Ex-Bronco Moreno Raves: ‘Harvey Is Mastering Pass‑Catching’—Big Things Ahead in Denver

Former Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno has more than enough chops at the position to give a qualified assessment of second-round pick RJ Harvey. 

Even so, what was good enough to get the 24-year-old drafted now gives way to learning some new tricks, and ultimately, that will determine how much head coach Sean Payton trusts him in year one. 

On the particular front, Moreno likes what he's seen from Harvey thus far, especially when it comes to mastering the art of catching the ball. 

"We all saw that RJ was explosive in college... He is a really, really good player," Moreno said in a recent appearance on the DNVR Broncos Podcast. "I'm excited to see what he can do for this offense this season. You see him in camp working on his hands and things of that nature, and that's something that you're really going to have to do as a running back is catch that ball out of the backfield." 

It won’t be necessary to throw Harvey right into the fire with the recent acquisition of veteran J.K. Dobbins, who helps lend experience to the room. 

"I'm worried about winning more than just beating - don't want to just beat the Chargers," Dobbins admitted last week. "I want to go on, and I want to get a ring. I've been in the playoffs every year I've played, so I'm tired of losing in them. That's my goal. Bring a Super Bowl to the city and just be a blessing to the community." 

Dobbins, working together with Harvey, offers a nice one-two punch for second-year quarterback Bo Nix. Moreno thinks a consistent ground game should help Nix unlock defenses with the passing attack. 

"I am very, very excited to see what this second year is like because he's getting more comfortable at number one. And then number two, you know, these other teams have film as well," Moreno continued. "They're going to come up with other ways to slow him down, especially with his legs, and make him use his arm a lot more. And not just short passes -- we need the intermediate -- we need the long ones. We need all that right?"

If a ground game isn’t a quarterback’s best friend, a top-tier defense might be. The Broncos lacked the former last year and are looking to build on the latter. 

"The biggest thing that benefits Bo right now, though, is that defense," Moreno declared. "Again, especially how good they played last year. Pretty much all of them are coming back, and then the additions that they made, they're going to do some great things on that other side of the ball. So, we'll see if Bo can just continue what he's doing. I believe a little something, but he has to show me." 

New weapons at running back and tight end, a returning-championship caliber defense, and an ascending second-year quarterback are all reasons for optimism for the Denver Broncos in 2025.