GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The Denver Broncos addressed their need for a running back in the second round of the NFL Draft Friday night, selecting Central Florida standout RJ Harvey.
The Broncos traded back twice in the second round to gather up some picks and improve their position in other rounds.
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"I think that was probably because some of the guys that they were hoping would fall to them in the second round did not," said Denver7 Sports' Nick Rothschild. "But they get a running back in RJ Harvey, who is dynamite embodied."
Harvey was second in the Big 12 Conference last season with 1,577 rushing yards, and his 22 rushing touchdowns led the conference. He racked up more than 1,400 yards and 16 scores a year earlier.
- Hear instant reaction to the Harvey pick from Denver7 Sports' Nick Rothschild in the video player below:
"He is like TNT. He's explosive. He's a home run hitter," Rothschild said of Harvey. "He is one step and gone, a lot of times, for Central Florida."
ESPN NFL analyst and talent evaluator Louis Riddick told Denver7 Sports in an exclusive interview that Harvey should be a draft target for the Broncos beyond the first round.
“[Harvey is] another running back who was just lightning in a bottle,” Riddick said. “Inside-outside runner [who can] catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Running back was perhaps the most glaring need for Denver, which lacked explosiveness at the position last year. Javonte Williams led a running back committee with a pedestrian 513 yards before bolting for Dallas in free agency.
Denver7's Sydney Isenberg contributed to this report.
