Broncos HC Sean Payton Sends Strong Message on RB RJ Harvey Amid Questions

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated May 11, 2025 12:39 PM ET

After donning pads for their rookie minicamp sessions, second-round pick R.J. Harvey has already earned a vote of confidence from Broncos head coach Sean Payton.

Harvey, a 5-foot-9, 208-pound back out of UCF, drew attention for his receiving acumen during Saturday’s practice drills, an area Payton noted would be integral to Harvey’s role in Denver’s offense.

“We can create different protections to make sure that the matchup’s right. Because I know the question — ‘Is he a three-down back?’ Well, he’s gonna play on third down… There’s a lot we can do, relative, to really suit his strengths.”

"If you watch his(Harvey) stature, I mean, he’s put together pretty well. So there’s a difference between a small runner and a short runner. We’re not interested in the small runners, but we’re OK with the short runners.” He added.

Harvey piled up 1,577 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024, averaging 6.8 yards per carry while adding 267 receiving yards. Selected 60th overall in April’s draft, he becomes Payton’s fifth RB in Denver, joining a backfield that once featured Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara under Payton’s New Orleans regime.

#Broncos HC Sean Payton on RJ Harvey in pass protection:

“We can create different protections to make sure that the matchup’s right. Because I know the question — ‘Is he a three-down back?’ Well, he’s gonna play on third down… There’s a lot we can do, relative, to really suit… pic.twitter.com/6VdRFIqZam
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) May 11, 2025

"I feel like playing quarterback has given me an advantage with my vision," Harvey said Saturday. "I know what to expect. I can see what the defense is doing. I feel like that is giving me an advantage."

Looking ahead, the Broncos’ staff plans to script choice routes and practice targeted protections to maximize Harvey’s strengths while shielding potential weaknesses.

"He's picked up very quickly on what we're doing," Payton said. "You can tell it's real important to him. … He's looked good, though. We're glad he's here."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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