Broncos Rookie is Key to Pushing Chiefs for AFCW Supremacy, per NFL.com

Sean Payton's draft-day gamble to wait until the second round to address the Denver Broncos' pressing need at the running back position had plenty of nuance attached to it. Opting to add another defensive weapon to the Broncos' arsenal in the form of Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron revealed that Payton is aware of the elite quarterbacks in the AFC West. 

If you give an ear to some of the high-profile NFL pundits, you might be led to believe that the Broncos didn't select a running back at all. Truth is, the Broncos did draft a running back in the second round, RJ Harvey, and he's a guy they were high on all along because he can give them a home run threat to add to the offensive mix. 

To that end, NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha placed Harvey at the No. 8 spot on his rundown of NFL rookies who most need to succeed in Year 1. 

"Broncos GM George Paton said the team fell in love with Harvey during the draft process and was praying the player would still be there late in Round 2. That affection comes from the skill set Harvey possesses. He has 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, and he averaged 6.5 yards per carry for his career at Central Florida. That type of game-breaking ability makes Harvey’s lack of size (he’s 5-8 and 205 pounds) less of a concern," Chadiha wrote. "Head coach Sean Payton wants a more dynamic presence in his backfield and a player who might ultimately fill his coveted 'joker' position as a matchup nightmare. Harvey could be that guy, especially if he improves his receiving skills in his first season."

Irrespective of whether the Broncos gambled that Harvey would still be around later on in Round 2, the 24-year-old undoubtedly holds a major key to overall success. Long have we heard the Payton "joker" refrain, but in the 5-foot-8, 205-pound Harvey, you can't help but think his 4.4 breakaway speed fits the type set. 

In tandem with another offseason addition via free agency, Chadiha sees the Broncos pushing the Kansas City Chiefs for divisional "supremacy," if the Harvey pick pans out early.

"The Broncos already have their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, a dependable offensive line and some veteran options in the pass game (wide receiver Courtland Sutton and tight end Evan Engram) to go along with an elite defense," Chadiha wrote. "Harvey now checks a huge box in the backfield as the likely lead runner in a rotation of ball-carriers. His presence might help this team push the Chiefs for AFC West supremacy and, at very least, return to the postseason for a second straight season." 

What Harvey lacks in height, he more than makes up for in the thickness and power of his lower body. Harvey's intriguing resume as a high school quarterback-turned-running-back offers an interesting dynamic, with traits that suggest he can break through plenty of tackles and take defenses by surprise. 

As Chadiha is also quick to point out, in order to become Payton's bona fide joker, Harvey absolutely must polish up his pass-catching skills if he wants to make a serious impact in Year 1. But according to Nix himself at OTAs, the early returns on that front are encouraging. 

That being said, Payton knows that just like any second-round pick, polishing certain aspects of Harvey's skill set will be an ongoing process to make him pro-ready. Putting everything into context matters, especially as it relates to the lofty expectations the Broncos have for Harve. 

After all, teams with genuine Super Bowl aspirations fundamentally require a dynamic multi-skilled running back if they're going to go the distance, and that's exactly where the Broncos are situated right now. But when you boil it down, it's not like the Broncos are thin on the ground for a nucleus of offensive talent, the kind that could punch their ticket back into the playoffs. 

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While the dreaded sophomore slump anxieties on the Nix front have been dangled in front of the Broncos by many cynical doom-sayers, he figures to only grow even more, especially now that he's not dealing with the constant learning curve of Payton's playbook. 

“It helps a lot, because I'm not thinking about what the offense is doing," Nix said on Thursday of how the 2025 offseason is different with a year under his belt. "Usually, that's the case. When you go up to the line of scrimmage, you want to be only thinking about the defense. Only processing and reacting to the defense, not the footwork, or the motion, or the timing or whatever that I'm doing. That process is eliminated, and now I can focus on a lot more of the defense.”