Report: Coleman will ‘probably’ play right away

Coleman has been noted to be a passing-down consideration instantly — he’s essentially ticketed to fill Tyler Badie’s role from last year per Evans — but the idea that he could get in on short-yardage work is pretty interesting. It’s hard to believe that Coleman will have major fantasy value right away — if at all — this season. But that’s more about the lack of snaps in play than about Coleman’s talent. A Dobbins injury could lead to more Coleman carries than RJ Harvey-reliant managers would like.

“I think we’ll see Harvey make a big jump in Year 2, even as he elbows for room in a more crowded backfield,” Kosmider writes. Harvey is definitely one of the more interesting bets on the board — his ADP is slightly ahead of backfield mate J.K. Dobbins, but well outside of the top 50 overall. It’s worth noting that Harvey did crush as a receiver already last year as he posted a 47/356/5 line, so we already know he can be a high-efficiency winner in this offense. Still, with Jonah Coleman potentially elbowing his way into the third-down mix and Dobbins back, Harvey does have some low-floor results in his range of outcomes.

This one certainly slipped through the cracks. Harvey reportedly “hasn’t done much team work in OTAs but has been practicing,” according to Evans. While we don’t know when Harvey underwent the surgery, it presumably occurred shortly after the loss to the Patriots, so we would expect him to be at the tail end of his recovery. The second-year back totaled 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in his rookie season, but he will face competition for touches this season with J.K. Dobbins returning and rookie Jonah Coleman now added to the mix. In games that both Harvey and Dobbins played in last season, Harvey averaged just 7.9 opportunities per game compared to the 17.9 opps/gm he saw in games he missed, with Dobbins handling the majority of the rushing work. Hopefully Harvey will be good to go when training camp kicks off next month, but this will be something worth watching until we have received word that he is fully healthy and ready to go.

Coleman, the 109th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, will likely start as RB3 on the Denver’s depth chart to begin training camp. JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey are widely expected to split the team’s backfield workload, as they did for much of the 2025 season before Dobbins’ season-ending ankle injury. Broncos head coach Sean Payton said in late April that Coleman “can play on third downs.” Coleman, who produced 71 percent of his rushing yardage after contact at Washington, could secure a reliable role in the Denver backfield if Dobbins or Harvey miss time in 2026.

“Normally, you have to project that,” Payton said of Coleman, the 109th pick in the 2026 draft out of Washington. “A lot of these guys, in college, maybe the protection plan’s different or limited. So you have to develop that, and that’s fine, but (Coleman’s) frame is such that, when you see him, he does a really good job in blocking pressure looks.” Denver front office officials and coaches have been effusive in their praise for Coleman. Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt compared Coleman favorably to JK Dobbins, who will return tot he Denver backfield in 2026. “We really like his run style, his ability between the tackles as a finisher,” Burckhardt said. Coleman’s tough running style — he produced a sky-high 71 percent of his college rushing production after first contact — could force Payton to use the rookie early in the 2026 season. Coleman will be a popular late-round fantasy stash this summer.

The Broncos used a fourth-round pick to select Coleman in this year’ draft. While it’s not a high enough pick to suggest he will see significant playing time out of the gate, it sounds like he will have a chance to prove himself in certain situations and earn a heavier workload as he progresses this offseason and into the regular season. While both JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey stand in the way of Coleman, Dobbins is on a two-year deal and would cost just $2 million to cut next offseason, and Harvey struggled on the ground as a rookie, averaging just 3.7 YPC and 2.72 yards after contact per attempt. Coleman will make for an interesting stash in redraft and best ball leagues this offseason, and could turn into a touchdown vulture that puts a hard cap on the fantasy upside of both Dobbins and Harvey.

Coleman (5’8/220) spent his freshman season as a backup before leading the Arizona Wildcats with 871 rushing yards in 2023. He would serve as his team’s leading rusher in each of the following two seasons as well. Coleman put his best work on tape in 2024 when he ran for over 1,000 yards on 193 attempts. He got off to another hot start in 2025, but a knee injury late in the year limited him to 30 carries for 115 yards and two scores over his final four games. The issue also sidelined him for a week. Despite catching four passes during that stretch, he still finished the season with a 31-354-3 receiving line on top of his 758 yards and 15 scores on the ground. His ability to play on all three downs made him a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award and will be his calling card in the pros. Coleman isn’t particularly fast on tape and the fact that he opted out of the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and Washington’s Pro Day all but confirms his lack of speed. Coleman’s rugged build could make him the long-term replacement for JK Dobbins, who re-signed with the Broncos this offseason.

Per Klis, Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr., Washington RB Jonah Coleman, Kentucky RB Seth McGowan, Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson, Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton and Texas A&M RB Le’Veon Moss are among the “possibilities” at running back. Klis is not declaring that a running back will be the pick. Reports on the Broncos’ backfield simply remain somewhat in flux. The team re-signed veteran RB J.K. Dobbins to a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason and it remains to be seen whether last year’s 60th overall pick, RB RJ Harvey, is a real candidate to be the team’s long-term starter. For now, Dobbins appears to be slated for Week 1 starting duties, but Harvey or a rookie could challenge him for the role.

Denver dabbled in the running back market this offseason, but wound up bringing back JK Dobbins. It does feel like Dobbins will at least open as the lead back, as he did last year, but not being willing to pay a major premium for a back is probably an endorsement of the idea of Harvey breaking out in his second season. This will be a position battle to monitor during OTAs and training camp.

Dobbins was on pace for a career-year in Denver before a foot injury sidelined him for the final seven games of the regular season. In 10 games, Dobbins rushed 153 times for 772 yards and four touchdowns while adding another 11-37-0 through the air. When healthy, the 27-year-old running back was unquestioned RB1, earning 28 percent of the team’s backfield opportunities compared to RJ Harvey’s 13 percent, while also handling 57 percent of the team’s carries. His return undoubtedly puts a cap on Harvey’s rushing upside entering next season, but Harvey should retain some value as a pass-catcher and remains a high-end handcuff while playing behind a player with a lengthy injury history. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Dobbins will get $8 million guaranteed out of his two-year, $20 million deal.