The Denver Broncos made several bold moves to reshape their roster this offseason—now the question is whether those changes will translate into success in 2025.
The team addressed glaring needs at tight end, running back, inside linebacker, and safety, bringing in reinforcements at each of those positions.
After years of inconsistency, it finally feels like the organization is being steered by capable leadership. On paper, Denver’s roster stacks up well against many others across the league—perhaps even among the best. But of course, the real test will be how they perform on the field.
One position group that underwent significant change was the running back unit. With Javonte Williams moving on, the Broncos added rookie RJ Harvey and veteran JK Dobbins to revamp the backfield.
The group now appears deeper and more dynamic, though some analysts remain skeptical.
In fact, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Denver’s running back corps just 28th heading into the 2025 NFL season, showing that the revamped room still has much to prove.
“Denver recently signed ex-Charger J.K. Dobbins, who returned from a torn Achilles to post a modest 67.1 PFF rushing grade in Los Angeles last season. The team thought highly enough of UCF’s RJ Harvey to select him in the second round of this year’s draft. Harvey ranked eighth among FBS running backs with a 94.2 PFF rushing grade over the past two seasons.
Jaleel McLaughlin returns as a potential change-up option in the passing game, while Audric Estime could take on short-yardage touches.”
PFF ranked the Broncos’ running back room 28th ahead of the 2025 NFL season—a low placement, but arguably understandable given recent history.
That said, the outlook for Denver’s ground game is far more optimistic than the ranking suggests. With RJ Harvey’s elite vision and footwork and JK Dobbins’ proven talent when healthy, this backfield could evolve into one of the team’s most dynamic strengths.
If the run game takes off, Denver’s entire offense stands to benefit, potentially rising into the upper tier of NFL units.
It’s a promising moment for Broncos Country, especially considering how deliberately the front office approached the offseason, targeting and strengthening key areas of weakness.
Could Dobbins and Harvey be the spark the Broncos’ backfield has been missing? If things click, they just might be.
