Sean Payton loves using multiple running backs. Does that mean there's room for Jonah Coleman in 2026?

Deuce McAllister. Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles. Reggie Bush. Mark Ingram. Alvin Kamara. All of these players had great seasons under Sean Payton, and a majority of the time, it was in split backfield situations. His offense thrives on backs who excel at specific roles, and he's not afraid to elevate players that will fit that role into important game situations.

In Denver, Sean Payton is looking to replicate this with his three-headed monster of a (potential) committee in JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and this year's fourth round pick, Jonah Coleman.

We know that JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey will have roles out the gate, but what - if anything - should we expect from Jonah Coleman in all of this? I think his role is relatively obvious as the super handcuff to both guys, giving him a short runway for early-season points but a possible role in a good offense later in the season if anyone gets injured.

Let's break down each player's role as I see it with notes included from the 2026 Basement Brewed Sports Draft Guide, which is now available.

JK Dobbins: The clear early-down runner - when healthy

JK Dobbins almost always has been an effective runner with enough explosion to make plays, even as he ages and comes back from injury after injury. His weakness is his availability, but despite a small injury scare in camp that he's since come back from, he's available now and will continue to lead the early-down work for this team. We saw last year how the run game really fell apart without his presence - likely a reason the team went and got Jonah Coleman in the first place as insurance.

From the Basement Brewed Sports draft guide:

"Coaches LOVE JK Dobbins when he's on the field. That's been true at every stop, including here in Denver. He's clearly going to have a role on this team when healthy on early downs, and he's been efficient with his touches to boot. Health is obviously the biggest concern here, and there's young competition behind him in RJ Harvey (who's likely to play passing downs) and rookie Jonah Coleman. That'll keep his price low, making him a solid roster addition in a majority of formats."

RJ Harvey: The guy who was supposed to be the guy last year...but is definitely getting the passing down work

RJ Harvey got his shot at a full-ish workload last season after JK Dobbins got hurt, and to say it didn't go well would be an understatement. He just didn't have what it took to be an early-down, between-the-tackles runner at this point in his career. He's got time to develop that part of his game more, but the former first-round pick will easily settle into the passing down role for this team, which he did well enough in 2026. The Broncos won't turn their back on a young investment like this after one season of play at the level he performed.

From the Basement Brewed Sports draft guide:

"RJ Harvey should've had a pretty clear breakout case as a rookie last season. First round draft pick, can play on all three downs, and the presumed starting competition is very injury prone. Sure enough, JK Dobbins gets hurt in week 10 and misses the rest of the season, and yet RJ Harvey fails to produce as a runner in any of those starts, topping 70 yards on the ground just one time. It's a bad look for the ceiling outcome case and an ominous warning flag for dynasty managers, especially now that the team felt the desire (need?) to draft Jonah Coleman to add to the backfield. RJ did perform well in the passing game, so his role with a healthy Dobbins looks to be a 1B role and main receiving back, but how valuable is that, really? Certainly not enough to trust as a starter in non-PPR leagues. He's got to be taken everywhere in case he does develop further as a runner, but I'm certainly not reaching to get him right now."

Where does that leave Jonah Coleman?

It certainly could be a scenario where Jonah Coleman gets a small handful of snaps in every game, but it's hard to envision a scenario where those snaps matter, even if there's camp buzz currently for him. He's an all-around "good" back, but not one that excels at anything yet in his career, so to push aside established, healthy guys straight out the gate seems like a pipe dream.

From the Basement Brewed Sports draft guide:

"There's a lot of hype boiling for Jonah Coleman right now, and I'm not exactly sure why. He's clearly the #3 at best in this offense behind JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey when everyone's healthy. And if one of them goes down, the best case scenario is that Coleman simply takes over their spot in the split. As not even a true handcuff, it's hard to justify drafting him as high as he's going in anything but dynasty formats."

🚨 Dominate Your Fantasy Football League with a FREE Membership to Basement Brewed Fantasy Football!

Your BBFF Membership is FREE when you join Underdog, Drafters, Betr, Novig or Chalkboard with code BBSMikey — sign up here or email Mikey with questions!