Shane Steichen on play of Colts' rookie RB DJ Giddens in training camp
Joel Erickson of the Indy Star noted a big running play from Giddens. In the live period, there wasn't a ton of room for Giddens to run, but he has an impressive ability to find and create space when given the opportunity.
"He's kind of a glider," Shane Steichen said after Monday's practice. "But he's got good burst, good vision, the stretch cut stuff on the outside zones have been really impressive this last week and then today in pads. Really looking forward to his progress in camp."
During his time at Kansas State, Giddens was difficult to bring down, and that ability has been on display during training camp.
Last season, Giddens averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry, which included him ranking sixth in average yards after contact and 20th in missed tackles forced. The result of all that was a player who was able to generate explosive plays, ranking 15th in rushes of 10-plus yards, according to PFF.
After the NFL draft, GM Chris Ballard mentioned Gidden's contact balance as one of the reasons he's tough to tackle. Giddens also ran a 4.43-second 40 as well.
Along with his plays in the run game, Erickson also noted that Giddens looks like a "natural" receiver. In his final two seasons, Giddens was targeted 72 times, averaging 12.9 yards per catch in 2024, the 11th best mark among running backs.
That pass-catching element out of the backfield is something the Colts could use more of this season.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts training camp: Steichen evaluates play of rookie RB DJ Giddens
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