback Jahdae Barron at No. 20. They were out of reach for the Ohio State duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson at the top of the second round.
But general manager George Paton has reiterated throughout the predraft process that Denver would be able to land an impactful running back at various points in the draft. They found that in Harvey, who scored at least one touchdown in 11 of his team’s 12 games last season.
(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
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