DJ Giddens

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The excitement surrounding Giddens landing in Indianapolis as a Round 5 pick seems muted, but it's a deceptively good spot. Jonathan Taylor has missed a combined 16 games over the past three seasons, primarily due to recurring ankle issues. Should Taylor miss further time, Giddens' main competition for touches would be Khalil Herbert, who will be playing for his third team since the start of last season. Giddens boasts size (6'0", 212 lbs.), impressive speed (4.43 40-yard dash), the capacity for a heavy workload, and demonstrated receiving ability at Kansas State. He could quickly surpass Herbert in the pecking order if Taylor is sidelined again for an extended period.

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Giddens has the requisite size, speed, burst, and hands to earn an opportunity as a reserve-level contributor the Colts hope can develop into a productive committee option now and a starter later. 

If Giddens can develop a consistent approach to his craft, the talent is there. Giddens must avoid the wide range of minor errors that can accumulate and become the equivalent of significant problems. If he can't address these problems, he could lose favor with the team. 

Khalil Herbert is a more complete runner than Giddens, but he lacks the passing-down skills coaches desire. Monitor the Herbert-Giddens camp battle to see how this turns out before favoring one significantly ahead of the other.  If the battle was close to the end, Herbert could jump ahead during the season after the Colts give Giddens and chance and the errors return when under the pressure of live action.