The Denver Broncos upgraded the offensive side of the ball about as much as realistically possible this offseason. The addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was fantastic, and even rookie additions at running back and tight end were strong and paint a great picture for the team.
The Broncos already sported a good group of players on that side of the ball, but some reinforcements were clearly needed. At running back, for example, things simply fell apart when J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury in Week 10 of the 2025 NFL Season.
Denver had to primarily ride RJ Harvey, but that quickly proved to be an inefficient option despite his 12 touchdowns. Rookie running back Jonah Coleman entered the mix in the 2026 NFL Draft, and with Dobbins re-signing on a two-year deal, the Broncos do appear to have some solid options at the position, but this could then create a potential scenario where production for one player takes a hit.
Denver Broncos RB RJ Harvey was just predicted to be team's biggest bust in 2026
Moe Moton predicted that second-year running back RJ Harvey would be the team's biggest bust in the 2026 season:
"As a rookie, RJ Harvey racked up 896 scrimmage yards and totaled 12 touchdowns. The Denver Broncos don't seem eager to feature him in an expanded role, though. They re-signed J.K. Dobbins and selected Jonah Coleman in the fourth round of this year's draft.
Expect Dobbins to maintain an early-down role. Harvey may share pass-catching opportunities with Coleman.
According to The Denver Post's Luca Evans, Coleman was heavily involved in the passing game during the spring. The Broncos beat reporter believes the rookie will "probably" see the field right away, which doesn't bode well for Harvey's second-year outlook.
As a collegian, Coleman caught 87 passes for 838 yards and three touchdowns. He's equipped to eat into Harvey's role on obvious passing downs."
So, yeah. The Broncos brought Dobbins back, and while he's not a bell-cow option, he's clearly the best running back on the team and was an elite runner when healthy in 2025. Dobbins averaged five yards per carry and had just one game with under 60 yards rushing in 2025.
Ideally, Dobbins' load is manageable enough to where his chances of remaining on the field for an entire season are increased, and this is where Coleman and Harvey come into play, but based on the blurb above, there is an avenue for Harvey to potentially take a bit of a backseat in 2026, especially if Coleman can prove his chops as a receiver.
If Coleman does continue trending toward seeing the field early, there really would not be any reason for the team to not give him as many snaps as he deserves. The appeal, currently, with Harvey, is that his pass-catching ability is his speciality and what he could realistically excel at in 2026. If Coleman displays a similar ability, the Broncos might feel compelled to give him more snaps, especially if the rookie can be productive enough as a runner.
With Dobbins' injury history, the team is going to need another reliable pair of legs. Coleman could end up being someone the Broncos can count on in that regard, and with his pass protection chops already being present, Coleman may be a more complete running back than Harvey.
In an ideal world, in my opinion, the Broncos have three solid running backs and end up with a 'good' problem on their hands - figuring out how to get all three on the field. However, if Coleman impresses during training camp and is deserving of significant snaps as a rookie, this could creep Harvey closer toward a 'bust' label.
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