The Denver Broncos came in with relatively few needs for a team that was a surprise playoff participant in 2024. The Broncos surprised many by going cornerback in Round 1 with Jahdae Barron, but the Texas product was a solid value at No. 20 overall.
The Broncos focused on offensive positions on Day 2, picking running back R.J. Harvey and Pat Bryant before double-dipping at edge rusher with Sai’vion Jones and Que Robinson in the following rounds. Denver rounded off the draft with Jeremy Crawshaw and Caleb Lohner, and it’s safe to say it went as well as one could have imagined.
With each of the players addressing some holes in the Broncos’ roster, who is the top rookie to look forward to at the minicamp?
Top Broncos Rookie To Watch Out For at Minicamp
Last season, Denver had a middling offense, finishing dead in the middle at 16th on PFSN’s Offense+ metric. But rather than the rookie quarterback, it was the ground game that was far from excellent for the Mile High City.
Finishing 23rd in rushing touchdowns with just 12 and having no running back tally more than 600 yards on the year, made their offense all too predictable and reliant on Bo Nix. While his work was admirable, diversifying the offense was a necessity.
“For the Broncos’ offense to take another leap in the upcoming season, they’ll need more production from their running backs,” Austin wrote. “Head coach Sean Payton is hoping that R.J. Harvey can be a big part of the solution. The UCF product may not have been the highest-ranked back available when he came off the board, but this class was deep and talented.
“At 5’8”, 205 pounds, Harvey is one of the most elusive, instinctive, and dynamic runners in the rookie class. He has a strong chance to start right away and give the Broncos a clear lead back after using a three-way committee in 2024.”
As Austin pointed out, Harvey wasn’t the top running back in this class. But it was also very much a “pick your flavor” type of class, so there’s no faulting Payton for adding a back he thinks can flourish in his scheme. It remains to be seen how Harvey fares with pros, but he certainly has the talent to give the Broncos a clear lead back after using a three-way committee in 2024.
I’ve been grinding videos for 72 hours straight and Broncos RB RJ Harvey is the most impressive player I’ve seen in rookie camps… his jump cut left is blinding, pure agility and quickness
pic.twitter.com/TvhQYNRMvY— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) May 12, 2025
Harvey has been impressive at the rookie minicamp and OTAs and has earned high praise from his teammates, including Nix. Bleacher Report’s John Frascella named the running back as the most impressive player he had seen at the rookie camps, so the excitement for him at the minicamp is certainly going to be high.
