The Denver Broncos made a breakthrough last season by winning ten games and entering the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50. While the Sean Payton-coach squad made significant progress, The Denver Post’s Troy Renck believes the Broncos have much room for improvement, especially on offense.
Renck identified two measuring sticks that could land the Broncos a home playoff game after the regular season. He wrote on his May 3 ‘Renck & File’ column, “For the Broncos to reach their potential, running back RJ Harvey must rush for at least 850 yards and six touchdowns in a pairing with Audric Estime, and Evan Engram has to play 14 games.”
Last season, the Broncos finished 16th in rushing yards, averaging 112.2 yards per game. However, as Renck noted, they never had a 100-yard rusher since Sean Payton took over in 2023. Javonte Williams came the closest to that mark when he finished with 88 rushing yards in Week 7 last season against Payton’s former team, the New Orleans Saints.
Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin (84 yards in Week 13 versus the Cleveland Browns) were the only Broncos running backs who reached the 80-yard mark last season. Meanwhile, then-rookie quarterback Bo Nix led the team in rushing six times, including their Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills. Williams led the Broncos in rushing five times, while McLaughlin had the most yards from the ground four times.
Denver Isn’t Getting Much Help From their Tight Ends
Renck wrote in his column, “Nada. That is how many Broncos tight ends have delivered 100 yards receiving in a game since 2019.” Noah Fant did it twice that year, tallying 115 yards in their Week 8 game against the Browns and 113 five weeks later versus the Houston Texans.
After signing Engram to a two-year, $23 million contract, the Broncos are banking on him to break that unfortunate streak. However, Denver hopes that they’re getting the 2023 version of Engram, not the one from last year.
Two years ago, Engram had a career-high 963 yards and four touchdowns for the Jacksonville Jaguars, earning him his second Pro Bowl selection. Conversely, a torn labrum limited Engram to only nine games in 2024. He finished that season with 365 yards and a touchdown.
Engram will be wearing jersey No.1, making him the first tight end to wear the number since 1973. More than a number, the Broncos are expecting that Engram will be among Nix’s top receivers this season.
Broncos Have High Expectations on Rookie Running Back RJ Harvey
Denver could have addressed their running game needs by selecting a high-value prospect in the first round. After all, marquee names from a deep RB pool like TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, and Omarion Hampton were still on the board when the Broncos were on the clock for the 20th overall pick.
However, passing on those names means that Payton envision former University of Central Florida standout RJ Harvey as their primary back. Broncos fans must feel excited because of his impressive college football tape, which led to 93.4 PFF rushing grade against Power-Five opponents. That number is higher than what Henderson, Judkins, and Cam Skattebo established over their last three college football seasons.
Harvey had back-to-back seasons with at least 1,400 rushing yards for the Knights, including 1,577 yards and a Big 12 Conference-leading 22 touchdowns last year. Beyond his rushing skills, Peyton could also use Harvey’s quarterback skills to catch opponents off-guard. During his senior year at Edgewater High School, Harvey threw for 1,815 yards and 42 touchdowns.
With Nix as their established starter, the Broncos hope Harvey can provide a balanced offensive attack by bolstering their run game.
