With the brutal injury news regarding JK Dobbins, the Broncos are going to need rookie running back RJ Harvey to step up in a big way. Dobbins is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, and his only chance at a return would be if the Broncos played February football. The Broncos are officially without their starting running back for the rest of the way.
Logically, the eyes of many now turn to rookie running back RJ Harvey. After five years in college, Harvey has found immediate success in the Broncos' offense as a scorer of six touchdowns. While his role has been mostly secondary, Harvey has had a significant impact on Denver's offense.
With the news that Dobbins will not return in 2025, Harvey now figures to be the Broncos' starting running back for the remainder of the regular season and into any playoff games they may play. The UCF product hasn't led a Broncos game in rush attempts yet this season, and has only recorded over seven carries once, over two months ago. This is easily the biggest opporunity Harvey has had in his career, making this his time to take the starting job and run.
The Broncos will figure out quickly if RJ Harvey is their running back of the future or not
It figures that Harvey will see the majority of the running back snaps over the rest of the season, giving him a legitimate audition to be the starting running back going forward. He also figures to have no time to adjust to his new workload, given who the Broncos play this week. The Broncos are going to need to run the ball to beat Kansas City this weekend.
The Broncos did not select Harvey at 60th overall without the confidence that he can be a starting back. He will get at least the next two months to prove to the Broncos coaching staff that he can be. Given his natural ability and great skill set, there is no reason that he can’t be. If he can't, however, the Broncos might know quicker than they initially had planned.
Teams have made decisions on the futures of Day 2 selections in fewer game time than Harvey will see the rest of the season. If he struggles and fails to capitalize on this opportunity, the Broncos might look to make another Dobbins-type signing next offseason. If he impresses, the Broncos might feel very comfortable penciling in his name atop their running back depth chart.