When the Denver Broncos selected former UCF Golden Knights running back RJ Harvey with the No. 60 overall pick of the 2025 draft, quarterback Bo Nix took note.
Many had the Broncos figured as a team seeking a running back in the draft. Team brass also made no secret about their affinity for the class. However, Harvey’s selection was still a surprise, given the prospects the Broncos drew connections to.
Nix’s question, in that context, was fitting.
“How’s RJ Harvey?” Nix asked Harvey’s former position coach, Kam Martin, per The Denver Post’s Luca Evans on May 4.
Harvey’s father, Robert, told Evans that the class’ other top backs “had more exposure” than his son did. That is what he believes led to his son’s relative anonymity during the predraft process.
“They’re getting ready to learn,” the elder Harvey told Evans. “He is a monster. He is not a joke.”
Harvey rushed for 2,933 yards and 38 touchdowns on 458 carries over his final two collegiate seasons. A converted QB, he led the Big 12 with 6.8 yards per rush and 22 scores on the ground in 2024.
“They gon’ learn that he’s just like his cousin,” International Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr., the cousin in question, said of Harvey, per Evans. “He’s Mr. Unstoppable.”
Broncos ‘Did Their Homework’ on RJ Harvey
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton offered two noteworthy comparisons for RJ Harvey.
Evans noted one account saying the Broncos “did their homework” on Harvey, whose college production belies his ability to be a threat as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Harvey caught 61 passes for 720 yards and 4 TDs in four seasons on the field.
Broncos general manager George Paton believes Harvey had the “best vision” in the class.
“This was kind of our pet cat throughout the process,” Paton told reporters after Day 2 of the draft. “We really like this back.”
Paton cited Harvey’s instincts, contact balance, and explosiveness, saying they believe Harvey can improve in the passing game after not being a featured part of the offense under head coach Gus Malzahn at UCF.
RJ Harvey has some insane contact balance.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton upped the Darren Sproles comparisons to Alvin Kamara.
“I had a chance to coach Darren, and Darren was an exceptional receiver out of the backfield. But when he came out of Kansas State, man, he was an exceptional runner,” Payton told reporters on April 25.
“When we drafted Kamara in the third round, he split time. He was actually 40% ball carrier, not the primary ball carrier.”
The Broncos got “quiet” about their plans and “fell in love” with Harvey’s film.
Sean Payton Suggests Broncos Eyed Ashton Jeanty
GettyRJ Harvey checked many boxes for the Broncos during the pre-draft process.
Payton name-dropped former Boise State star and 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty, to whom the Broncos were linked during the pre-draft process in a potential trade up. He also alluded to the idea being “unrealistic” and teams knowing the Broncos’ intentions.
The Broncos then fell in “love” with Harvey.
there is so much to love about UCF RB RJ Harvey’s game
~ Phone booth creation vs unblocked DL/LB
~ Tempo behind pulling OL to maximize blocking
~ Juice and finish when given the second level
“In the early part of this process, man, everyone had seen the skill set of Jeanty, and he’s a fabulous player. And then you’re, ‘All right, if that’s unrealistic – which, obviously, where he was selected [and] everyone knew we were hoping to get a back – man, where are we falling in love with somebody?” Payton said. “I can remember the two hours [of film study] on this player, and then it was like, ‘All right, be quiet.’
“A week ago, someone put his name in an article as a riser, and it was like, ‘Ugh!’ You don’t want to read that. But he was explosive.”
