Broncos overhaul run game under Payton with Dobbins and RJ Harvey

Denver, Colo. – Coach Sean Payton entered this season with bold projections and a clear plan: overhaul the Broncos’ run game, lean on Bo Nix’s development, and push Denver back into the Super Bowl conversation. A flurry of offseason moves, additions to the backfield, and a shift in the offensive scheme reflect that ambition, even as Payton and his staff acknowledge the path to a markedly improved ground attack remains a work in progress three weeks from the season opener.

The centerpiece of Payton’s upgrade is a revamped run game designed to create more chunk plays and balance for an offense that carried a heavy passing load last year. The Broncos brought in JK Dobbins, added rookie RJ Harvey, and shifted the blocking scheme toward more outside zone concepts. Payton described the changes as a deliberate shift to maximize the strengths of the new personnel and the line’s capabilities, noting that the team will be “much improved” in the running game even if the process isn’t perfect from day one. The emphasis on outside zone is designed to give Denver’s blockers and backs more leverage and create easier pathways for explosive runs.

In camp, Harvey has been a focal point of that...