Leading up to the NFL Draft, R.J. Harvey was receiving plenty of buzz despite being stuck in the middle of a deep running back class. Being selected on the second day of the draft was always a possibility, but Harvey fell into one of the best situations possible when he landed in Denver at the end of the second round. Things for Harvey got even more promising as the Broncos chose not to add any additional RBs during the draft, making Harvey the clear favorite to lead the team’s backfield in 2025.
Harvey’s college production and draft capital combine to pull in some very promising NFL comps for him. However, there are also some red flags in his profile that warrant careful consideration. As we weigh Harvey’s pros and cons, exactly how bullish should we be when looking to acquire him in dynasty and 2025 season-long leagues?
R.J. Harvey’s NFL Comps
Harvey had an impressive three-year run at UCF from 2022 through 2024, with his numbers from the past three years rivaling elite prospects like Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. However, the major difference is that Harvey graduated high school in 2019, while the other two RBs graduated in 2022.
Harvey’s age is certainly a red flag, but his testing numbers at the combine and college production were enough to counterbalance the concerns.
Harvey’s smaller stature brought down his speed score and freak score, but his 92nd-percentile explosion score aligns with his impressive 17.7% rushing boom percentage (ruBOOM%) from 2023 and his follow-up 16.4% ruBOOM% from 2024. However, Harvey’s game isn’t entirely predicated on speed, as he posted broken tackle percentages (BT%) of 13.3% in 2023 and 12.5% in 2024, numbers that come in at similar levels to larger backs like Kaytron Allen (13.4% BT% in 2023), Braelon Allen (13.3% BT% in 2023), Hampton (13.0% BT% in 2023), and Quinshon Judkins (13.0% BT% in 2024).
While Harvey’s overall receiving numbers won’t necessarily wow anyone, his average of slightly more than 20 receptions per season over the past three years should make us believe he can be an asset in the passing game. Digging deeper helps solidify Harvey’s claim as a capable receiver, with his 142.0 receiver rating (reRTG) from 2023 being one of the best marks among NFL-caliber college RBs over the past two years and his 118.0 reRTG from 2024 lining up closely with Jahmyr Gibbs’ 2022 season. Meanwhile, Harvey’s 0.082 receiving points earned per route in 2024 measured up nicely with the elite numbers put up by more heralded receivers Cam Skattebo and Jaydon Blue.
Sean Payton and the Broncos took a glass-half-full approach when evaluating Harvey, looking past his age and selecting him with the 60th pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Once draft capital is taken into account, Harvey had the fifth-highest RB prospect score in the class. The Box Score Scout also doesn’t seem to hold Harvey’s age against him, as some intriguing names populate his top-end comps.
