WESTFIELD, Ind. – Colts rookie running back D.J. Giddens spends about 20 to 30 minutes a day catching passes from a JUGS machine. An estimate, he said, is that means he catches somewhere from 50 to 100 balls a day, not counting what's been thrown at him during practice.
That extra work is paying off for the Kansas State product, as Giddens has looked like a natural catching the ball out of the backfield during training camp so far.
It's also notable because Giddens, in 2024, dropped five of his 32 targets at K-State. He was dealing with a wrist injury last year, which certainly is important context there. And while it's still early, Giddens has looked like a guy with good hands during the first two weeks of training camp.
"It looks real natural," head coach Shane Steichen said.
Catching the ball is one thing; what Giddens can do when the ball gets in his hands is another. It was less of a question for him leading up to the draft, though, as he had over 1,200 rushing yards in each of his last two collegiate seasons.
As part of a group of running backs vying to be Jonathan Taylor's primary backup – along with Tyler Goodson and Khalil Herbert, among others – Giddens has consistently impressed Steichen with his vision and burst on running plays.
And it's not just what Giddens has done as a pass-catcher and runner – he's quickly and physically picked up protection schemes. Keeping opposing blitzers away from your quarterback in the pocket is an important thing to do for a rookie looking to get on the field.
"DJ has done a really nice job," Cooter said. "He's a young guy who's been put in some different roles maybe than he was in college. Just in the NFL, you're running the ball, but maybe you're running it from different sides and behind the quarterback. You're running these routes that maybe you never ran in college. You're working different blitz pickup schemes.
"Oftentimes, a young running back has a lot on his plate – learning that it is a little bit different than college. DJ has done a really, really nice job of picking up the offense, picking up his role and then going out and executing it."
It's not always easy to tell if a running back can translate success in training camp practices, where he's not getting fully tackled, into actual live game action. That's why Thursday night's preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens will be an important marker for Giddens – we'll see if his vision, burst, football IQ and hands all show up in a live-tackling situation.
But over the first two weeks of camp, Giddens has built a solid foundation for himself to now build upon in preseason games, and if all goes well, the regular season.
"He's had a knack in this camp of sort of finding that crease, reading that defense the right way and sort of working with his offensive line to create yards," Cooter said. "So, we're real encouraged with DJ. I'm excited to sort of watch him continue trying different roles and different routes and different run schemes within this offense, seeing exactly what he's comfortable with and where he goes from here."
Preseason Week 1 preview
Thursday night will be Giddens and the Colts' rookie class' first taste of NFL action. A few quick things to watch for from each of the Colts' draft picks outside of Giddens:
TE Tyler Warren: Warren has looked every part a first-round pick at Grand Park, with his hands, acceleration, physicality, route running ability and feel for space all showing up consistently. We'll see how many targets he gets Thursday, but when he's in the game, keep an eye on how he scraps as a run blocker.
DE J.T. Tuimoloau: We've seen flashes as a pass rusher from the second-round pick, but without the ability to actually bring the quarterback to the ground, seeing him in a live-action setting at M&T Bank Stadium will be notable.
CB Justin Walley: Walley has run with the Colts' first-team defense since Day 1 of training camp, and that was before JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones sustained hamstring injuries. His athleticism, instincts and football IQ have allowed him to play both outside corner and in the slot. Depending on how much (if any) Kenny Moore II and Charvarius Ward play Thursday, Walley could get time at both corner positions.
T Jalen Travis: A sneaky battle on the Colts' roster is at backup tackle, with Travis and 2023 fourth-round pick Blake Freeland competing there. While Freeland has nine career starts, this'll be Travis' first bit of NFL experience, so how he holds up will be important to watch.
QB Riley Leonard: Leonard will tag in at quarterback once Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr.'s work is done. The Notre Dame product is coming off an impressive practice on Sunday with the third-team offense; he's competing to earn a spot on the Colts' 53-man roster as the team's third quarterback. That's a role Sam Ehlinger, who signed with the Denver Broncos as a free agent this offseason, held the last few years.
DT Tim Smith: Smith is competing to be a part of the Colts' defensive tackle rotation behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, and the Alabama product should get a good amount of snaps on the interior this preseason.
S Hunter Wohler: Wohler's flown around Grand Park with physicality and toughness during training camp, and with the Colts needing safety depth behind Cam Bynum and Nick Cross, he's working to carve out a role on the team's defensive depth chart. Look for Wohler on special teams coverage units as well.
