Damien Martinez RB Miami | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Damien Martinez RB Miami
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Work-Horse Back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/04/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.51 seconds (67%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.1 DOB: 01/31/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Work-Horse Back | |
| Last Updated: 03/04/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.51 seconds (67%*) | |
| Age: 21.1 DOB: 01/31/2004 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 82.9 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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72% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Rushing: |
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89% |
| Break Tackles: |
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88% |
| Receiving/Hands: |
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59% |
| Pass Blocking: |
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45% |
| Run Blocking: |
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58% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
5th
Overall Rank:
#148
Position rank:
#15
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| College Games: 37 College Snaps: 1308 | ||
ESPN RATING: 75/100
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247 RATING: 89/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tank Bigsby - Auburn |
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83% |
| Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Kentucky |
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82% |
| Brian Robinson Jr. - Alabama |
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77% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Born January 31, 2004 in Lewisville, Texas, Damien Martinez emerged as one of college football's most reliable ground-game enforcers over his three-year career. After dominating the Texas high school scene with over 4,300 yards and 66 touchdowns, the three-star recruit initially landed at Oregon State where he wasted little time making his presence felt. His freshman campaign yielded 982 yards at a robust 6.1 yards per carry, including an impressive streak of six consecutive 100-yard performances that earned him Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.Martinez followed with an even more impressive sophomore season, maintaining his efficient 6.1 YPC while eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark with 1,185 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His back-to-back All-Pac-12 First Team selections and semifinalist nod for the Doak Walker Award established him as one of the premier backs in college football. When conference realignment threw Oregon State's future into uncertainty, Martinez transferred to Miami for his junior season, becoming the first Hurricane since 2016 to crack the 1,000-yard barrier while earning All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition.
His Miami finale proved to be one of his most memorable performances – a 179-yard explosion in the Pop-Tarts Bowl that set a Hurricane bowl record for running backs, punctuated by a 75-yard touchdown scamper on his first touch. Throughout his career, Martinez accumulated over 3,100 rushing yards while maintaining a career 6.2 YPC average across 514 carries, demonstrating remarkable consistency and durability despite his physical running style.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Bruising runner with excellent contact balance and power to break tackles consistently li>Displays rare patience for a big back, allowing blocks to develop with a deliberate press before exploding through openings with surprising burst and acceleration.
- Possesses exceptional balance through contact – remains vertical while absorbing hits that would topple lesser backs and seldom goes down on first contact.
- Shows impressive vision when navigating interior running lanes, consistently identifying cutback opportunities and exploiting them with decisive footwork.
- Brings the thunder as a finisher – actively seeks contact at the end of runs and delivers punishing blows that wear down defensive backs over four quarters.
- Demonstrates surprising short-area quickness that belies his size, with nimble footwork to string together cuts in tight spaces that leave linebackers grasping air.
- Operates with calculated tempo behind his line, manipulating second-level defenders with subtle hesitations and pacing that creates advantageous angles.
- Possesses softer hands than given credit for as a receiver, showing natural ball-tracking ability and secure catching technique away from his frame.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lacks true home-run speed – can break into the second level consistently but gets caught from behind once he's in the open field on longer runs.
- Shows concerning technical flaws in pass protection despite his size advantage – plays too upright and fails to consistently deliver accurate hand strikes.
- Runs with a higher pad level than ideal for his size, creating an unnecessarily large target for NFL linebackers looking to deliver form tackles.
- Lateral agility becomes significantly compromised when forced to navigate east-west, limiting his effectiveness on stretch plays and wide zone concepts.
- November 2023 DUI arrest raises questions about maturity and judgment that teams will need to thoroughly investigate during the pre-draft process.
Scouting Report: Summary
Martinez thrives in downhill, gap-scheme offenses where his patience, vision, and punishing running style create maximum impact. Watching his tape reveals a back who understands how to set up blocks and exploit defensive overcommitment - a trait that translates well to the NFL level. His deliberate approach behind the line before exploding through holes showcases an advanced understanding of timing and tempo that belies his age, though he still has considerable room to grow as a receiving threat.The power element he brings stands out in a league increasingly drifting toward specialized roles. Martinez can be the tone-setter who punishes defenses in the fourth quarter when tackling technique deteriorates. His running instincts and natural feel for interior rushing lanes suggest a back who could exceed expectations in an offense that emphasizes downhill concepts. However, his current limitations in pass protection and receiving will initially restrict his third-down value until these areas develop.
The combination of youth (entering the NFL at just 21) and production efficiency (maintaining 6.2 YPC over 514 career carries) paints the picture of a player with considerable upside despite some technical refinements needed. Offensive systems that deploy heavy formations and emphasize wearing down defenses will maximize his talents most effectively. While he won't be the home-run hitter who consistently breaks 50+ yard runs, Martinez brings the reliability and chain-moving ability that keeps offenses on schedule - an undervalued quality in today's highlight-focused game.
Written By:
Felix Green (ACC)
Damien Martinez percentiles vs other Running Backs (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Damien Martinez (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
119.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
12.0
*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.