DJ Giddens

Giddens is an upright runner with surprisingly nimble feet and underrated contact balance, especially considering his running style. Most upright rushers get cut down easily with low hits and can struggle in short-yardage situations, but not Giddens. Giddens has the leg drive and finishing power to push piles and carry defenders for a few extra yards after first contact. Giddens is a second-level yards-creating artist. He has an explosive jump cut and impressive lateral agility. He has a plethora of runs where he sticks his foot in the turf and teleports laterally, evading defenders in the second level. It's incredibly fun to watch. He loses little speed in the process and can quickly hit his second gear and leave defenders flailing. Giddens wins with footwork, vision, and explosive lateral agility. While you don't see him stiff-arm defenders into the ground much, he does have a wicked spin move that can make the opposition look silly. Giddens has plenty of raw speed to hit homers in the NFL. His sixth-best breakaway rate last year is no fluke. He still needs to grow at the next level in the pass protection department. Giddens will drop his eyes and lunge at incoming defenders. There are plenty of reps where he'll land his shoulder shot in the mid-section of a rusher, but there are also snaps where he looks like a bull versus a matador. All it will take is for his quarterback to get smushed once when his bull in a china shop routine misses, and he'll kick work diligently to rid his game of this approach. Giddens has some untapped potential as a passing game weapon. He lined up in the slot or out wide with 12.4% of his collegiate snaps. Giddens was utilized as a check-down option in the passing game while also excelling with wheel routes, angle routes, and more. His route tree could be expanded in the NFL, but he does have stiff hips at times, but his crisp footwork helps to cover it up. Giddens did pile up five ghastly drops in 2024, but many of these were more of the concentration variety than Giddens having flawed hands.

D.J. Giddens isn't lightning-fast, but he's such a smart runner. Giddens has good vision and patience. He's a smooth mover who changes direction without gearing down. Giddens sets up linebackers with feints and dekes, then cuts sharply in the opposite direction once those LBs commit. Giddens also has good contact balance, which - let's face it - you need to have if you're an NFL running back with ordinary speed.