Indianapolis Colts' Day 3 selection named team's 'best value pick' by The Athletic
Indianapolis Colts' Day 3 selection named team's 'best value pick' by The Athletic One of the Indianapolis Colts' Day 3 selections was named the team's "best value pick" by The Athletic.
Which of the Indianapolis Colts' eight draft picks would you consider their best value selection?
Each of the 32 NFL beat writers for The Athletic answered this question for their respective teams. When it came to the Colts, James Boyd selected fifth-round pick and running back out of Kansas State, DJ Giddens.
"Indy needed more depth and variety at running back, and Giddens provides both," wrote Boyd.
In terms of where Giddens was selected (151st overall) relative to his consensus big board ranking (No. 111), he was the Colts' best value pick in that regard (+44).
But on the field, given that Giddens was a fifth-round pick, the opportunity to carve out a role and make an impact very much exists, and that of course, is actual value.
At the NFL combine, GM Chris Ballard mentioned that the Colts needed more production from the backup running back role behind Jonathan Taylor. Perhaps free agent signee Khalil Herbert can provide that, but his presence on the roster shouldn't stop Giddens from overtaking that RB2 job if he earns those snaps.
Giddens comes to the Colts after two highly productive seasons at Kansas State. This included eclipsing 1,200 yards in 2023 and going over 1,300 yards in 2024. This past year, Giddens was a big-play threat with the ball, averaging 6.5 yards per rush and ranking 15th among all backs in rushes of 10-plus yards, per PFF.
In addition to giving the Colts some potential juice behind Taylor, Giddens could also add a much-needed pass-catching threat out of the backfield. During his final two seasons, Giddens had 72 targets, totaling just under 600 yards, and he averaged a hefty 12.9 yards per catch in 2024.
Last season, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined for just 88 carries on the year, and collectively, averaged under 4.0 yards per rush attempt.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Tyrese Haliburton's rapid rise to superstardom is unprecedented
We're witnessing something unprecedented: The coronation of a superstar in hyperspeed. Usually the rise is gradual. We see it coming. The tide rises slowly, like the ebb and flow of waves, before the tsunami hits. But Tyrese Haliburton's ascension has been different. He's a spark that turned into a raging inferno in record-setting time, catching everyone by surprise. The NBA has never seen anything like it. Just last summer, Haliburton used self-deprecating humor to cope with the disappointment — and embarrassment — of hardly getting any playing time for Team USA during the Olympic Games. He posted a photo of himself on Instagram wearing the gold medal and wrote, "When you ain't do nun on the group project and still get an A." In February, he didn't make the All-Star team after a lingering hamstring injury prevented him from training much over the summer. And heading into the postseason, he was voted by his own peers as the most overrated player in the league in a poll by The Athletic. Haliburton wasn't even on the radar for becoming the league's next superstar, with names like Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic towering over him. But in a whiplash-inducing span of just under two months, Haliburton has completely rewritten the narrative. Said LeBron James: "Players will run through a wall for certain guys, and they will do that for Hali." Added Dwyane Wade: "Haliburton is a f---king superstar." The thing is, Haliburton's greatness is impossible to ignore. It's flashy and gaudy and has come in the form of four buzzer-beaters or go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or in overtime this postseason. (He has five in his career.) Only one player has made more clutch shots than him, James, who has had eight such shots over his 22-season career. Making four of those shots in a 47-day span is stunning. To do it during the playoffs? That's something else altogether. They instantly went viral on the internet. They were replayed on every sports show. They were visceral. They were digestible, leaving even people who don't care about sports with their mouths ajar. Haliubrton has slapped us all across the face with his superstardom. It's different from any other player's. Take Nikola Jokić, for example. You can watch him dominate for two hours and still be surprised that he had 20-plus points, 20-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists. His dominance is subtle, artful, easily overlooked. Perhaps the excitement of Haliburton's run this postseason can most easily be compared to the awe that Stephen Curry inspires when he has his famous shooting explosions. But we saw Curry's rise. When he led Golden State to their first championship in 40 years in 2015, the Warriors had the best record in the league that season. We watched him for seven months before he crowned himself as a superstar in the playoffs. Really, with everyone else who has become a superstar in the NBA, we have had our finger on their pulse. We saw the pressure they faced, we watched them overcome obstacles, we cheered (or heckled) them as they crossed the finish line. Kobe Bryant's went from air-balling the ball four times in a playoff game his rookie year to turning himself into the Black Mamba. James went from being a 16-year-old who was labeled "The Chosen One" into a 40-year-old who was top-five in MVP votes this year. Michael Jordan went from being the Detroit Pistons' punching bag to becoming a six-time champion. Haliburton is obviously nowhere near their level. But we've had our eyes fixed on the young players in the league, waiting to see who was going to become the next face of the league. If Edwards was having this type of performance in the postseason, no one would've batted an eye. If Doncic had led the Lakers three wins shy of a championship, as Halibuton has with the Pacers, we would've understood how that happened. But Haliburton? The Pacers weren't even necessarily expected to get past the first round of the playoffs. He seemingly came out of nowhere. And he has done it in the most dramatic of fashions, helping the Pacers cheat death four times this postseason. In each of those games, he made either a buzzer-beater or the go-ahead bucket. In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, the Pacers won after trailing the Milwaukee Bucks by seven points in the final 35 seconds, The dagger: Haliubrton made a layup with 1.3 seconds left to force overtime. In Game 2 of the second round of the playoffs, the Pacers won after trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by seven points in the final minute. The dagger: Haliburton made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers won after trailing the New York Knicks by 14 points in the final 3 minutes, The dagger: Haliubrton made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. In Game 1 of the Finals, the Pacers won after trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder by nine points in the final 3 minutes, The dagger: Haliubrton made a 21-footer with 0.3 seconds left. Haliburton's rise has quite simply been incomparable. To go from being considered the most overrated player in the league to the face of the postseason in fewer than two months? We've never seen anything like it. It's hard to define a superstar. Does a player need to win an MVP to deserve that classification? A championship? Do fans determine who gets that label? Do former superstars crown the next generation? This much is for sure: Haliburton has taken the basketball world by storm. We didn't even know to be watching for him. Now, we simply can't take our eyes off him. Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @ melissarohlin . FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Tyrese Haliburton Indiana Pacers National Basketball Association recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
New York Times
8 hours ago
- New York Times
2025 Belmont Stakes live updates: Horses, odds and picks for today's race
Welcome to The Athletic's live coverage of the 2025 Belmont Stakes! While this race is historically held at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for the second consecutive year due to construction, the race is being held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The event will return to Belmont Park in 2026. Regardless, it should be an engaging day of racing on the track and of course, the winner of the Stakes will take home a purse of $2 million. Follow along throughout the day for the latest odds, analysis and reaction.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Indianapolis Colts' 2025 UDFA profiles: Temple K Maddux Trujillo
In addition to their eight draft picks, the Indianapolis Colts have also reportedly signed a number of undrafted rookies after the 2025 NFL draft to add to their 90-man offseason roster. Just as we did with each of the eight draft selections, let's take a closer look at each of the Colts' UDFAs. Up first is Temple kicker Maddux Trujillo. Maddux Trujillo's profile Height: 6-003 Weight: 172 College profile Breaking down the Colts' UDFA signing The 2024 season was Trujillo's first at Temple. His previous three seasons before that were played at Austin Peay. Advertisement This past year, Trujillo made all 21 of his extra point attempts and he was 16-for-22 (72.7%) on field goals. This included going 5-for-5 from 40-49 yards and 5-of-8 from 50-plus. Trujillo finished his four college seasons with a 72% hit rate, and was 73.1% from 40-49 yards and 60% on 10 attempts from 50 or more yards, according to PFF. It's been common for the Colts to have two kickers on their 90-man roster. This is still Spencer Shrader's job, but the team does want to continually look for high upside players at this position. "We usually always bring in two kickers as it is," Ballard said via the team site before the draft. "We're always looking for a guy with upside, kind of like last year with Spencer (Shrader). I give our special team coaches all the credit for that. They identified Spencer last year and said, 'Look, he's got upside.' We didn't necessarily have a vision that this is how it would work out, but you never know. Advertisement "So, they do a great job finding guys with some upside. So, we'll look for a guy with some leg strength and upside, and think we can work with and see how it plays out." Maddux Trujillo's scouting report Lance Zierlein: "Long-limbed kicker with eye-catching range to make field goals. Trujillo transferred from Austin Peay and showed impressive power in his lone season at Temple. He hits the ball with consistent flight and is capable of handling kickoffs as well. He needs to prove he can be more consistent on shorter kicks, but his ability to hit from distance creates value." They said it Special teams coordinator Brian Mason via the Indy Star: 'We think (Trujillo is) very similar to what Spencer was last year,' special teams coordinator Brian Mason said. 'Maybe, statistically, wasn't what you'd think you'd be looking for from a college standpoint, less than an 80% kicker. … But you can see a lot of guys — even Harrison Butker was less than 80% in college — if they have the talent and mental makeup, be able to take the next step.' Advertisement Mason would add: "We're looking for somebody that, No. 1, is going to have a really special leg,' Mason said. 'Leg strength. What's the trajectory they're getting on their kicks? What's their ability to make 50-plus-yard field goals?' Maddux Trujillo's RAS card Maddux Trujillo makes record 64-yard field goal This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Previewing Colts' UDFA kicker Maddux Trujillo
