DJ Giddens recently announced he will forgo his final year of college eligibility and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see where the Kansas State running back ends up.
The Indianapolis Colts should consider taking him in next April’s draft. He could serve as a great backup for starter Jonathan Taylor.
Indianapolis, who’s coming off a horrible loss to the Denver Broncos, still has three games remaining on the regular season schedule. Surely, their main focus is trying to reach the playoffs somehow. However, it’s not too early to think about the draft.
The Indianapolis Colts Should Take DJ Giddens in the 2025 NFL Draft
Looking At His College Career
DJ Giddens committed to play at Kansas State University after rushing for 1,912 yards and 34 touchdowns at Junction City High School in Junction City, Kansas. During his freshman year at Kansas State, Giddens backed up current Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn. He played in all 14 games that season, rushing for 518 yards and six touchdowns.
Giddens broke out the next year, finishing with 1,226 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns. His sophomore season was highlighted by a 207 rushing yards and a four-touchdown effort against UCF. He also had eight receptions for 86 yards in that game.
Giddens was at his best this past season. He amassed 1,601 yards of total offense and found the end zone on seven occasions. He averaged 6.55 yards per carry, which surpassed Darren Sproles for the school record. In addition, he was named to the All-Big 12 second team and was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
Without a doubt, Giddens is one of the best running backs ever to wear a Kansas State football jersey. He is the third-fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 rushing yards. Plus, his 3,087 career rushing yards are third behind Sproles and Vaughn.
Why the Colts Should Draft Him
Indy has one of the NFL’s most talented running backs in Jonathan Taylor. The former Wisconsin Badger was dominant in 2021, leading the league in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Taylor had an excellent backup in Zack Moss last season but he left as a free agent. The current Cincinnati Bengals player rushed for 794 yards with the Colts last year and Indianapolis never really replaced Moss.
Giddens could be that guy. He isn’t as well-known as Boise State star Ashton Jeanty. Yet, he was one of the country’s most elite running backs this year. The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder is a power runner who can also showcase his breakaway speed at times. Like Moss did in the past, Giddens could fill in for Taylor if he misses time due to injury (knock on wood).
Tight end, cornerback, and safety are perhaps the Colts’ biggest needs. But adding running back depth certainly wouldn’t hurt anything. Giddens is expected to be a Day 3 pick and could be a steal.
Main Photo: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
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