RJ Harvey NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for UCF RB

HEIGHT: 5'8"

WEIGHT: 207

HAND: 8⅝"

ARM: 30⅛"

WINGSPAN: 70⅝"

40-YARD DASH: 4.4"

SHUTTLE: 4.34"

VERTICAL: 38"

BROAD: 10'7"

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POSITIVES

— Very patient runner with quick defensive recognition ability.

— Good burst and explosion through the initial layers of the defense.

— Follows lead blockers through traffic to daylight.

— One of the shiftiest RBs in the draft, difficult to tackle in space one-on-one.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks top-end and homerun speed to finish explosive plays for touchdowns.

— Liability in pass protection, undersized and lacks urgency to step up with physicality.

— Too dependent on bouncing runs to the outside, will turn down inside runs.

— Older prospect, been in college since 2019.

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NOTES

— 3-Star recruit in 2022 class, per 247Sports

— 2024: First-Team All-Big 12; Doak Walker Award Semifinalist;

— 2023: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

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OVERALL

RJ Harvey is a make-you-miss runner with great shiftiness.

Harvey is a patient runner who attacks/presses the line of scrimmage with intent. He is a lane changer who can pivot and find alternative routes out of the backfield if the designed lane is clogged. Harvey possesses lateral agility and burst to execute jump cuts from one gap to another. He can press the interior run lanes and lateral cut to the B and C gaps.

Harvey is shifty and elusive as a ball carrier—with quickness and creativity, he defeats alley defenders. He strings together cuts well to sift through traffic. When rushing lanes open up, Harvey displays the burst and pop to explode through them and knife his way into the second and third levels of the defense. He makes guys miss and grasp for air like a guard crossing over defenders on the hardwood.

Harvey is a capable pass catcher out of the backfield on a few route concepts—flats, hitches, Texas/angle, and wheel/rail routes.

Unfortunately, Harvey is an unreliable pass protector. He scans the pocket but doesn't move with intent or urgency to pick up defenders closing in. He needs to display the desire to engage and protect this QB to ensure he receives the playing time to make an impact on Sundays. Harvey does not showcase long speed to be a consistent home run threat at the NFL level. He is run down by pursuing defenders more than one would prefer.

Harvey bounces runs too often. He will press the A or B gaps to pull second-level defenders into the lane before attempting to reverse course and bounce the run outside instead of taking what is blocked. This type of approach will not fly against NFL defenses. The speed is too great compared to the college level. This results in negative plays and will put the offense behind the chains.

RJ Harvey projects to be a change-of-pace RB2 for an NFL offense that runs inside zone, pin-pull, and duo concepts. His patience and ability to manipulate second-level defenders by pressing running lanes and escaping is impressive. The lack of long speed and chasing the big plays on the perimeter will keep him regulated as a rotational RB rather than the lead dog in the clubhouse.

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GRADE: 6.7 (Potential Role Player—4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 152

POSITION RANK: RB17

PRO COMPARISON: Shades of Austin Ekeler

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson