RJ Harvey

Denver Broncos·#12

Pos RBHt 5'9"Wt 205 lbCollege UCF

RB rankings →

Season Stats · 17 games

54039th

Rush Yds

717th

Rush TD

478th

Rec

3568th

Rec Yds

1210th

Total TD

12.324th

Fantasy PPG

Advanced Metrics EPA & Next Gen Stats

-0.15665th

EPA / rush

-11372nd

Rush yds over exp

5.42

Efficiency

3.08s

Time to line

STM Take

The 2025 #41 (tier 8) rookie finish is below where the 2nd-round draft slot projected, but the underlying production tells a different story than the rank. Three games of 21+ PPR (Wk 13, 14, 16) is genuine starter-grade ceiling output, and the second-half workload jump suggests Payton trusts him. The 2026 jump should be the standard tier-5-to-tier-4 climb that high-pedigree rookie backs typically post in year two.

Harvey came out of UCF as Denver's 2nd-round pick (60th overall) in 2025 after finishing as the Knights' all-time leading rusher with 3,946 career yards. He posted back-to-back 1,500-yard rushing seasons in 2023 and 2024 plus 38 career rushing touchdowns. At 5'8" and 205 pounds with sub-4.4 speed, he profiles as a slasher with home-run ability who fits Sean Payton's outside-zone scheme. Denver took him as their lead-back answer after Javonte Williams's free-agent departure and Audric Estime's October waiver.

Strengths

UCF's all-time leading rusher (3,946 yards) plus back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons in 2023-2024 is genuine production at the Power 5 level. Sub-4.4 speed at 205 pounds is a starter-grade athletic profile.
Three games of 21+ PPR in 2025 (22.1, 22.0, 21.2) show the ceiling when the workload is concentrated. Sean Payton handing the lead role to a rookie indicates the staff sees a multi-year answer.

Concerns

Tier 8 finish despite 2nd-round draft capital and a clear lead role exposes the gap between college production and current NFL efficiency.
5'8"/205 frame is undersized for the 250+ touch workload Payton historically extracts from his lead backs, which raises the durability question every snap.

What to watch: Whether the 2026 carry total clears 220 and whether his yards-per-carry holds above 4.3, the floor Payton historically requires from his lead backs.