One factor to watch as rookie RJ Harvey jumps into crowded Broncos RB competition

Rookie minicamp is just one tiny step in a young NFL participant s career but it s a big moment too For the Broncos newest group of players this weekend represents their first time on the field as professionals It s also the first chance to make a first very early impression Nearly all of them had interactions with Broncos scouts and coaches through the pre-draft process They met at the combine at an all-star contest or on a visit They worked out at a pro day or a privately held session They talked ball and evidenced how they learn on Zoom calls with assistant coaches But now they ll be in their new meeting rooms and on the fields for the first time That naturally leads to early clues even if those clues aren t determinative A year ago head coach Sean Payton came away from rookie minicamp weekend particularly impressed with seventh-round receiver Devaughn Vele saying He has good instincts and he has really really good ball skills In these two practices he s looked better than I even thought for a guy his height Vele of lesson became a key contributor during the regular season In that way there s perhaps no athlete who will make a first impression more fascinating than second-round running back RJ Harvey The Broncos know he s explosive They thought he had perhaps the best vision in the class But they re projecting particular on his pass-catching ability and a lot on how hurriedly he ll pick up the pass protection schemes in the NFL You don t see a lot of college runners protecting at a high level general manager George Paton revealed before the draft So you have to dig into the participant the person the build the body type his running style Can you project him to be a good pass protector That s what we dig into our coaches dig into A lot of it is the mental part of it and do they have the build to withstand the pass protecting Denver gets a first look at Harvey in that department this weekend Then more through OTAs Then minicamp Then eventually the contact ramps up in training camp and the preseason How fleetly Harvey picks up what Payton is asking in that department will go a long way in determining how the running back room shapes up For all of Javonte Williams limitations since his devastating October knee injury he inevitably remained a terrific pass protector When Paton left open the door for Williams returning ahead of free agency this winter the thing he cited was Williams reputation as one of the best protecting backs in the NFL He instead signed a one-year deal with Dallas The remaining Broncos group Harvey will compete against offers little proven production in the protection department Related Articles Broncos Mailbag Is hoops player-turned-TE Caleb Lohner Denver s the greater part intriguing rookie Veteran QB Desmond Ridder attending Broncos rookie minicamp on tryout source says RJ Harvey cousin of legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr aims to be Broncos Mr Unstoppable Renck File Two ugly streaks Broncos must snap to reach prospective offensively Jeff Sperbeck s death after falling from cart driven by John Elway appears to be a horrific accident sheriff says Audric Estime was used almost exclusively as an early-down power back Jaleel McLaughlin is built like a third-down back but doesn t profile like one He s shifty on early downs and surprisingly effective in the red zone but pass-catching and pass-protecting are not his strong suits Tyler Badie might have had a chance to show where he s at in the progression except a Week back injury shelved him just as he started to break out and limited him to just total regular-season snaps Blake Watson enters his second pro season as an intriguing young performer but one who saw just snaps in his rookie year Fullback Mike Burton is a trusted veteran but won t give any receiving challenge juice if he s in there to protect quarterback Bo Nix All of the running backs though are still young Paton and Payton have declared throughout the spring they re interested in seeing how that group progresses too and Payton reiterated that stance on the draft s final day When we re talking about chosen of our younger players Year they get exposed to what we re doing and we ll see advance in Year Payton reported We re excited to see that with these guys and that s whether it s Blake Audric Tyler Badie I think a lot of times there s this perception Oh a participant was drafted Now we understand there s a need element and we reliably pay attention to that but we look forward to seeing their improvement Perhaps McLaughlin or someone else will take a big step forward in protection this summer But even if they do Harvey s task is clear If he proves to be a natural pass-catcher and able blocker there s no telling how big his role might be as a rookie If it doesn t come right away the Broncos may have to look to the veteran running back sphere for more help or muddle through until they find an in-house answer Want more Broncos news Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL 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