RJ Harvey called Broncos' rookie of the year by ESPN, thanks to impressive TD stat

The Denver Broncos are 12-3, and sit atop the AFC West and also the conference as a whole despite their Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Denver's defense gets a lot of credit for its strong winning record, but the offense, led by Bo Nix, has impressed. Looking over the whole roster, it's hard to ignore the impact of second-round rookie running back RJ Harvey.

His role in the team's success this season hasn't gone unnoticed by ESPN's Jeff Legwold. He called the Broncos running back the team's Rookie of the Year, thanks in large part to his incredible touchdown production.

Broncos' RJ Harvey deemed team ROTY thanks to TD production

"Harvey's 11 total touchdowns (seven rushing, four receiving) lead the team and all rookie position players in the league," Legwold writes. "The second-round pick is also tied for 13th in scoring, one spot behind Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and one ahead of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins."

Having a rookie be as productive as Harvey has been this season is a huge reason why Denver was able to build up their lead in the conference this season.

Harvey hasn't been the starter all season, playing behind J.K. Dobbins for most of the year. But when he's on the field, Harvey is one of the more productive backs in the league.

More: How Broncos' Week 16 loss to Jaguars can be turned into a positive

He's run for 469 yards this season on 117 carries and has seven rushing touchdowns despite only becoming a starter after the Week 10 Las Vegas Raiders matchup.

The Broncos running back has big-play ability, and as seen with this touchdown statistic from Legwold, he's one of the league's best scorers, including being the best rookie in the NFL when it comes to points scored this season.

Harvey is a dual-threat running back and is a huge reason why the Broncos' offense can be as good as it is this season. ESPN giving Harvey this honor is well deserved, and while it's a long shot, Harvey has a chance to earn the actual NFL award this season.

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