Over the past two drafts, the Denver Broncos have added RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman to their running back group. The hope is the two can become their lightning and thunder duo of the future. Additionally, they brought back J.K. Dobbins on a two-year deal this offseason to fortify the position.
Injuries, as usual, hampered Dobbins’ season production. Though he was incredibly productive when healthy last year. Recently, it was revealed that Harvey suffered a torn labrum in the AFC Championship game
against the New England Patriots and is currently recovering from it. Head Coach Sean Payton revealed that Harvey was a full-go at minicamp without limitations earlier in the week.
In addition to the aforementioned, two other running backs from last year’s squad are also vying for a spot in Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie. With the first three backs mentioned locks for the final roster, there certainly isn’t room for both McLaughlin and Badie on the 2026 squad.
This roster review installment will focus on Badie. He was active in sixteen games for the Broncos and finished the year with 19 receptions for 141 yards and had 8 rushes for 23 yards. He played 192 offensive snaps, 18-percent of the Broncos’ total, primarily utilized as the team’s pass blocking back on third downs. Additionally, he saw 260 snaps on special teams.
Coach Payton has lauded Badie’s pass protection ability, but will that be enough for him to carve out a role with this year’s team? Let’s discuss.
Player Profile
Age: 26 | Experience: Fourth Year | College: Mizzou | Height: 5’8” | Weight: 197 pounds
Arm Length: 30” | Hand Size: 9-1/8” | Bench: 14 reps | Vertical: 33-1/2” | Broad Jump: 10’1”
40-Yard Dash: 4.45 seconds | 3-Cone: 7.07 seconds | Shuttle: 4.28 seconds
Tyler Badie’s 2026 outlook with the Broncos
The Broncos carried four running backs on the active roster last season with Dobbins, Harvey, McLaughlin and Badie. McLaughlin was a gameday inactive for most of the year with Badie playing most every game due to his pass protection ability. With fourth-round rookie Coleman a part of the team’s current and future plans, it seems that either Badie or McLaughlin’s spots will be in jeopardy.
So, what does Badie’s outlook this season look like? Looking back at his 2025 season, Badie wasn’t very productive when on the field. He had five drops on 31 receiving targets and didn’t do much at all as a runner. When he was in the lineup, it was quite the tell what the Broncos were planning on doing offensively.
Quite frankly, I’m not sure that’s a trend they should continue this season. Denver’s best option moving forward is to give all the reps to Dobbins, Harvey, and Coleman. Of course, the group’s overall health will have an impact in that, but I don’t see much of a point in carrying a fourth back on the active roster whose potential is limited.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned earlier, Dobbins, Harvey and Coleman should be Denver’s top three at the position this year. While having a back that is solid in pass protection is a plus, Badie isn’t much of a needle mover or difference maker. In an ideal world, he would be a back that could be called up from the 16-man practice squad if necessary.
