5 Things to know about Indianapolis Colts' fifth-round pick RB DJ Giddens

USA Today

05-05-2025

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."