The Denver Broncos had to add more playmakers to their offense in the 2025 NFL Draft. Did they find a hidden gem with their second-round pick? It might be hard to say that a second-round pick is a hidden gem, but he was the 60th overall pick, and someone Denver selected after trading down two times in the round.
And the consensus opinion on him actually seemed to be a bit lower, but when you do a little bit of a dive, you may find that the Broncos got a total steal with UCF running back, RJ Harvey.
Did the Denver Broncos get the steal of the 2025 NFL Draft?
Chris Simms may have been one of the more vocal RJ Harvey 'truthers' out there, having him as his third-ranked running back coming into the 2025 NFL Draft.
RJ Harvey is one of most underrated superstar potential player in league. Ankle breaker and 80 yd td ability. Had him as the #3 RB
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) April 26, 2025
Trevor Sikkema of PFF seems to think that Harvey can be this year's Bucky Irving:
His name is RJ Harvey 🔥 @SleeperNFL https://t.co/GfZSid9pRj pic.twitter.com/If36iulejW
— SleeperBroncos (@SleeperBroncos) April 29, 2025
When you look at Harvey's time, you'll find that the UCF back has elite footwork, vision, and explosiveness. And frankly, those are three of the most important things that a running back has to have to succeed at the NFL level.
Him being a home-run threat is honestly a cherry on top, as his best and most crucial qualities are the vision and footwork. Former starting running back Javonte Williams did seem to struggle with the vision, and perhaps that was a driving force in him never really catching on in the NFL as a RB1.
Some have said that the Denver Broncos overdrafted RJ Harvey, but it seems like the team found a hidden gem and someone who could bring immediate, RB1 production to an offense that has been missing it for years now.
Did Sean Payton find yet another elite threat at the running back position?