Broncos ‘Game-Changer’ Turns Heads With QB Before Training Camp

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey impressed onlookers during the offseason program, and he is still putting in work during the summer break. In a recent trip, Harvey returned to his former stomping grounds at UCF.

Moreover, Harvey got in some work with fellow rookies Dillon Gabriel (Cleveland Browns) and Tre Nixon (New England Patriots), and Marlon Williams (Birmingham Stallions).

Harvey showcased his receiving skills and speed while catching passes from Gabriel.

“Great having these two LEGENDS back in Kingdom!” Golden Knights’ QB coach McKenzie Milton posted on X on June 23. “No secret recipe to success for these two…just WORK.”

All four players were teammates for one season, 2021, Harvey’s first year on campus. It was Nixon and Williams’ final season in Orlando, while Gabriel transferred to Oklahoma for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and then to Oregon for the 2024 campaign.

McKenzie’s praise for Harvey speaks volumes about the Broncos’ rookie playmaker.

Former Coach Offers Telling Praise for Broncos RB RJ Harvey

Harvey, whom the Broncos selected with the No. 60 overall pick of the 2024 draft, logged three carries on his only plays from scrimmage during that 2020 season. He did not play at all in 2021 after tearing his ACL before the season.

Harvey rushed for 796 yards and 5 touchdowns on 118 carries in 2022.

He then posted back-to-back seasons over 1,400 yards on the ground in 2023 and 2024 and had over 210 receiving yards over his final three seasons.

He led the Big 12 with 6.8 yards per carry and 22 rushing touchdowns to go with a career-best 1,577 rushing yards and 267 receiving yards. Big 12 Studios shared a montage highlighting Harvey’s “spectacular” performance against Cincinnati in 2023.

“GAME-CHANGER,” Tulsa associate head coach and running backs coach Kam Martin posted on X on June 19 in reaction to the clip.

Martin was Harvey’s position coach at UCF, developing the Broncos’ back in 2023 and 2024.

Sean Payton’s Comments on RJ Harvey Telling

The Broncos’ decision to select Harvey when they did raised some eyebrows around the league. But Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed just how bullish he and general manager George Paton are about Harvey.

“Everyone knew we were hoping to get a back,” Payton told reporters in April. “You really tried to just go through each one with an open mind. And I can remember the – I can’t remember what afternoon, but I can remember the two hours on this player. And then it was like, ‘All right. Be quiet.’

“That was hard. There’s some players, maybe, that are easier to project when they get selected, some are more difficult. I think he was going to be tricky, as to, historically speaking, end of [Round] 2, third round. It just takes one other team. When we drafted [Alvin] Kamara in the third round, he split time. He was actually the 40% ball carrier, not the primary ball carrier. And so, everyone had a grade on him.”

Payton noted that he read an article listing Harvey as a “riser” before the draft, much to his chagrin.

The youngster continued to impress Payton during the Broncos’ offseason program.

“I know the question is, ‘Is he a three-down back?’ Well, he’s going to play on third down,” Payton told reporters in May. “If you watch his stature … he’s put together pretty well. So, there’s a difference between a small runner and a short runner. We’re not interested in the small runners, but we’re okay with the short runners.”

Harvey’s next opportunity to impress Payton and the Broncos’ coaching staff will be when the team’s rookies reconvene for training camp on July 19.