The Denver Broncos first preseason game went off without a hitch, especially when you consider health.
There were no significant injuries in the game. However, backup defensive lineman Matt Henningsen, who tore his achilles in the joint practice, was waived.
And while it was only the 2025 Broncos first live action in preseason, we did learn a few things about the starters on offense.
Denver Broncos first preseason game featured R.J. Harvey as starting RB
Sean Payton and the Broncos upgraded their running back room this offseason, and many wondered if rookie R.J. Harvey would start, or if it’d be veteran free agent J.K. Dobbins.
And if we put a lot of stock into the first preseason game, Harvey looks like he will be the guy on early downs. Dobbins will be the third-down back.
While the Broncos offense looked rusty on the whole, it was easy to notice Harvey’s burst on an 11-yard run, and on an 8-yard run earlier in the first quarter, too.
On the 8-yard scamper, he looked to be dead to rights near the line of scrimmage, but put a little shimmy on the defender and took the ball outside and up the field with speed. Similarly, there were three defenders meeting him at the end of the line of scrimmage on the 11-yard run, but he busted it outside and turned on the jets for a first down.
In all, Harvey was in on 12-of-13 snaps with the first team on early downs per PFF. Meanwhile, Dobbins took all five snaps on third downs with the starters.
Of course, nothing is set in stone. But it would make sense if Payton used Harvey as the main back, and then spelled him with the bigger Dobbins, who’s excelled on short yardage runs. Of note, Dobbins didn’t get a carry in the game, but the down and distance seemed to dictate that.
It’s important to keep in mind that Payton likes to try different things out, especially in the preseason. So, it’s entirely possible he plays Dobbins more in Week 2 against the Cardinals (Saturday, 7:30 P.M. kickoff). But, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see this rotation play out during the regular season, especially with Dobbins getting carries near the goal line.
Marvin Mims is WR2 for the Broncos
Just like with the running back snaps, if we buy into what happened in the Denver Broncos first preseason game, Marvin Mims has emerged as WR2.
Mims, who enjoyed a breakout season last year, is looking to build on that with early success in the 2025 season. Last year, he got off to a slow start. Mims had two or fewer catches in all of the first nine games for Denver. But in the second half of the year, he totaled 32 receptions for 447 yards and all six of his touchdowns.
Not only did he become a valuable member of the offense in November and December, but Mims was the best YAC+ receiver in the league in 2024.
While Sean Payton’s leadership has turned a terrible team into a legitimate contender, the Broncos still lacked weapons at wideout. Mims grew into that role, but Denver also decided to bolster their pass catchers by signing tight end Evan Engram.
Depending on how he’s used, Engram could be the second option after Courtland Sutton in the pass game. But Mims seems to have separated from the rest of the receiver pack as the No. 2 wideout. Of note, Mims played 16-of-19 offensive snaps with the starters on Saturday night.
Once again, we shouldn’t buy in too much to the Denver Broncos first preseason game, as things are fluid and can change over the course of the season. Troy Franklin has enjoyed a strong camp and spelled Mims on a play, and he seems to be the next man up behind Mims. Devaughn Vele also impressed in 2024, and is in the mix, too. But for now, it seems like Mims’ job to lose.
Not only can we learn a bit about who will start from the first preseason game, but it has some fantasy football implications, too. Pro Football Focus’ Nathan Jahnke looked at what their playing time means for fantasy managers. Jahnke says if Harvey maintains that share of the workload, he’d be a weekly must-start and Dobbins wouldn’t be worth starting.
I’d note that Dobbins could be a solid late-round pick to stash knowing he could be the Broncos goal line back. Dobbins scored a career-high nine touchdowns last year and scored seven times from the opponent’s red zone.
On Mims, Jahnke wrote, “Mims consistently lined up on the outside, while Vele and Franklin took the slot snaps. Mims has 2.57 career yards per route run from the slot compared to 1.57 out wide, so this was somewhat concerning. However, the increase in playing time compared to last season could make Mims a weekly fantasy starter.”
If Mims is indeed the team’s No. 2, meaning he will be lining up outside more, it will be worth keeping an eye on his production going forward. Currently, Mims’ ADP is 148 as WR57 in fantasy drafts. And considering his upside, a late-round pick seems worthwhile to spend on him.