Sean Payton evaluates the Denver Broncos run game every day in practice.

Being an offensive-minded head coach, Payton knows there’s only two ways to move the ball: run it, and pass it.

And while the Broncos weren’t elite in either area last year, the lack of a consistent run game was Denver’s biggest deficiency.

Sean Payton evaluates Denver Broncos run game, explains the process

Just like a team doesn’t go from bad to great immediately, neither can a single aspect of their game, which is why Payton is constantly evaluating that phase.

Last year, the Broncos run game was bad-to-mediocre. They finished 16th in yards, 21st in yards per carry (4.1) and 23rd in touchdowns (12). They also only had 10 runs of 20-plus yards, and six of them came from Bo Nix.

On Tuesday, Payton addressed the run game with reporters after that day’s training camp practice. “It’s a great question, and we have to be more explosive in that area,” the head coach admitted. “So we first look at ourselves, the scheme, and are we doing it the way we want to. Then we’re looking at who are we asking to do it with. Obviously we’ve added some players in the running back room, and we’re going to be much improved in that area.”

Those additions are RJ Harvey–the rookie out of the University of Central Florida–and J.K. Dobbins, the veteran who was most recently with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harvey was drafted in the second round and is the frontrunner to be the lead back. But, considering the Broncos signed Dobbins after the draft was concluded, the glimpses Payton and Co. had in rookie mini camps may have led them to believe he’s not ready for a 3-down role. At 5’8″ tall, Harvey is somewhat small for the NFL, but his speed is otherworldly.

Dobbins is a bigger and more physical back who is coming off his best year as a professional. He’s incredibly valuable at the goal line and will likely be leaned on when Denver gets within the opponent’s 20.

“I don’t know, even after Week 1, we better be improving to Week 2 and Week 3,” Sean Payton said of evaluating the Denver Broncos run game as an ongoing process. “I think we will have an idea at the quarter pole where we’re at…I always talk about that first month of the regular season. There’s that race that you’re having with everyone else to improve. I think when we get through those first four weeks, you guys, myself included, will all have a better feel for, ‘This is what we’re seeing now. It looks positive.’ I think that’s something that will be real important.”

Payton’s insight there is important. There’s still a lot to learn about this run game, not just in training camp, but through the first quarter of the season.

Bo Nix was a vital part of the run game in 2024. Will he be in 2025?

As stated earlier, Nix was responsible for six of those explosive, 20-plus yard runs. In fact, his 430 yards made him the third leading rusher behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin. Now, Williams is in Dallas and McLaughlin is at best the third back.

So, what does Sean Payton think of Nix as a runner?

“But when you watched him, you thought, ‘This guy is tough to sack.’ He won a lot of downs for us last year with his feet. It’s just being smart at the tail end.”

When plays broke down, Nix either escaped the pocket to hit an open receiver, or he tucked it and ran the ball. Nix’s running ability helped him play like the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Guys like MVP Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Patrick Mahomes. Not only can he make something out of nothing, he can also avoid sacks.

“We get back to the foot athlete,” Payton said. “He’s in less conflict, sometimes not as vulnerable because he can move. The quarterbacks maybe that don’t have that foot speed get hit more. I think the processing is very important. That’s the first sign for us of a heavily sacked quarterback, is processing. Then I would say those awkward positions, he throws pretty well from. The off-platform throws, not the orchestrated ones that you see necessarily at the pro days, but literally the slight movement in a pocket throw, the flush to the left and getting your hips around throw. He can deliver the ball in a lot of different areas. So he’s a challenge to get to.”

Get used to seeing a mix of running backs as the season gets underway. From Harvey to Dobbins with a little Nix and possibly McLaughlin sprinkled in.