Insert all the caveats about it being August and this being an "unofficial" depth chart and whatever else you want to say.
It's still wild to see where Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey is on the initial Denver depth chart released on Wednesday.
Here's how the listing goes:
- JK Dobbins
- Jaleel McLaughlin
- Audric Estime
- Tyler Badie
- RJ Harvey AND Blake Watson
The veteran signee Dobbins takes over the top spot.
Then it's three returners in the next three spots.
Only then does Harvey show up.
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Frankly, it's not how anyone is expecting the season to actually play out. It feels more a matter of procedure to put the rookie at the bottom to start things off.
Denver didn't take Harvey with the No. 60 overall pick to place him fifth on their RB depth chart. His reps in camp have also suggested he's a lot closer to first-team than fifth-team.
He was an absolute star at UCF in college.
He ran for 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023, then raised that to 1,577 yards and 22 TDs in 2024.
He also caught a combined 61 passes in his three seasons as a starter for UCF.
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Harvey fits a Sean Payton offense greatly with his multi-faceted skillset. He's set to be a key back in Denver for a long time alongside Bo Nix.
It'll be funny to laugh at down the road that he opened as a fifth-string RB on his first-ever NFL depth chart.
If Harvey ever finds himself that low again, something has gone horribly wrong.
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