Colts Round 5, Pick 151: Kansas State Running Back D.J. Giddens

INDIANAPOLIS – A Day 3 running back always made sense for the Colts in 2025.

With the 151^st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Colts took Kansas State running back D.J. Giddens in Round Five.

Here are 3 takeaways on Giddens:

Production In Big 12

With back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Giddens walks into a Colts running back room with some depth roles needing to be defined. Giddens (6-0, 212) ran 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, bringing a nice size and speed profile to the NFL. He had 23 rushing touchdowns in his 3 seasons playing for Kansas State. It’s not often you see a Day 3 running back with a profile that includes the size and speed of Giddens, plus multiple 1,000-yard seasons in a legit conference.

Some Pass Catching Background

The Colts have a void in the pass catching department, and Giddens has some history impacting the game there. The good of Giddens on third down comes from 58 catches in college and a very impressive 11.7 yards per catch. But a handful of drops and some questions in blocking lefts a bit to be desired there. Honestly, Giddens probably fits more of a first or second down profile than a ready-made third-down option. Fine-tuning the passing game responsibilities would serve Giddens quite well in trying to play more. Giddens pointed to an early-season hand/wrist injury last fall as something that hindered him in pass protection.

Running Back On Day 3 Made Sense

The Colts are re-tooling their running back depth in 2025, and for good reason. Rotating at running back last year was an issue and the Colts needed to invest here as Jonathan Taylor isn’t getting any younger. Since taking Taylor in 2020, Evan Hull (2023 fifth-round pick) is the only running back the team has chosen since. Khalil Herbert was signed in free agency, and he will likely get the first crack at reps behind Taylor. Tyler Goodson remains on the roster.