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Broncos rookie trio breaks out with 4 touchdowns, interception in rout of Cowboys

Denver’s 2025 draft class came of age en masse on Sunday.

First-round pick Jahdae Barron grabbed his first interception, second-round pick RJ Harvey scored three touchdowns and third-round selection Pat Bryant caught his first touchdown pass in a 44-24 rout of Dallas.

“Lot of production from the rookie class,” coach Sean Payton said. “It’s great to see them get the experience.”

The trio had provided limited production through the first seven games. Barron entered Sunday with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery, Harvey had gained 264 yards from scrimmage with a pair of scores, and Bryant, lauded primarily for his blocking, had five catches for 46 yards.

It was perhaps no coincidence the Broncos (6-2) posted their most complete game of the season on the day the top three draft picks broke out in unison.

“It just shows what we’re capable of, you know what I’m saying,” said Bryant, the rookie from Illinois taken with the No. 74 selection in the draft, after catching two passes for 40 yards – including a 24-yard touchdown with 39 seconds remaining in the first half. “We’ll be here for the next three to four years, and hopefully after that. So, it was just showing the fan base what we’re capable of.

“When you get picked that high, you have to go out there and do your thing.”

Harvey became the first Broncos rookie with three touchdowns in a game since Clinton Portis in 2002. He put Denver on the board with a 40-yard sprint along the left side in the first quarter, then took a direct snap from the 1-yard line in the second quarter on a play the team had been waiting to use for five weeks. His final score came on a 5-yard pass from Bo Nix in the fourth quarter that put the Broncos up 44-17.

“This was a great confidence builder for us,” said Harvey, who went to Denver with the 60th overall pick out of Central Florida.

“It’s just one game,” he added. “Hopefully, I can continue to do that each and every game. I’m proud of myself, but a lot more work to do.”

Barron, the No. 20 selection out of Texas, thwarted Dallas’ attempt for points before halftime when he intercepted Dak Prescott at the Denver 22-yard line with 14 seconds left in the second quarter.

“I’m proud of them and proud of the work they’re putting in,” said Nix, the team’s second-year quarterback. “They’re practicing hard, they put in the work. Great teammates, great team players in the locker room. Very humble guys.”

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