Coleman yanked from preseason opener early

Coleman took a few snaps with tonight’s starters after replacing RB RJ Harvey on the second drive. Coleman picked up two first downs on the ground, barreling through contact on both plays. He earned one target as a receiver out of the backfield and took it for a five-yard gain. Unfortunately, the play was erased by a penalty, but it was good to see him get involved through the air regardless. Coleman looks like a capable player. He is worth speculatively stashing on fantasy benches at this time.

We’re still looking for more clarity here, but Payton did say after practice that he thinks Dobbins is “gonna be fine” and that the team is “trying to be smart with it.” Given Dobbins’ injury history, it makes sense for the team to want to approach any minor issues with caution as they look to get through training camp and into Week 1. Dobbins rushed for 153-772-4 in 10 games with the Broncos last season and signed a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason. He’s expected to serve as their primary lead back, while RJ Harvey will continue to see a role in the passing game. If Dobbins were to miss time, rookie Jonah Coleman could be tasked with stepping in to fill his role.

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.

Per Evans, Coleman has been “heavily involved in the Broncos’ passing game,” flashing the necessary “open-field burst to be a threat on screen passes and choice routes out of the backfield.” Coleman (5'8/220) also possesses “enough stockiness to chip rushers on obvious passing downs.” Veteran RB J.K. Dobbins is set to handle primary rushing duties. Second-year RB RJ Harvey is practicing in a limited capacity following offseason shoulder surgery. Harvey is the incumbent receiving back and will ostensibly be given the chance to fend off Coleman in training camp. Three-player backfields typically create fantasy-unfriendly situations. If Coleman forces a timeshare on passing downs, it will be tough for him and Harvey to produce reliably. If one player can separate from the other, he could offer PPR FLEX value. This is worth following closely in training camp.

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.