Denver Broncs select RJ Harvey in second round of 2025 NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos selected UCF running back R.J. Harvey in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They picked him with the 60th overall selection.

Even in a loaded running back class, Harvey stands out as one of the more impressive backs in the group. He rushed for over 1,400 yards in back-to-back years (2023 and 2024). As a receiver, he hauled in over 200 receiving yards in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He initially began his college career with Virginia as a quarterback, but found a natural transition at the running back position with the UCF Knights.

Once he hung up his cleats with UCF, Harvey had peppered his name all over the Knights’ record books. He finished with 3,792 career rushing yards, putting him just behind UCF legend Kevin Smith for second in program history.

He ran for 1,577 rushing yards in 2024 (ranking him second on the single-season list for UCF) and 1,416 yards in 2024 (ranking fourth on the single-season list for UCF). He finished with 43 total rushing touchdowns for his career, putting him just behind Kevin Smith (45). He’s not only second in school history in that stat, but single season rushing touchdowns as well (22-2024). Once again, he ranks behind Kevin Smith–who had 29 in 2007.

Harvey is the UCF program record holder for career touchdowns scored, with 48. In 2023 and 2024, he finished as a Doak Walker Award Semifinalist, given to the nation’s top running back. In 2024, Harvey was named third team All-American by the Associated Press, as well as first team All-Big 12. In 2023, he was named second team All-Big 12 by Phil Steele.

A prolific quarterback in high school, Harvey has the special skill set for a Wildcat running back. As a passer for the Knights, he completed three of his four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. During the 2019 season, he was listed as a quarterback on Virginia’s roster, but redshirted.

Harvey was a prolific quarterback at Edgewater High School (Orlando, Florida). In the 2019 cycle, he was tabbed as the No. 83 quarterback in the country and the No. 1,511 overall player in America. He was also ranked as a three-star prospect, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

In 2018, he accounted for 48 total touchdowns, including 25 rushing and 23 passing touchdowns. A dynamic dual-threat, he threw for 1,787 yards and rushed for 1,376 yards as a senior. He finished with a 21-5 overall record as a quarterback. He helped guide Edgewater to a state semifinal appearance in 2018, two years after the team went 0-10 in 2016 as sophomores.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about R.J. Harvey

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted that Harvey is below-average at pass protection, so he’s unlikely to compete for third-down reps in the National Football League.

“Productive, blue-collar back with a compact frame and a willingness to get his nose dirty on each snap. Harvey lacks creativity and burst but adds yards after contact with contact balance and lower-body strength. While he’s well built, he’s not a big back by NFL standards, so he needs to run with better vision and tempo to get past second-level defenders at a decent rate,” Zierlein explained.

He thinks the former UCF star’s ceiling in the NFL is a backup role. “He’s a dump-and-dash pass catcher with below-average pass protection, so he’s unlikely to compete for third-down reps. Harvey’s will as a runner is admirable, but backup duty might be his ceiling,” Zierlein finished.