The Denver Broncos have their work cut out for them as Sean Payton’s squad looks to make the postseason for a second consecutive season.
With the draft in the rear-view mirror, the Broncos are trying to figure out who is going to be the team’s primary running back for the 2025 season. There’s nothing quite like a little healthy competition, which will be the main focal point of the team’s minicamp.
RJ Harvey Competes With Jaleel McLaughlin for Broncos’ RB1 Spot
The Broncos no longer have Javonte Williams, leaving the team without their leading running back for the past few seasons. Williams is now a member of the Dallas Cowboys after signing a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason. At 25 years old, Williams is going to try and make a statement on a new team as he spent his first four seasons in the league with Denver.
Now, the running back position is wide open. Jaleel McLaughlin jumps out as the early favorite as he finished the 2024 season with 496 yards, only 17 less than Williams. While he had just one touchdown, he did play in 16 of the team’s games and had 113 carries.
While his number of attempts and total yardage went up, there were a few key signs of regression that point to RJ Harvey potentially being a better option for RB1.
McLaughlin broke out as a rookie in 2023, averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 76 attempts. In 2024, that number dipped to 4.4. His receiving production also declined—from 31 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns in 2023 to 24 catches for just 76 yards last season.
With McLaughlin’s yards per carry down one full yard and his yards per reception down two yards, Denver may want to take a longer look at other options. Twenty-one-year-old Audric Estimé debuted with the team last season, totaling 76 carries for 310 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 4.1 yards per attempt are slightly less than McLaughlin’s, with Estimé also fumbling twice throughout the season.
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 was the highest drafted running back in the UCF Golden Knights’ history. Selected with the 60th overall pick, Harvey recently signed his four-year, $7.3 million rookie contract. At 24 years old, he has a few years on Estimé (22 in September) and is the same age as McLaughlin.
In his final two seasons as a Knight, he had a total of 2,993 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns. Averaging almost seven yards per carry in 2024, Harvey is a receiving threat as well, as he averaged over nine yards per reception from 2022 to 2024. With a 92-yard run in 2022 and a 75-yard reception in 2024, it’s clear that Harvey has big-play potential, which is exactly what this Broncos offense has lacked for years.