DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
Size:
Height: 6002
Weight: 212
Arm: 30 ⅜”
Hand: 9 ¼”
Accomplishments:
All-Big 12 Second Team (2024) • All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2023)
“DJ Giddens is a patient and visual runner who gashes defenses with fantastic body control and ‘make you miss’ athletic ability.”
Strengths:
Pressing the line of scrimmage
Lateral agility
Reading blocks
Body control
Concerns:
Explosiveness
Passing-down consistency
Pass-protection technique
Film Analysis:
DJ Giddens played high school ball at Junction City, where he lit the field on fire during his senior year, rushing for more than 1,200 yards and compiling 30 touchdowns. He led the team to the Kansas Class 6A state championship game, where he put up more than 200 rushing yards. He only had one scholarship offer, from Kansas State, and was a zero-star player out of high school, dealing with academic struggles that limited his recruitment.
He enrolled at Kansas State, redshirted in 2021 and became an impact player as a redshirt freshman, playing every game during the 2022 season. He took over as the lead in 2023 and compiled 2,569 yards on 428 rushes and 17 touchdowns over the last two seasons and added 50 receptions for 581 yards with four touchdowns through the air before declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Giddens shows off his ability at the line of scrimmage with his eyes, improving his efficiency from sophomore to junior season. He reads out blocks well and is patient, allowing holes to open up to attack. He can be too patient at the line of scrimmage, which limits his explosiveness downhill. He uses great footwork and lateral agility to press and pop to different openings, getting into the second level. His reactionary athleticism shows up when defenders pop into gaps and Giddens is forced to stop and change direction to make them miss, but he lacks the re-acceleration to pull away from closing defenders after. He’s a scheme-versatile back with his ability to read his offensive line and the way he can navigate tight spaces for a taller back is impressive.
When he gets into the second level of a defense, he will string moves together and show off his top-tier body control to make them miss while getting more yards out of a play than he should. He falls forward well and breaks arm tackles easily enough, but is a tall runner and breaking tackles at the next level could prove more difficult. His top speed is limited as he’s more of a strider in open space and will be caught from behind by defensive backs and linebackers. He sets up arm tackles with body intention and moves second and third-level defenders in the same way. He’s got a great feel for space and how to get to it.
As a pass-catcher, he’s inconsistent at best and too often is late getting his head around to locate the football. Running routes with more urgency and intent can clean this up, but he needs to focus on improving his hands. If he’s going to earn playing time on third down, his pass-protection technique needs work. He lunges at rushers with his shoulder and panics, putting his quarterback in danger too often.
Giddens is a scheme-versatile, savvy runner with the tools to carve out a nice role on early downs in a committee backfield. If he wants to be more than that, working on his third-down capabilities will unlock a more impactful role in the NFL.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Colorado (2024), Kansas (2024), Houston (2024), Tulane (2024)
