RJ Harvey Wants to Be 'Better' Than Alvin Kamara, Sproles with Broncos' Sean Payton

RJ Harvey has seen the success other notable running backs achieved with head coach Sean Payton, and he's setting the bar even higher at the start of his NFL career.

"I want to be better than those guys," the Denver Broncos rookie told reporters after watching film of Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles playing in Payton's offense. "So, I'm gonna ... work every day, get better, and just prove myself to all the vets and the coaches, and I want to make an immediate impact in this league."

Payton was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006-21. Sproles played for the NFC South team for three seasons from 2011 through 2013, while Kamara is still on the Saints after suiting up for Payton in the first five seasons of his career.

While Sproles' versatility that allowed him to impact the game in multiple ways also stood in the way of being an every-down back who would challenge for 1,000-plus yards every season, he had arguably the best seasons of his 14-year career with Payton.

He posted 603 rushing yards, 710 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns in 2011, which were all career-best marks. He also finished with the second- and third-most receiving yards in his career in 2012 (667) and 2013 (604).

Sproles was also a punt and kick returner, further illustrating his versatility.

As for Kamara, all five of the Pro Bowl appearances in his career happened when he was playing in Payton's offense. He also led the league with 21 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns during the 2020 campaign as a dominant playmaker who also finished with a career-best 1,688 yards from scrimmage.

The first thing that jumps out about both Kamara and Sproles when it comes to their time with Payton is how they impacted the game as both a runner and receiver.

Harvey stood out more as a runner with 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground in his final season with UCF, but he still managed 20 catches for 267 yards and three scores.

He proved he can contribute in the aerial attack if necessary, and he will likely have to if he is going to see considerable playing time for Payton and live up to his lofty goals when it comes to Kamara and Sproles.

At least the second-round pick doesn't have to deal with a running back room that is filled with surefire superstars. Competing against Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson gives him the chance to potentially earn the starting job early in his rookie campaign.

If he does, he knows the blueprints of former Payton running backs that he plans to follow.