The Denver Broncos have been able to infuse the playmaking talent on offense with fresh bodies over the past two seasons, as all of J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, Pat Bryant, Jaylen Waddle, Justin Joly, and Dallen Bentley have been additions in the 2025 and 2026 offseasons.
It's actually rather insane how many resources have been invested on the offensive side of the ball, but that's also the right way to build an NFL team in today's game. The Broncos saw all three playmaking positions fall just short in 2025, so the newest additions should not come as a shock to any.
Well, ahead of a crucial 2026 season, fresh positional rankings do give a certain offensive unit a very harsh dose of reality.
Denver Broncos RBs ranked just 21st in the NFL ahead of 2026
Sharp Football Analysis rolled out its 2026 rankings for all parts of an NFL team, from the head coach to the secondary:
"With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach."
And in their running back rankings, which paint a bleak picture for the Broncos, the unit was ranked just 21st in the NFL for the 2026 season:
"The Broncos' backfield has plenty of potential, but only if J.K. Dobbins can stay healthy. Dobbins gained 10 or more yards on 14% of his carries last year, the league’s fifth-highest rate. But RJ Harvey’s 5.5% mark ranked 48th out of 49 running backs."
You could argue that one of the biggest "ifs" in the entire NFL for this season is actually if Dobbins can remain healthy for the entire season. Dobbins was an efficient running back in 2025, and as the blurb notes, he ranked 5th in carries of 10 yards or more with his 14 percent rate.
The site then notes how poor Harvey's rate was, which ranked nearly dead last. It's also important to continue to give credit to Dobbins for just how good he was when healthy in 2025. In his 10 games with the Broncos, he gained 75 yards or more in seven games, eclipsing the 100-yard mark twice. He never had a game with fewer than 40 rushing yards, and had just two games with less than 4.0 yards per carry.
He also had five games with more than 5.0 yards per carry, and was on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards had he played a full 17-game season. Even if Dobbins was able to suit up for 13 games, which he did the prior season with the Los Angeles Chargers, this ranking would look a lot better.
Ideally, the addition of Coleman into the mix should allow Dobbins to see less of a load, but in more higher leverage situations that maximize his pure running talent. I would be shocked if Dobbins got close to 15 carries per game, which was the number he was hitting with the Broncos in 2025.
The potential trio of Dobbins, Harvey, and Coleman could end up being the best thing that ever happens to the former Charger and Raven, as getting through a full season and playing a full 17 games is not something he's done in the NFL.
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