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The Denver Broncos will be heading into the 2026 season with a bit of an improved running back room from what they were working with last year.
That's not just because of their addition of fourth-round rookie runner Jonah Coleman, who will be another piece to utilize down the depth chart, but also because of the growth that RJ Harvey will undergo following his first-year pro in 2025.
And in preparation for Harvey's sophomore campaign, it seems as if he's done more than just getting work in on the field––he's been taking notes from some of the top stars at his position throughout the offseason as well.
RJ Harvey Watching Several Top-Tier RBs Before 2026 Season
In an interview with Andrew Mason of Denver Sports 1043 back during OTAs, Harvey revealed that he's been busy watching film of three stars in particular leading up to his second season: Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, and reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker.
"Just watching more film, watching other guys around the league, watching their film," Christian McCaffrey, Kenneth Walker, Jahmyr Gibbs, watching guys like that. Just trying to see things on film that they do on film, trying to help better my game. Year two in the system, I feel way more comfortable and it's only going to get better from where I left off at."
Harvey, all things considered, had a pretty productive first season in Denver for the role that he had, first being further down the depth chart behind Dobbins, to then elevating to being the lead name in the backfield once Dobbins went down with an injury in the second half of the year.
Harvey played in all 17 games while starting in seven of them, posting 896 yards from scrimmage as a threat in both the backfield and in passing situations, while pairing that with 12 total touchdowns.
That year of production gave Harvey the second-most yards of anyone on the offensive side of the ball, while also leading the team in touchdowns; a much-needed, valuable weapon for the Broncos' scoring attack, both on the ground and through the air.
And while on-field reps are going to help any player continue to improve year after year, that's only half of what Harvey has taken on throughout his first full offseason in Denver. Watching film to not only self-scout, but also see what others around him are doing in certain situations can also be a big help to elevating anyone's game.
For the running back position, there aren’t many that could be better to keep eyes on than explosive threats like McCaffrey and Gibbs–– who could be two of the best names at running back entering 2026–– as well as Walker, who was the driving force behind the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl victory from a little less than six months ago.
Harvey's clearly recognized that he has been diligent in his research and will now look to apply that in the field in an effort to take a step forward from where he stood in 2025.
So if you haven't bought any stock in Harvey yet, now might be the time to do so. Because an even better second season could be in store following an impressive rookie campaign on the scene.
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- Sean Payton Sees J.K. Dobbins as 'Compound Multiplier' for Broncos
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi as Broncos' RJ Harvey Reveals 3 NFL Stars He's Studying Ahead of Year 2.
