Pat Kerrane doubled down on DJ Giddens as his favorite swing among the murky Day-3 backs. He read a quote from Colts coach Shane Steichen praising Giddens’ "contact balance, vision, 4.43 speed, and off-the-charts toughness," reinforcing Kerrane’s view that the rookie’s upside dwarfs fellow late-round flyers like Woody Marks or Jarquez Hunter. Although Giddens was only a fifth-round pick and could conceivably miss the No. 2 job out of camp, Kerrane thinks his 212-pound frame, 9.5 RAS, and collegiate receiving chops give him a true every-down ceiling if Jonathan Taylor gets dinged or the staff decides to mix workloads. Because that payoff looks more like last year’s Jahmyr Gibbs November run than a standard handcuff spike, Kerrane is happy to eat the depth-chart risk now and will hammer him even harder if beat reporters confirm he is the primary backup.

Pat Kerrane urged drafters to stash rookie DJ Giddens at his 151 overall ADP, calling him a premium handcuff whose profile mirrors Tyler Allgeier’s pre-breakout season. Giddens is 212 lbs with a 9.5-plus RAS, logged the third-best "RAT" score in the class, and posted 1.24 career yards per route run— better than Bashaud Tutin and nearly identical to Quinshon Judkins. Kerrane acknowledged minor drop issues but said the tape shows legitimate play-making in space, giving Giddens multiple paths to snaps: early-down relief, hurry-up packages, or full bell-cow duty if Jonathan Taylor misses time. With no credible veteran competition behind Taylor, the rookie owns a clean shot at the RB2 job out of camp and could even carve out late-season standalone value if Indianapolis leans on his receiving chops. Kerrane views him as a priority eighth-round swing that lets best-ball drafters fade the pricey backup tier and still capture big contingent upside.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound urged drafters to grab DJ Giddens whenever he slips to pick 185, calling the rookie back one of the highest-leverage darts in the entire player pool. Pat compared Giddens’ upside case to Tyler Allgeier’s thousand-yard rookie season, noting that Giddens faces minimal backfield competition and checks every athletic box—he “passes the eye test” on burst and long-speed. Behind a strong offensive line, Pat believes Giddens could vault to a 40 % advance rate if the incumbent workhorse (he cited Jonathan Taylor as a hypothetical) misses time. Because of that contingency ceiling, Pat thinks it’s “risky to be under eight-percent exposure” and is targeting Giddens in every roster that needs late RB juice.

Pat Kerrane selected DJ Giddens as the immediate No. 2 behind Jonathan Taylor, noting that Indy’s depth chart is otherwise barren. Giddens boasts an all-around skill set that JJ Zachariason’s prospect model equates with productive second-round NFL backs, yet he slid to Day 3—opening a cheap dynasty window. Kerrane highlighted that the Colts can save $13 million by releasing Taylor after 2025; even a brief Giddens flash could trigger an early-off-season trade frenzy when managers sour on aging veterans. With Indianapolis committed to a run-heavy approach alongside Anthony Richardson, Giddens profiles as a redraft handcuff and a dynasty lottery ticket who could start sooner than people think.

Andy Holloway projected fifth-round pick DJ Giddens to win the true backup job in Indianapolis. Giddens measured 6'0", 212 lbs, and posted a 98th-percentile explosiveness score, turning heads with 3.9 yards after contact per attempt at Kansas State. Holloway said the Colts have cycled through Zack Moss and Evan Hull without finding a reliable No. 2, and Giddens’ three-down skillset separates him from scatback Tyler Goodson. While he won’t dent Jonathan Taylor’s weekly workload, Holloway expects Giddens to be a priority Round-4 rookie pick, highlighting that Taylor has missed eight games over the last three seasons. Should Taylor go down, Holloway would rank Giddens as a weekly RB2 based on Shane Steichen’s 28.4 rushing attempts per game since arriving.

Eric Polzin pumped the brakes on DJ Giddens’ sleeper hype, stressing that the Kansas State back’s sloppy ball skills may crush his immediate fantasy value. Polzin reminded listeners Giddens coughed it up three times last season and posted a 12% drop rate—both bottom‑quartile marks for 2025 RB prospects—calling that combination “drive‑killing.” He added that Giddens shows limited quick‑twitch agility behind the line and “doesn’t have much wiggle,” which could keep him in a straight‑line, zone‑only role and make coaching staffs hesitant to trust him in high‑leverage spots. While Polzin still believes the 6'1"/215 runner’s burst makes him an intriguing scheme fit for outside‑zone offenses, he now expects teams to view him as a rotational early‑down option rather than a future bell cow. Dynasty managers are advised to fade any Round‑4 rookie‑draft buzz and treat Giddens strictly as a bench stash whose upside hinges on landing with an elite O‑line and cleaning up those ball‑security issues in camp.

Eric Polzin labeled Kansas State’s DJ Giddens a "future Kyle Shanahan special," pointing to his 9.8 Raw Athletic Score, 6'1"/215 frame and clinic‑level reads on outside‑zone concepts. On film Giddens consistently sticks his foot in the ground and explodes through cutback lanes, posting 4.43 speed and a 24% college dominator rating. Strengths include contact balance, patience and adequate receiving chops. Weak spots: only average power for his size, shaky ball security (three fumbles, 12% drop rate) and sub‑par pass protection. Polzin expects a Round 5‑7 selection, with San Francisco or the Rams as prime landing spots. He advised best‑ball drafters to stash Giddens as an injury‑contingent RB3 who could deliver league‑winning weeks if he lands in Shanahan’s backfield carousel and opportunities open up à la Raheem Mostert in 2022.