In the spring of 2021, shortly after arriving at Central Florida, then-running backs coach Tim Harris Jr. took a seat with a complete unknown in his new running backs room.
RJ Harvey was a converted three-star QB out of Orlando who nearly ran himself all the way out of the game because of a stubborn determination to play quarterback for a college football program. He transferred out of Virginia, walked on at UCF in a last-ditch attempt to learn the running back position, and earned a total of three carries as a freshman in 2020. He was teetering.
“What’s one thing you want to focus on getting better at,” Harris remembered asking, “as we get ready for summer?”
“Route-running,” Harvey answered. He’d never done it before.
Years passed, and his star took off at Central Florida in a remarkable rebirth after tearing an ACL. And still, Harvey never really learned the intricacies of route-running. He caught about 20 balls a year at UCF and endeared himself to the Broncos in the second round in April’s draft via sheer projectables. But ex-head coach Gus Malzahn’s offense rarely utilized the running backs to create one-on-one openings in the passing game, Harris acknowledged.
Harvey came to Denver and immediately began grinding tape of pass-catching backs like Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles from Sean Payton offenses of old. The problem: He was starting from square one.
“That’s something offensively that we didn’t take advantage of enough, or put him in positions to have to do enough of,” Harris told The Denver Post in the spring. “But when he goes into a system that’s going to ask him to do that … you’ll see that part of his game shine.”
Through the first few games of his career, though, Harvey has struggled to gain any significant momentum in Payton’s attack. As J.K. Dobbins has assumed the Broncos’ RB1 spot, Harvey has touched the ball 11 times total in losses to the Colts and the Chargers the past two weeks. Payton designed a few screens for him Sunday, but Harvey caught three balls for just 14 yards.
His inconsistent usage is evidence of a troubling trend in Denver. In June, tight end Evan Engram said he felt this Broncos roster had a “bunch of Jokers” — the Payton-adored concept of a mismatch RB or TE in the passing game. Early on in 2025, though, none have materialized.
Engram, the splashy free-agent signing who posted a GIF of Heath Ledger as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” upon his arrival in Denver, has been riddled with injuries and hasn’t played much when active. Reserve running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who Payton said in August has “been to Joker school now for two years,” has been inactive. And Harvey, general manager George Paton’s described “pet cat” in the draft process, has spent much of his short Broncos career scratching at the front door to be let outside.
It’s made second-year life tougher on Bo Nix, with few options consistently open over the middle of the field or as safety valves in the Chargers loss. Opposing teams, meanwhile, have poisoned the Broncos with the same Joker Venom they swore to employ. RB Jonathan Taylor and TE Tyler Warren busted coverages in Week 2 for the Colts. Rookie Chargers back Omarion Hampton got loose for 59 yards on six catches in Week 3.
“We had ‘em,” cornerback Pat Surtain II said Sunday. “I just felt like some plays, we execute like how we needed to — and I mean, they got the best of it.”
The question of how to stop opposing weapons without ILB Dre Greenlaw — currently away from Denver on a rehab assignment — is tougher to answer. But the Broncos have the pieces on their roster to create more dynamism in the passing game.
For one, Payton was still adamant last week that Engram would “play a big role” for the Broncos over the course of the year, despite a sub-40% snap rate through two games.
The greatest source of growth may ultimately come from rookie Harvey, who told The Post in the locker room last week that the NFL game felt “fast” to him through a few weeks.
“It’ll happen faster than most because of his attitude and work ethic,” running backs coach Lou Ayeni said of Harvey’s development last week. “The situations in the game — we just try to put him in the best situation so he can go out there and make plays and be comfortable.
“And then it’ll all start to come together.”
Despite a quiet impact over two games, Harvey’s “Joker wings,” as Payton has referenced, are starting to sprout. A total of 35% of Harvey’s career snaps at UCF came on passing downs, according to Pro Football Focus. That number’s jumped to 66% through three games in the NFL. Payton experimented with a few unique concepts for Harvey against the Chargers, including a notable third-and-11 play in which four receivers went deep to block as Harvey broke for a short route over the middle.
It went for 2 yards. But Harvey could’ve easily burst to the edge for a first down if tight end Adam Trautman had executed a block on Chargers corner Tarheeb Still.
“I think he’s got a really high upside,” Harris said of Harvey in the spring.
The biggest key to getting Harvey more reps as a safety-blanket pass-catcher, particularly on third down, is his development in pass protection. It was his greatest point of emphasis coming out of college. Harvey allowed a QB pressure on nearly 15% of his pass-blocking reps in his senior year at UCF, according to PFF. And he clearly has yet to earn the Broncos’ trust in such situations, as he’s drawn just one rep as a pass-blocker through three weeks.
“I think in another year, he’ll be even better,” Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said last week. “But for a rookie, I think he’s on point and dialed in. And if he’s in there on third down, we have no concerns.”
Harvey has played less than a fifth of his snaps on third down thus far. Still, he feels both he and Dobbins will “eat well together” in 2025.
“I’m good, mentally,” Harvey said. “It’s just – eventually, everything gon’ happen. I’m not too down on myself, I’m not too high on myself. Just continuing to learn the offense. Learn what it’s about, I still gotta learn. It’s a lot to the process.
“Eventually, everything gotta settle in, settle down.”
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