Latest news with #DJGiddens
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN projects Indianapolis Colts RB DJ Giddens' stat line for 2025 season
ESPN projects Indianapolis Colts RB DJ Giddens' stat line for 2025 season Production-wise, what will we see from Indianapolis Colts' rookie running back DJ Giddens this season? ESPN made its projection. Production-wise, what will we see from Indianapolis Colts' rookie running back DJ Giddens this season? Mike Clay of ESPN recently put the 25 drafted running backs into tiers based on what he expects their role to be. And with that, he also projected what each running back's production totals in 2025 might look like. For Giddens, he fell into the 'Situational backs and backups' category. GM Chris Ballard said at the NFL combine that the Colts needed more production from the backup running back position this season, but Jonathan Taylor is still going to shoulder the workload. "Giddens has a solid frame and showed off his athleticism at the combine, with the second-best vertical (39½ inches) and broad jump (10-foot-10) among RBs," wrote Clay. "He was solid in terms of his efficiency as a collegiate rusher, but he struggled with drops and might max out as an early-down option." As far as Giddens' production goes, Clay projects that he will rush for 201 yards on 48 carries with two touchdowns. In the passing game, he will catch seven passes for 49 yards. Perhaps I'm a little too bullish on Giddens, but those production numbers feel light all around. 48 carries on the season is less than three per game. As mentioned, Taylor will continue to be a workhorse back, but I do think there are more opportunities out there than 2-3 carries a game. Also competing with Giddens for that backup role will be Khalil Herbert, whose experience may give him an advantage. But Giddens packs too much big-play potential not to have the ball in his hands when Taylor isn't in the game. "It's competition, for sure," Giddens said. "Everybody coming in -- I'm coming in to start -- that's what everybody's mindset is. But whatever it is, I'm gonna keep working, so I'm not trippin'. "That's just how I am. I just ain't scared of competition. I'll play my role, and as long as I'm making an impact on the team, that's all that matters." In the passing game, like any rookie back, as Ballard pointed out, Giddens will have to improve in pass protection, and doing so will be important when it comes to seeing snaps on passing downs. However, it's not as if there is a clear-cut pass-catching option on the roster at running back either for the Colts. This was an element that was mostly non-existent on offense for Indianapolis last season. So again, I think there are more opportunities out there for Giddens than what is being projected, and more opportunities means more production. "He's going to hit his ceiling in the passing game," said Colts' area scout Tyler Hughes via the Indy Star. "He's shown enough on tape, as far as a receiver, where he can make guys miss in the open field and run some routes and catch the ball reliably."
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 Things to know about Indianapolis Colts' fifth-round pick RB DJ Giddens
5 Things to know about Indianapolis Colts' fifth-round pick RB DJ Giddens Here are five things to know about DJ Giddens, the Colts' 2025 fifth-round pick. In the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Kansas State running back DJ Giddens, who can provide them with some much-needed production behind Jonathan Taylor. In terms of where the Colts picked Giddens at 151st overall compared to his consensus big board ranking, this selection provided Indianapolis with the most value in that regard. Here are five things to know about Giddens, the Colts' 2025 fifth-round pick: A big play threat with the ball At the NFL combine, GM Chris Ballard mentioned that the Colts needed more production from the backup running back role. Well, Giddens comes to the NFL with a lot of that and often did so by generating some big plays on the ground. Giddens would rush for over 1,200 yards in 2023 and then eclipse 1,300 yards in 2024. This past year specifically, he averaged a hefty 6.5 yards per rush and ranked sixth among all backs in average yards after contact. He was also 20th in missed tackles forced and 15th in rushes of 10 or more yards. Ballard would mention how difficult it can be to bring Giddens down because of his contact balance and ability to stay on his feet. Running a 4.43-second 40 helps as well. Can Giddens give the Colts that steady pass-catching presence? The Colts did not have much of a pass-catching presence out of the backfield last season. Having that element within an offense can create another dimension that defenses have to account for and can open up the playbook a bit more for Shane Steichen. Along with Giddens' contributions in the run game, he was a steady presence in the Kansas State passing game as well, totaling 72 targets and almost 600 yards over his final two seasons. By using Giddens in the passing game, you're getting him the ball in space, where his speed and ability to make defenders miss are on full display. This was evident last season when Giddens averaged a whopping 12.9 yards per catch, which ranked 11th among running backs, per PFF. What did the Colts' scouts like about Giddens? Tyler Hughes, area scout: 'He's got to improve a little bit in the pass pro, but he's only 21 years old," Hughes said via the Indy Star. "He played through that wrist injury this year, so you can give him a slight advantage where it's going to get better, but he's tough enough, he's strong enough and he knows the game well enough where you see his character come into effect there. He's going to hit his ceiling in the passing game. He's shown enough on tape, as far as a receiver, where he can make guys miss in the open field and run some routes and catch the ball reliably. 'They've got to be smart enough and they've got to be tough enough. That's what this kid is. … He played banged-up this whole season for the most part, he's not a guy who goes down on first contact, he can run through people." DJ Giddens' athletic profile What one draft expert has to say Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "Giddens displays good vision, tempo and cutting skills at the line of scrimmage, and he is at his best when he has room to anticipate angles and sidestep or spin out of tackles. However, there is a massive gap between the talent level of tacklers in the Big 12 and what he will see in the NFL — thus far, he's been able to get away with some of his tentative tendencies. Overall, Giddens is a narrow, upright runner and doesn't have a grind-it-out mentality, but his gliding quickness and innate balance help him create. He projects best in an NFL scheme with a play caller who can get him into space as part of a committee."
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Can Colts' rookie RB DJ Giddens add a pass-catching presence out of backfield?
Can Colts' rookie RB DJ Giddens add a pass-catching presence out of backfield? Can running back DJ Giddens give the Indianapolis Colts an added pass-catching presence out of the backfield? Can running back DJ Giddens give the Indianapolis Colts an added pass-catching presence out of the backfield? This is an element that the Colts didn't really have last season. Backup running backs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson saw very few opportunities, in general, throughout the year. Jonathan Taylor, meanwhile, totaled just 136 receiving yards, which ranked 50th out of 58 eligible backs, and he was 37th in targets. Having the running back position able to impact the passing game, to some degree, would provide defenses with another dimension to this Colts' offense that they would have to account for and could open up the playbook for Shane Steichen. During Giddens' time at Kansas State, first and foremost, he was a ball carrier, but he does have experience in the passing game as well. Over Giddens' final two seasons, he was targeted 72 times and totaled almost 600 receiving yards with four touchdowns. In 2024, Giddens' impressive 12.9 yards per catch ranked 11th among running backs, per PFF. As we've seen in the running game, Giddens has an impressive ability to make defenders miss, and the passing game can amplify that ability if plays are designed to get him the ball in space. "He's going to hit his ceiling in the passing game," said Colts' area scout Tyler Hughes via the Indy Star. "He's shown enough on tape, as far as a receiver, where he can make guys miss in the open field and run some routes and catch the ball reliably." Both Hughes and Chris Ballard have acknowledged that Giddens does have to improve in pass protection--which they believe he will do--but that is going to be a prerequisite when it comes to getting more opportunities on the field in those obvious passing situations. Taylor, of course, is going to continue to get a heavy workload, and I don't think anyone expects the running back in this offense, regardless of who it is, to become a go-to target through the air. But if Giddens can help provide a more steady presence in this phase of the game, that's a new wrinkle in this Colts' offense for the 2025 season.
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breaking down Indianapolis Colts' 2025 fifth round pick: RB DJ Giddens
Breaking down Indianapolis Colts' 2025 fifth round pick: RB DJ Giddens In the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Kansas State RB DJ Giddens. Let's break it down. In the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Kansas State running back DJ Giddens. Let's break down the pick, and if you missed our other recaps, you can find them below. DJ Giddens' profile Height: 6-002 Weight: 212 Age: 21 College profile Breaking down Indianapolis Colts' draft pick GM Chris Ballard said before the NFL draft that the Colts needed more production from the backup running back role this season. Enter Giddens, who was a highly productive ball carrier for Kansas State and one of the better backs in football at generating big plays. Giddens would rush for over 1,300 yards this past season and eclipsed the 1,200-yard mark in 2023. In this most recent year, Giddens averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per rush, which included ranking sixth in average yards after contact and 20th in missed tackles forced. Or in short, he was difficult to bring down, resulting in Giddens totaling the 15th most rushes of 10-plus yards. Also of note, according to Stephen Holder, 37% of Giddens' carries in 2024 came off zone reads--one of the reasons why he was likely rated highly on the Colts' board. Along with his backfield contributions, Giddens also had 72 targets in the passing game over the last two years. The Colts' offense could benefit from having a passing game presence out of the backfield, which would add a new dimension for defenses to account for. However, one area of improvement for Giddens, as Ballard pointed out, is in pass protection--although Ballard added that is common for just about every rookie running back. DJ Giddens' scouting report Lance Zierlein: "A productive runner with good size, Giddens lacks explosive elements in his game. He defies expectations as a big back who doesn't run with heavy power. He's a long-strider with wiggle between the tackles. He's patient behind his blocks and quickly processes run-lane development. He's not sudden and lacks the burst to outflank defenses, so running behind his pads and picking up the tough yardage inside might have to be his ticket into a rotation." They said it Tyler Hughes, area scout: 'He's got to improve a little bit in the pass pro, but he's only 21 years old," Hughes said via the Indy Star. "He played through that wrist injury this year, so you can give him a slight advantage where it's going to get better, but he's tough enough, he's strong enough and he knows the game well enough where you see his character come into effect there. He's going to hit his ceiling in the passing game. He's shown enough on tape, as far as a receiver, where he can make guys miss in the open field and run some routes and catch the ball reliably. 'They've got to be smart enough and they've got to be tough enough. That's what this kid is. … He played banged-up this whole season for the most part, he's not a guy who goes down on first contact, he can run through people." DJ Giddens' athletic profile
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Steelers 7-round mock draft: Can Pittsburgh land its DT of the future?
Steelers 7-round mock draft: Can Pittsburgh land its DT of the future? With 2025 NFL Draft prospects making the most of their pro days, it feels like the perfect time to roll out a new Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft—one built around the idea of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and potential trade fodder wide receiver George Pickens suiting up for the Steel City this season. With both the quarterback and wide receiver positions seemingly locked in—at least for the short term—the Steelers were free to focus on more pressing needs in the first few rounds of this mock draft. Round 1, Pick 21: Kenneth Grant, DT — Michigan The Pittsburgh Steelers are in dire need of a defensive lineman after failing to make a splash signing in free agency, and the ideal prospect falls right into their laps. Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen or Oregon DT Derrick Harmon would be strong options as well, but the Steelers are able to grab arguably the second-best defensive lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft in Michigan's 6'5", 300-plus lb DT Kenneth Grant. Round 3, Pick 83: DJ Giddens, RB — Kansas State Najee Harris' departure—even with the sour grapes he's displayed since leaving—still stings for the Steelers' 2025 rushing attack. RBs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell have flashed greatness at various points in their careers, but Pittsburgh would be wise to bring in competition for a three-way race to the RB1 spot with Kansas State's DJ Giddens. Round 4, Pick 123: Will Howard, QB — Ohio State Despite an abysmal combine performance, QB Will Howard looked great during Ohio State's College Championship run in 2024. The Steelers would be foolish to pass on an experienced and proven quarterback in the fourth round due to poor testing numbers alone. Round 5, Pick 156: Quincy Riley, CB — Louisville The Steelers take a chance on the 5'11", 194 lb, twitched-up CB Quincy Riley—who tallied 15 career interceptions during his collegiate career. His background in track helps boost his value in the athleticism department. Round 6, Pick 185: Jack Nelson, OT — Wisconsin Jack Nelson, while definitely a project at the next level, possesses fantastic size and footwork at 6'7", 314 lbs. The Steelers' loss of Dan Moore Jr. hurt their depth, but the return of Troy Fautanu from injury allows them to push offensive tackle needs to the later rounds with the Nelson selection. Round 7, Pick 229: Ty Robinson, DL — Nebraska Ty Robinson is a perfect blend of raw strength, quickness, and size for a seventh-round defensive lineman. The Steelers are in desperate need of power on the defensive line, as evidenced by their late-2024 season struggles to stop the run, and Robinson would at least be given a chance to be part of the solution.
