DJ Giddens RB Kansas State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
DJ Giddens RB Kansas State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: DUAL-ROLE Back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.43 seconds (87%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: DUAL-ROLE Back | |
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.43 seconds (87%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 80.9 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
|
75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Rushing: |
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90% |
| Break Tackles: |
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86% |
| Receiving/Hands: |
|
43% |
| Pass Blocking: |
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55% |
| Run Blocking: |
|
54% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
5th
Overall Rank:
#168
Position rank:
#17
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| College Games: 38 College Snaps: 1384 | ||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tank Bigsby - Auburn |
|
85% |
| DeWayne McBride - UAB |
|
76% |
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Kentucky |
|
73% |
Draft Profile: Bio
DJ Giddens the Junction City, Kansas native didn't even start playing organized football until his sophomore year of high school, just 20 miles from the Kansas State campus where he'd eventually shine. After walking on and redshirting in 2021, Giddens quickly established himself as a playmaker, rushing for 518 yards on just 89 carries as a freshman before exploding onto the scene the next two seasons.Giddens racked up consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns, finishing with 1,226 yards and 10 TDs as a sophomore before setting a Kansas State single-season record with 6.55 yards per carry while amassing 1,343 yards as a junior. His 3,087 career rushing yards rank third in school history, joining elite company with Darren Sproles as one of just four Wildcats to post multiple 1,000-yard seasons. Perhaps most impressive was his six-game streak of 100+ yard performances spanning his final two seasons.
Despite starting football relatively late, he developed a natural feel for the position that belies his inexperience. His final season put an exclamation point on his college career with back-to-back games of 180+ rushing yards against Oklahoma State and Colorado. By the time he declared for the NFL Draft, Giddens had established himself as one of the most productive backs in Big 12 history, finishing with the sixth-highest yards-per-carry average (6.55) in conference history among runners with at least 200 carries.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Shows exceptional lateral agility between the tackles, creating angles and opportunities where none exist with sudden jump cuts that freeze second-level defenders in their tracks.
- Operates with outstanding vision and processing speed, seeing blocks develop and adjusting his path while maintaining forward momentum through developing creases.
- Possesses rare stop-start ability for a bigger back, gearing down completely before exploding in a new direction without telegraphing moves to pursuing defenders.
- Creates yardage through elusiveness rather than power, forcing 69 missed tackles in 2023 alone – ranking seventh nationally among Power 5 backs.
- Proved reliable as a receiver with natural hands and route-running instincts, accumulating 679 career receiving yards and demonstrating competence on screens, Texas routes, and wheel concepts.
- Showcases impressive contact balance through traffic, staying upright through arm tackles and glancing blows while maintaining acceleration through the hole.
- Ball security is a major plus – just one fumble over his final 428 carries, revealing disciplined fundamentals despite his relatively late start in football.
- Demonstrates patience to set up blocks, allowing pulling linemen to engage defenders before accelerating through creases with precise timing.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- In pass protection he has the willing but lacks proper hand placement and anchoring leverage against blitzers.
- Receiving skills need refinement despite flashing potential – concentration drops appear on film when asked to adjust to balls outside his frame.
- Runs too upright through contact, presenting larger target area and limiting power potential through the hole despite adequate frame strength.
- Long-strider with deliberate acceleration that can limit effectiveness in short-area bursts, sometimes taking extra steps to reach top gear.
- Still developing consistency with route timing and awareness in the passing game, occasionally rounding off breaks and telegraphing intentions.
Scouting Report: Summary
Giddens brings a dynamic rushing skillset that stands in stark contrast to his raw receiving and blocking abilities. His tape reveals a runner with exceptional vision and lateral agility who consistently creates yards through elusiveness rather than pure power or speed. Zone-blocking schemes will maximize his decision-making and one-cut ability, though his running style could translate across multiple systems with proper coaching.The film shows two different backs in one body – an instinctive, natural runner between the tackles and a developing contributor in the passing game. His third-down limitations will likely restrict his immediate role, but his ball security and ability to create in tight spaces offer immediate value on early downs.
His late start to football suggests we're seeing a runner still tapping into his potential. Expect Giddens to contribute immediately as part of a committee approach while working toward a more substantial role as his pass protection skills and receiving ability develop. His ceiling will ultimately be determined by how quickly he can round out these complementary skills while maintaining the instinctive running style that defines his game.
Written By:
Eli Cooper (Big 12)
DJ Giddens percentiles vs other Running Backs (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate DJ Giddens (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
114.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
10.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.