Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi envision rookie running back RJ Harvey spearhead their ground attack in the 2025 NFL season. If the bet pays off, their offense will have a balance that makes them difficult to stop.
However, it’s hard to quantify what will constitute a successful rookie season for Harvey, especially if he will fill the ‘joker’ role in the Broncos offense. But Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr envisions the former UCF standout to be as good as advertised.
In his ‘100 Bold Predictions for the 2025 NFL Season’ article published on May 28, Orr wrote, “Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey will amass more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage.”
Orr didn’t specify how many rushing and receiving yards he would get. Still, satisfying that prediction will make Harvey a legitimate threat wherever he lines up on the field. Orr added, “That would put Denver’s second-round pick above the first-year total of highly drafted Falcons back Bijan Robinson in 2023 and above what Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones did last season. Harvey has already spent time with Sean Payton going over his Alvin Kamara vision board.
For full disclosure, Robinson had 1,463 yards from scrimmage during his rookie season. Meanwhile, Taylor finished with 1,567 and Jones delivered 1,546 rushing and receiving yards.
Likewise, achieving Orr’s lofty expectations puts Harvey in the company of some Broncos legends. Terrell Davis had 2,225 scrimmage yards in 1998, due mostly to becoming the fourth member of the 2,000-yard club. Among Broncos running backs, Clinton Portis sets the gold standard with 1,905 yards from scrimmage in 2003.
Massive Stats Translate into Harvey Becoming a Fantasy Football Sensation
If RJ Harvey is as good as Orr predicts, then those who will take a flyer on him on fantasy football are in for a treat. Even Pro Football Focus sees Harvey having a big year by naming him as one of the six breakout rookies in 2025.
While adjusting to the NFL play style could stymie a rookie’s development, the 60th overall pick could ease into the Broncos system. After all, he’s not new to being a receiving back because that’s how UCF co-offensive coordinators Tim Harris Jr. and Darin Hinshaw utilized him on their spread system.
Macri wrote, “Harvey saw a lot of work as a receiving back at UCF, averaging 20 receptions per season and over 200 receiving yards per season on top of his near 3,000 rushing yards since 2023.”
After college, RJ Harvey now lands into an offensive genius who could put his pass-catching abilities into overdrive. As Macri added, “Since Payton took over in 2023, the Broncos have accumulated the most receptions from the running back position (214), which is consistent with his time with the New Orleans Saints, as his backfield accounted for 1,074 receptions from 2013-2021 – the most in the league.”
Broncos Rookie RB Aspires for a Single-Digit Jersey Number
The Broncos assigned Harvey with jersey No. 37, giving him something in common with former Denver players P.J. Locke, Anthony Lynn, and Steve Trimble among others.
However, his head coach’s daughter, Meghan Payton, tweeted that his father’s team got a good player in Harvey. She campaigned, though, to give the first year running back a single-digit number, which are often reserved for starters.
Got a good one!! Now give him a single digit number! https://t.co/A9hscK7e8i
— Meghan Payton (@meghanpayton7) May 16, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The female Payton, who work as a reporter for cllct Media, made the same plea when she interviewed Harvey during the NFL Players Association’s Rookie Premiere. Meghan Payton said, “We like the 37, but we prefer single digits.”
Harvey responded, “Yeah, you’re right. Single digits, please!”
Payton suggested Broncos jersey No. 4, but Harvey added, “Yeah, 5 is open too.”
Hitting on these preseason predictions about him should earn RJ Harvey the single-digit jersey in no time.
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