RJ Harvey is Denver’s Secret Weapon

A Different Style, Same Danger

Harvey doesn’t replace Dobbins pound for pound, and that’s precisely what makes him dangerous in a different way. Dobbins bullied defenders with power and yards after contact. Harvey makes them miss in space with elite vision, burst, and balance. He racks up a high missed-tackle rate and turns checkdowns into chain-movers.

His receiving production has also exploded lately. With zero drops and a growing route share, he offers Bo Nix a reliable safety valve on third downs. He’s even chipped in over 350 kickoff return yards, adding another layer of versatility. Teammates like tackle Mike McGlinchey rave about his weekly improvement: “His movement skills and strength are impressive. He’s gotten better every week.

High Praise

It’s clear, now, where the Alvin Kamara comparisons start ringing true—and they’re impossible to ignore under the same coach. Kamara’s rookie year in New Orleans showed how doubts about size could melt away as he racked up 81 catches and 13 total scores. Harvey faced the same “too small” label but answered with a similar leap from third-down role to every-down weapon.

Both players are shifty, explosive in space, and turn short passes into significant gains. Payton himself has fueled the fire, saying earlier this year, “You haven’t seen anything yet” when asked about Harvey’s ceiling. He also noted the rookie’s rare gift for making the game slow down in the open field. Harvey is already on pace to challenge Kamara’s rookie reception totals. His touchdown production has fantasy managers rostering him at 90% while projections slot him as a solid RB2 moving forward.

Broncos Adapt and Thrive with Harvey’s Rise

The bottom line is simple: the Broncos didn’t lose their run game when Dobbins went down. They adapted, unlocking a different kind of threat that keeps defenses guessing. As the Broncos look to make a late push for the one seed in the AFC, Harvey’s emergence couldn’t be more timely. Now, as the lead back, he’s poised for even more evolution under Sean Payton, who has long prized versatile weapons that stretch defenses horizontally and vertically.

Payton has already hinted at ramping up Harvey’s involvement in the passing game, calling him a “unique weapon” after the rookie’s career-high five catches for 51 yards and a 27-yard touchdown wheel route against Houston in early November. That performance included a fourth-quarter score that flipped a tight game. It showcased how Payton envisions deploying Harvey: not just as a checkdown option, but on designed routes like flats, screens, and wheels. These plays exploit linebackers in space and create mismatches against safeties. 

With zero drops on 37 targets this season and a growing 28% route share since Week 11, Harvey is proving he can handle the volume. If Payton leans in, as he did with Alvin Kamara (81 receptions as a rookie), Harvey could eclipse 50 catches down the stretch, adding 300+ receiving yards. This would force defenses to lighten the box on early downs. That approach would supercharge Bo Nix’s play-action bootlegs and open up the deep shot to Courtland Sutton. The transformation of Denver’s offense from balanced to downright unpredictable would occur.

The secret weapon nobody saw coming is now impossible to ignore as the full-time guy. At just 24 years old, RJ Harvey is only getting started in Mile High.