The Denver Broncos entered the offseason looking for more playmakers on offense and proceeded to draft UCF running back RJ Harvey in the second round with the 60th overall pick to give more weapons to franchise quarterback Bo Nix.
It seemed like he was poised to become an early breakout story with his speed, burst and ability to break tackles along with receiving ability that had already turned heads in camp. However, after a mixed bag debut, Harvey now sits in a precarious position — one more underwhelming performance could derail his climb up the depth chart.
RJ Harvey had a flashy debut, but with red flags
Against the San Francisco 49ers, Harvey finished with 7 carries for 25 yards (3.6 average) and 2 catches for 4 yards in Denver’s 30-9 preseason win. His explosiveness was on display, particularly when bouncing outside to create space, but there lies the concern. He bounced too often, even when interior lanes were available. It looked like he was running more side to side instead of running downhill and just trying to get those extra yards.
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged the issue, reassuring Harvey is doing fine and is a talented back.
"At the end of the day, the great skill set he has is that ability, speed-wise to," Payton said of Harvey bouncing it outside, "but he can get through the line of scrimmage the same way. There was one where we felt like, ‘Trust it, be a little bit more patient.’ He’s an extremely instinctive runner."
While fans and some analysts were quick to put the blame on Harvey for his outside-happy approach, film review painted a more balanced picture. According to Mile High Report’s Ross Allen, several of Harvey’s bounce outs were a product of offensive line breakdowns that left no viable interior running lane. In those cases, bouncing outside was his only chance to get hard-earned yards.
However, the tape also revealed moments where the blocking was solid, but Harvey still opted to run away from designed gaps. These plays I think are more about the rookie inexperience and overreaction to the defensive line penetrating — which are fixable mistakes rather than fatal flaws.
Neither Harvey nor the offensive line is fundamentally broken. With more reps and coaching, Harvey can blend his natural explosiveness with the patience required to thrive in an NFL run game.
Why this week matters so much
Preseason evaluation is brutal in its urgency. Depth charts remain fluid, and every snap counts. While Sean Payton’s public comments have been supportive, the Broncos still have to make tough decisions at running back especially with JK Dobbins being in the mix as well. Media narratives and fan expectations can turn quickly, especially if Harvey looks hesitant or predictable. Coaches need to see consistency from Harvey before committing to him as their feature back or a running back that would split reps with Dobbins.
Harvey’s traits — speed, agility and being coachable — remain enticing, but they must translate into reliable execution between the tackles if he wants to secure his place in the rotation.
RJ Harvey is in no danger of being cut tomorrow, both his head coach and film analysts see clear upside, but the NFL is “what have you done lately?” league. Another hesitant, inconsistent performance in Week 2 of the preseason could set back his progress after his rookie year trajectory after a good training camp.
For now, Harvey is still the same exciting playmaker who flashed in camp, but in the razor-thin margins of preseason, one more bad week could be the difference between carving out a role in Denver’s offense and fading into the background.