All spring, it felt as though Sean Payton and the Broncos were answering questions regarding the idea of who their "joker" on offense would be. The Broncos seemed to go back and forth on this answer, and finally brought in matchup nightmare Evan Engram to solve the issue. At the midway point of the season, the Broncos seem to finally have their joker.
No, it is not Evan Engram. The former Jaguar and Giant has been solid for Denver, but has been far from the offensive monster Denver had hoped he would be in the open field. He's been a dependable target when on the same page as Bo Nix, but Engram has seemingly become less and less of a focus of the Broncos' offense early on. As the Broncos' six-game winning streak carries on, a different player has come into focus on offense.
In contrast to Engram, the role of rookie running back RJ Harvey is expanding by the week. Harvey's six total touchdowns on the season lead all Broncos, and he has seen more action over the past few weeks than he had the entire season prior. The UCF product has scored five times in the team's last three games, seemingly answering the hottest question surrounding the Broncos over the past year: Who is Sean Payton's joker?
RJ Harvey is emerging as Sean Payton's new joker in Denver
When the Broncos selected Harvey out of UCF, it didn't come as a surprise to many, considering his comparisons to the likes of Darren Sproles. What shocked many, however, was that Denver took him at 60th overall with their second round selection. The selection even began to receive some criticism considering Harvey's lack of reps early on in the season, but all of that talk has quieted down over the past few weeks.
Part of what has made Harvey so effective the past few weeks has been his ability to create matchup nightmares out of the backfield. The majority of Harvey's receiving scores, including his touchdown in Houston, have come while lined up against a linebacker. If the Broncos continue to get him into favorable matchups, he could find himself scoring double-digit touchdowns in his rookie year.
The best part about this situation for the Broncos is that Harvey's collegiate experience has him prepared for most anything. He has scored on a run, a pass, and out of the wildcat this season, three areas he worked in during his time at UCF. His experience as a unique scoring threat in the Big 12 has already carried over into the NFL, and it seems as though Harvey's scoring days are just getting started. As Sean Payton's joker, he'll find his way into the end zone plenty more times.