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Which of the Indianapolis Colts' eight draft picks would you consider their best value selection?
Each of the 32 NFL beat writers for The Athletic answered this question for their respective teams. When it came to the Colts, James Boyd selected fifth-round pick and running back out of Kansas State, DJ Giddens.
"Indy needed more depth and variety at running back, and Giddens provides both," wrote Boyd.
In terms of where Giddens was selected (151st overall) relative to his consensus big board ranking (No. 111), he was the Colts' best value pick in that regard (+44).
But on the field, given that Giddens was a fifth-round pick, the opportunity to carve out a role and make an impact very much exists, and that of course, is actual value.
At the NFL combine, GM Chris Ballard mentioned that the Colts needed more production from the backup running back role behind Jonathan Taylor. Perhaps free agent signee Khalil Herbert can provide that, but his presence on the roster shouldn't stop Giddens from overtaking that RB2 job if he earns those snaps.
Giddens comes to the Colts after two highly productive seasons at Kansas State. This included eclipsing 1,200 yards in 2023 and going over 1,300 yards in 2024. This past year, Giddens was a big-play threat with the ball, averaging 6.5 yards per rush and ranking 15th among all backs in rushes of 10-plus yards, per PFF.
In addition to giving the Colts some potential juice behind Taylor, Giddens could also add a much-needed pass-catching threat out of the backfield. During his final two seasons, Giddens had 72 targets, totaling just under 600 yards, and he averaged a hefty 12.9 yards per catch in 2024.
Last season, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined for just 88 carries on the year, and collectively, averaged under 4.0 yards per rush attempt.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL draft: Colts DJ Giddens named 'best value pick' by The Athletic
Continue reading...
Each of the 32 NFL beat writers for The Athletic answered this question for their respective teams. When it came to the Colts, James Boyd selected fifth-round pick and running back out of Kansas State, DJ Giddens.
"Indy needed more depth and variety at running back, and Giddens provides both," wrote Boyd.
In terms of where Giddens was selected (151st overall) relative to his consensus big board ranking (No. 111), he was the Colts' best value pick in that regard (+44).
But on the field, given that Giddens was a fifth-round pick, the opportunity to carve out a role and make an impact very much exists, and that of course, is actual value.
At the NFL combine, GM Chris Ballard mentioned that the Colts needed more production from the backup running back role behind Jonathan Taylor. Perhaps free agent signee Khalil Herbert can provide that, but his presence on the roster shouldn't stop Giddens from overtaking that RB2 job if he earns those snaps.
Giddens comes to the Colts after two highly productive seasons at Kansas State. This included eclipsing 1,200 yards in 2023 and going over 1,300 yards in 2024. This past year, Giddens was a big-play threat with the ball, averaging 6.5 yards per rush and ranking 15th among all backs in rushes of 10-plus yards, per PFF.
In addition to giving the Colts some potential juice behind Taylor, Giddens could also add a much-needed pass-catching threat out of the backfield. During his final two seasons, Giddens had 72 targets, totaling just under 600 yards, and he averaged a hefty 12.9 yards per catch in 2024.
Last season, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined for just 88 carries on the year, and collectively, averaged under 4.0 yards per rush attempt.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL draft: Colts DJ Giddens named 'best value pick' by The Athletic
Continue reading...
