The Jacksonville Jaguars will have lots of flexibility in the 2025 NFL Draft. Having filled several holes in free agency, they can take virtually any direction they want and come out with a solid haul. One position group they cannot afford to overlook is running back. While the Jags have Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne in the fold, D'Ernest Johnson walked in free agency. DJ Giddens would be a capable replacement.
Even though the Jags haven't had any top 30 visits in this draft cycle, they've been doing due diligence behind the scenes. Back at the Scouting Combine, they met with Giddens, who confirmed the meeting with Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
The Pittsburgh Steelers plan to host Kansas State RB DJ Giddens on a 30 visit.
Fresh off losing Najee Harris.
Giddens finished 2nd among RBs at the Combine in the Vert (39.5") + Broad (10'10") + ran 4.43.
Giddens had Combine formals with #Steelers (👀), #Chargers, #Jaguars.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 12, 2025
"I'm supposed to be going to Denver for a visit with the Broncos," Giddens responded when Melo asked him if he had any formal interviews at the combine. "I'm visiting the Steelers as well. I have a visit down there in Pittsburgh. I had a few formals at the NFL Combine as well. I spoke with the Steelers there as well, and also the Chargers and the Jaguars.
Giddens is a bit hesitant when hitting the hole and lacks a second gear. However, he's a shifty runner with burst. Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team projects him to go on Day 3. This is on par with the consensus.
The Jaguars have an extra fourth-round pick in 2025, so they could definitely take a flyer on Giddens at that point of the draft. In Jacksonville, he would be the No. 3 behind Etienne and Bigsby.
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DJ Giddens would round out the Jaguars RB room if Travis Etienne stays
After an underwhelming rookie campaign, Tank Bigsby did enough in 2024 to earn a bigger role next season. In fact, he played so well that there's been chatter about the Jacksonville Jaguars potentially trading Travis Etienne. Of course, it's not a given that they will, and their meeting with DJ Giddens may be a sign that they'll keep him around.
The Jags could most definitely use whatever pick they would get in exchange for Etienne. Having said that, they could also use him in 2025. He's entering a contract year but has a manageable salary of $6.1 million. When you take into account that he ran for 1,000 in back-to-back seasons and has accumulated 3,737 yards from scrimmage since 2022, there's definitely room for him in Jacksonville.
Granted, the new regime has shown that it's not afraid to move on from players who don't fit their plans, but Etienne would give their backfield enviable depth. Last year, Bigsby missed just one game, so his absence wasn't notable. But if he's unavailable for an extended period of time in 2025, the Jags wouldn't miss a beat.
The alternative would be to trade Etienne and bring in an unproven commodity. That won't be an issue if Bigsby stays healthy next season, but if he does, their running back could suffer a massive hit.
The bottom line is that using a draft pick in DJ Giddens makes sense, but only if the Jacksonville Jaguars keep Travis Etienne. If the former shows out as a rookie, they could then move on from the latter in 2026.
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