7:253- D.J. Giddens, HB, Kansas State
When the Saints signed Jamaal Williams in 2023, they envisioned he would produce significantly more than he did. Williams hasn’t been the power back the team hoped for. Because of that, his future in the Big Easy is in jeopardy. Due to this, I have the Saints selecting a possible replacement in D.J. Giddens.
Giddens is a powerful rusher with the frame to back it up (6-foot-1, 212 LBS). He already has 944 rushing yards in 2024 with a majority of them coming after contact. Giddens has the vision to see the entire field and the patience to wait for a hole to open. Once he sees the open field and gets running downfield, it’s hard to slow him down. Giddens can also make lightning quick cuts which allow him to change direction in an instant. These skills combine to make a powerful, and fairly elusive runner.
The reason why Giddens is still available in round seven is that he doesn’t have elite speed. There are multiple instances where it looks like Giddens is gone until he gets swiftly caught up to by a defender. If he wants to thrive in the NFL, he needs to improve this.
Although D.J. Giddens doesn’t contain amazing speed, he makes up for it with his bruising, and elusive at times, playstyle. He still needs to develop but Giddens has an opportunity to be a solid contributor in the NFL.