You'd struggle to find many rosters as talented as the Denver Broncos' ahead of the 2026 NFL Season. And what's great about this is that while there is nothing guaranteed, the teams that have the best overall group tend to survive until the very end.
Denver is plenty good enough to win it all this year, and this could be the case in a more aggressive way if the team sees some better play from some of their younger players. A younger player breakout out is something that every team has experienced, and it does usually indicate long-term success if the right players are hitting their strides.
This latest breakout candidate prediction, if true for the Broncos, would not only create yet another good problem on the roster, but it would also surely help quarterback Bo Nix win the NFL MVP award.
Denver Broncos RB RJ Harvey... 2026 breakout candidate?
In FanSided, Mike Phillips identified one breakout candidate for each team approaching the 2026 season, and for the Broncos, second-year running back RJ Harvey was given that label:
"Sean Payton envisioned Harvey playing the kind of "joker" role that Alvin Kamara played for him in New Orleans, but he was eased into the NFL working behind J.K. Dobbins last season. Dobbins is back in Denver, but Harvey has had more usage at mini camps which could hint at a bigger role for the speedy young back out of UCF."
It would create for quite the situation in the running back room if Harvey broke out. In 2025, while Harvey did have some explosive plays here and there and did turn into a viable receiving threat, his down-to-down rushing efficiency was simply not nearly good enough.
And perhaps one huge reason for that was the J.K. Dobbins injury, as it kind of happened all at once and forced Harvey into the RB1 duties, and there is a chance that he wasn't reach for such a role early on in his career.
However, with that being said, the Broncos did take Jonah Coleman in the 2026 NFL Draft for a reason, a player Sean Payton himself said reminded them of Dobbins in terms of running style, and when Dobbins was on the field in 2025 for the Broncos, he was on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards and was, arguably, a top-5 player at the position.
There simply might not be enough reps to go around for Harvey to breakout, but there is also a chance that Harvey has a strong training camp, cements himself as the RB2 to open up the season, and takes advantage of the work he gets.
Dobbins should still receive most of the carries, but given his injury history, it would be wise if the Broncos shaved a few carries off his workload to preserve his health over a 17-game season. There isn't anything stopping Harvey from earning those carries, and with his already being a strong receiver, there is a formula available for a breakout season to happen.
And if that does happen, quarterback Bo Nix would truly have a chance to win the MVP award, as the run game was a huge issue last year, and with Jaylen Waddle added to the mix at wide receiver, the Broncos, personnel wise, really aren't missing anything.
If Harvey breaks out, the run game is going to thrive, which would obviously open up the pass a bit more, and it could, in the end, lead to Nix winning the MVP and also lead to the Broncos again being one of the best teams in the sport.
Add us as a preferred source on Google