Denver Broncos select UCF RB RJ Harvey with their 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
#Broncos with No. 60 overall pick in second round are selecting Central Florida RB RJ Harvey.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) April 26, 2025
RJ Harvey is a 5’8, 205-pound running back out of UCF who had a third-round grade according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He was a highly productive runner at UCF and now will join the Denver Broncos’ backfield.
A two-year starter at UCF, Harvey was the lead back in head coach Gus Malzahn’s multiple run scheme. A quarterback his entire life, he’d never taken a snap at running back before joining the Golden Knights (Harvey: “I didn’t even know how to take a handoff.”). Even so, he rushed for 75 or more yards in each of his final 21 games at UCF, and only Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton and Tahj Brooks had more rushing yards in the FBS over the past two seasons.
Though he doesn’t have the power to drive through the first level, he is a dynamic make-you-miss runner with his tempo and burst (54 carries of 10 or more yards in 2024), which made him a frequent visitor to the end zone (UCF-record 48 total touchdowns). He is below average as a pass-protecting blocker but has the tools to be a weapon catching the ball on screens and wheels. Overall, Harvey needs to develop better consistency on passing downs, but he is skilled at patiently settling his feet and changing lanes with his instinctive field vision and lateral quickness. Similar in ways to Tyjae Spears, he projects best in a timeshare role in the NFL.
Harvey played a total of four seasons at UCF and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons for them. During his four seasons, he appeared in 41 games and had 579 carries for 3,792 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and had 43 rushing touchdowns while also having 61 receptions for 720 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. This past season, he appeared in 12 games and had 232 carries for 1,577 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, and 22 rushing touchdowns while having 20 receptions for 267 yards, and 3 receiving touchdowns.
Harvey is an explosive back who has a nose for the end zone and has a chance to thrive behind the Broncos’ offensive line and in Sean Payton’s offense. I like this pick and look forward to seeing Harvey in this offense this upcoming season.
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