RJ Harvey Studying Film of Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs and Kenneth Walker Ahead of Year 2

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey flashed real big-play ability as a rookie in 2025, but he never quite settled into the rhythm of an every-down back. Heading into training camp for his second NFL season, Harvey says he’s been putting in extra work in the film room, studying some of the league’s best backs to round out his game.

“Just watching more film, watching other guys around the league, watching their film. Watching a lot of film of Christian McCaffrey, Kenneth Walker, Jahmyr Gibbs, guys like that. Just trying to see things that they do on film, trying to help better my game,” Harvey said, via Andrew Mason of 104.3 The Fan in Denver. “In Year 2 in the system, I feel way more comfortable, and it’s only going to get better from where I left off at.”

The film study makes sense. McCaffrey, Walker and Gibbs represent three different flavors of the modern do-everything back — McCaffrey’s all-around polish, Walker’s contact balance and vision (he was named Super Bowl MVP this past season), and Gibbs’ explosiveness as a receiver out of the backfield. For a player trying to add nuance to his game, there’s no shortage of tape to pull from.

A Rocky Rookie Season Behind Him

Harvey’s rookie year didn’t start with much volume. Through Denver’s first 10 games, he carried the ball five times or fewer in seven of them, with J.K. Dobbins handling the bulk of the early-down work. Once Dobbins’ season ended with injury, Harvey stepped into a bigger role and produced some standout moments — but the tape was inconsistent overall. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry over the Broncos’ final seven regular-season games and 3.0 yards per carry across two playoff games.

Denver made a deep postseason run, and Harvey was part of that story before a torn labrum ended his season during the AFC Championship Game. He underwent surgery in the offseason and, according to Yahoo Sports, has since recovered and is expected to be ready when training camp opens.

Denver Still Building a Committee Backfield

Denver’s decision-making this offseason signals the Broncos aren’t ready to hand Harvey the job outright. The team re-signed Dobbins to remain part of the backfield mix, and it added Jonah Coleman out of the fourth round of the draft. That’s a clear vote for a committee approach rather than a workhorse plan built solely around Harvey.

Where Harvey may carve out the most value is as a pass-catching weapon in a Joker-type role within Sean Payton’s offense — lining up as a traditional back on some snaps and moving around the formation on others to create matchup problems. As a rookie, he caught 47 passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns to go with 540 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, numbers that already hint at that receiving upside.

That’s exactly why the players he’s choosing to study matter. McCaffrey and Gibbs are two of the league’s premier receiving backs, and Walker has built a case as one of the more well-rounded backs in football. If Harvey can translate what he’s picking up from their tape into his own game, it strengthens his path toward a bigger role — even in a crowded Denver backfield.

Rushing Comparison: Harvey vs. the Backs He’s Studying (2025 Regular Season)

Note: Full 2025 season stat lines for McCaffrey, Gibbs and Walker were not included in the available source material and were not independently verified for this article. Only Harvey’s confirmed numbers are reported above.

What’s Next

Harvey enters camp healthy and, by his own account, more comfortable in Payton’s system than he was a year ago. Whether that comfort — paired with the film work he’s put in this offseason — translates into a larger role will play out over training camp and the preseason, as Denver sorts out how it wants to divide carries between Harvey, Dobbins and Coleman.