Defense dominates; RJ Harvey delivers wow moment

Attendance

Did not practice: Physically Unable to Perform list — WR A.T. Perry (foot/ankle). Out — ILB Alex Singleton (thumb), ILB Drew Sanders (foot).

Payton confirmed that Singleton was set to have surgery on his broken thumb Tuesday. He should be back with the team by Wednesday and then start practicing in about a week, though he’ll be wearing a club.

Newcomer impact

There’s already been a lot written about the Broncos’ running back room, but rookie RJ Harvey has made several plays since the pads came on for the first time Monday.

Tuesday during a mostly defense-dominated team period, Harvey made one of his trademark jump cuts to the right, left Jonathon Cooper in the dust, turned the corner and ripped off a big gain. That’s one way to open eyes.

“He had a run today that was somethin’,” Payton said. “We kind of turned and looked at each other. But there’s that learning curve for all those young players. … He’s doing exceptional.”

Harvey’s got soft hands and catches the ball very naturally, too. Pass protection, though, remains a work in progress. He got beat a couple of times Tuesday alone.

Top Plays

Not so much a single play on Tuesday but more a reminder that the Broncos defense has all the ingredients to be among the league’s elite. They made life awfully difficult for quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver offense throughout team periods. Up and down the ranks from the No. 1s through the No. 3s, Vance Joseph’s group made plays, generated pressure and just generally didn’t allow Payton’s offense to get into any semblance of rhythm.

“I just finished talking (to the team) about these physical practices and the necessity of what we’re building,” Payton said. “And how we go about doing it. I think it’s fantastic. It’s a back and forth. There will be some days coming off this field where you guys will feel like one side of the ball (won) and that’s the ebb and flow of training camp.”

Thumbs Up

Semi-multi-talented:  A funny scene: The Broncos’ quarterbacks usually take a special teams period and throw the ball into nets that have pockets. They navigate around tackling dummies and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb to work on footwork and reaction time, then eventually throw into the net. On Tuesday, Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram wanted to get into the action, too. Sutton’s got a good arm and put a pretty decent throw on the net, drawing a huge cheer from the fans in the bleachers behind them. Engram then took his shot and fully airmailed the entire setup. Not to worry, though, he got another chance a couple of minutes later and had a much better attempt. Sutton, it should be noted, is 4-of-4 passing for 84 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career, including 2 of 2 last year. Engram? He’s played 93 career games and never had the opportunity to chuck it.

Thumbs Down

Lightly toasted: One bad rep in a 1-on-1 drill isn’t going to be the difference in job security for Ja’Quan McMillian. After all, this is a guy who got Pro Bowl consideration and has been one of the better nickels in the NFL the past season-plus. All the same, he’s in a hot competition for the nickel job with first-round pick Jahdae Barron and is in a secondary that features no shortage of options. So on Tuesday, when he got roasted by Trent Sherfield on a corner route during 1-on-1s, it at least crossed the mind that neither he nor any of the other defensive backs have much room for error over the next couple of weeks.

Odds and Ends

• With Singleton and Sanders both out, there are a ton of reps to go around for the other linebackers, but particularly Levelle Bailey and Justin Strnad. Bailey, a second-year player out of Fresno State who went undrafted in 2024, has made a series of splashy plays over the past few days.

“Man, he’s in good shape. He looks like an NFL linebacker,” Payton said. “… I would say I’m clearly seeing a jump from Year 1 to Year 2 in confidence.”

• The Broncos have depth on their defensive line, but rookie Sai’vion Jones is an early camp eye-opener. The third-round pick out of LSU has length and power, to be sure, but he just plays with a degree of nastiness. Blocking him seems like an unpleasant assignment.

Jones has several veterans ahead of him, including stalwart Zach Allen and rotational regulars John Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach, along with Jordan Jackson, but at this rate, he’s got a chance to push for playing time.

“Playing at a major college, that transition for some of these players is not as drastic because of where they played,” Payton said. “He’s doing well. We get a lot better evaluation now with these guys with the pads on. But he’s one of these guys that, man, through the OTAs and the on-ramp program, it’s much more difficult to see. But he’s doing well.”

• Second-year receiver Troy Franklin continues to make plays. He dispatched Barron and Damarri Mathis during 1-on-1s. Then he ran past coverage, throttled down and went up in traffic to catch a deep ball from Sam Ehlinger during team later in practice — one of only a few offensive highlights on the day.