The Denver Broncos will have some exciting rookies to add to the mix in 2025 after George Paton and Sean Payton put together a draft class that went against the grain a little bit but gave the team some players they really liked in the draft process.
Which one of those rookies is going to have the best first year for the team? You could make a case for more than one of them, but Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated decided to choose who would be the best rookie for each team this season, and he selected RJ Harvey for the Broncos.
Despite the team taking Jahdae Barron in the first round, who could be a seamless fit in the Broncos' secondary, the running back out of UCF was chosen.
"First-round pick Jahdae Barron projects as a versatile playmaker on Denver’s back end, but Harvey is in line for significant, starting-level snaps in the backfield. Short but compact at 5' 8" and 205 pounds, Harvey has above-average vision, which he blends with contact balance and elusiveness to create yards. He doesn’t have elite speed or acceleration, but he’s adequate in both and should be an efficient, productive runner in his rookie season", wrote Flick.
Harvey is a player many Broncos fans and fantasy football players alike are excited about as Payton has a history of getting the most out of his running backs with players like Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara all being incredibly effective when Payton was head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Harvey should get a ton of work in Denver's backfield as the top options in the room with him are Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin. Harvey appears to be the player most likely to shoulder the load this season and become the feature back, even if Payton doesn't really believe in a feature back.
It's an interesting prediction and one that could certainly come to fruition. Looking at the projections put together for the 2025 season by ESPN's Mike Clay, here's how he sees the season going for Barron and Harvey, respectively.
Jahdae Barron: 58 tackles, 2 interceptions, 0.5 sacks
RJ Harvey: 189 carries, 841 yards, 5 TDs, 46 receptions, 357 yards, 2 TDs
Though their impact on the team this season can't just be measured by statistics in the box score, that would be a solid rookie season for Harvey.
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