ESPN projects Indianapolis Colts RB DJ Giddens' stat line for 2025 season

USA Today

16-05-2025

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."