RADIO
Michael F. Florio offers his scouting report for the deeper RBs of the 2025 NFL Draft. Why is he higher on RJ Harvey and DJ Giddens than consensus? Why is he lower on Kaleb Johnson?
If you have heard one thing this NFL Draft season, this is likely a very deep running back class. While there are a few I think stand out even in a great class, there certainly is no shortage of options after the top names.
Running back, more than any other position, is impacted by landing spot. This is why I do not allow myself to fall completely in love with the Day 2 and Day 3 RB prospects. Draft capital and landing spot will shake things up a ton for prospect rankings. Still, it is very important to know the skill set these players possess, as it can help us figure out how they will be utilized on their new teams.
Throughout this series, I discuss what I see while watching these players, as well as who they remind me of, how they may be utilized, and what their fantasy profiles may look like in the NFL.
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2025 NFL Draft Running Back Class Part 2
RJ Harvey out of UCF is a back who caught my eye, despite largely being ranked lower on most consensus lists. The first thing that jumped out to me is that he is a shifty runner who can make a cut and then use his burst to explode past defenders. He is a patient runner with good vision, which allows the hole to form before exploding through it. He has the speed to win on outside runs and also to put up chunk plays. The biggest negative I saw was that he can get swallowed up at the line of scrimmage more than you’d like. Also, his pass protection could use some work.
Another thing that stood out to me is that he is a good receiver out of the backfield. He has soft hands and can catch the ball on the move. He can also adjust to poorly thrown balls and get his hands in the correct spot. He reminded me of Bucky Irving. If all else fails, he could be a pass-catching specialist with a ceiling of Austin Ekeler and a floor of Jerick McKinnon.
Landing spot will determine how valuable he can be, but he has the speed to get the job done as a runner. His passing game chops elevate both his fantasy ceiling and floor. In the right situation, he could be a fantasy RB2.
On Inside Runs
- Attempts: RJ Harvey, 145
- Yards: Harvey, 1,022
- TDs: Harvey, 13
- Missed Tackles Forced: Harvey, 50
- Yards Before Contact: Harvey, 463
- Yards After Contact: Harvey, 559
- Explosive Runs: Harvey, 36Clean sweep of all inside run stats for the UCF RB https://t.co/oqs2h2j4Wd
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) March 24, 2025
DJ Giddens from Kansas State is a big-bodied back who has good speed for his size. He can win running inside or out, but is more of a chunk-play runner than a home-run hitter. But I was pleased with what I saw, given his size. Speaking of which, Giddens is more elusive than I imagined when I first started watching him. He has good football skills and can weave through traffic with ease. He had a nice cut that opened up a big run against Arizona that caught my eye.
He has good burst and hits the hole hard. What really stood out to me, though, is that he has good hands out of the backfield. Not only did he catch many of the throws that went his way, but he also has some tricks in his bag. For instance, he caught a downfield target on a wheel route against Tulane that he tracked well and brought in nicely.
DJ Giddens hits his top speed so freaking fast https://t.co/xiMbUYpX38 pic.twitter.com/YwXN4868J2
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) April 10, 2025
There are a couple of negatives with him. First, his pass protection could use some work, but that can be said about many RBs. He has the size, though, where he could improve there. The biggest negative is that he can run upright at times. Plus, his long speed is questionable, so do not expect a ton of home runs. Due to his running style, he reminded me of a less-explosive DeMarco Murray.
Giddens is the type of back who can handle a large workload, and who could potentially see the valuable touches like near the goal line and on passing downs. There is certainly fantasy upside here.
Quinshon Judkins of Ohio State is a power back. Watch any of his film and that will stand out right away. He is a physical runner who is tough to tackle. He has a good burst that takes just a step to get going and enough speed to put up chunk plays. He is not a home-run hitter like his backfield mate, TreVeyon Henderson. Still, he has the speed to win on outside runs, even though I believe he is a better inside runner. He should be an effective short-yard/goal-line runner in the NFL.
Some negatives stood out to me as well. For one, he is the kind of runner who just takes what the offensive line gives him. That is not a bad thing, but he is not very shifty and doesn’t change directions often, so do not expect him to extend plays further beyond what is created for him. Additionally, for a power back, he got stuffed more than I liked.
The biggest thing, though, is that he simply was not used in the passing game very much. While he often caught the passes that went his way, he is more an RB you can throw screens and dump-offs to. While watching him play, the two names I wrote down were Kareem Hunt and Brian Robinson Jr. He can be an effective fantasy contributor in the right system.
Bhayshul Tuten has speed that jumps off the screen immediately. He isn’t just fast; he has good burst, so if he gets space, he is gone. Tuten has plenty of chunk plays on his college tape, and I would expect that to translate to the next level. He is not just a home-run hitter, though, as he is not afraid to lower his shoulder. He can keep gaining yards even when wrapped up. He also does a good job of sidestepping defenders while still moving downfield.
Fastest 10-yard splits, past three RB draft classes, drafted Round 5 or earlier:
1.48 - Keaton Mitchell
*1.49 - Bhayshul Tuten
1.51 - De'Von Achane
*1.51 - Trevor Etienne
*1.51 - Donovan Edwards
*1.51 - Quinshon Judkins
1.52 - Bijan Robinson
1.52 - Jahmyr Gibbs
*1.52 - TreVeyon…— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) April 15, 2025
He did have ball security issues at Virginia Tech. That is a problem he can overcome, but one he will have to see the field consistently. He also struggles to consistently run behind his blockers, as he often tries to bounce outside. You can understand why, though, as he excels as an outside runner. He will also need to improve his pass protection, but he can catch passes that go his way. He reminded me of De'Von Achane, with perhaps less upside. I would love him on a team that runs a lot of outside zone (he would thrive in Miami).
Jaydon Blue has the top speed you want in a back. Not only is that evident with a 4.37 40-yard dash, but the tape shows the same thing. He is a smooth runner with quick feet who gets going in a flash and has the speed to outrun secondaries. He is a smooth cutter who can make defenders miss in the open field. He is also a tackle-breaker. That leads to Blue being able to win as both an inside and outside runner.
I also like him as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield. He made a tough grab against Colorado State, where he had to adjust his body, turn, and raise his hands, hauling it in. Blue has soft hands as well as catch-and-run ability. The negatives are that he had fumble issues in college, as well as his pass protection needs work.
Blue has a high ceiling for fantasy as he can win both as a runner and receiver. He reminded me of C.J. Spiller, who, if you remember, brought top-5 RB upside in fantasy football. The floor to me is someone like Nyheim Hines. It all depends on where he lands and if the team views him as a feature back or more of a limited carries and passing down specialist.
Jaydon Blue slithering his way down the field pic.twitter.com/QtLljB4ouP
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 7, 2025
Dylan Sampson stood out to me while watching his Tennessee tape. The first thing that jumped out was that he is tough to tackle and effective near the goal line. He has good contact balance and can bounce off defenders, which fits his style since he is not afraid to often lower his shoulder. He is a patient runner who has the vision to quickly identify the hole and then follow his blockers.
What I like most of all is that he has good hands out of the backfield. He should be utilized as a catch-and-run option out of the backfield. Additionally, he is good at pass protection, which could help him see the field early in his NFL career.
Sampson lacks elite speed and is more of a chunk-play runner than a home-run hitter. I believe he is better in short-yard situations. He is also better on inside runs. That can be looked at as a negative to some, as he is below average size-wise. Due to all of that, the name I kept thinking of while watching him was a less explosive James Cook. That is a back who can be a very solid RB2 in the right system.
Kaleb Johnson from Iowa is a back who many love, but I am just lower on him. The positives are that he is a powerful, angry runner who is tough to tackle. He pairs that with speed to break out big plays. He had the second-most yards on outside runs among this class, which highlights that he has the speed for big plays. And there are a lot of them on his tape. He is patient, allowing his blockers to get in front of him before hitting the hole hard. Lastly, he is a back you can throw the ball to and trust he will catch it. He is not the kind of back who is a weapon in the passing game, though.
So, what is not to like? First, he had a fantastic offensive line in college, and often, the big plays are just him taking what the line creates for him. Often, he had a gaping hole and would simply outrun the defense. He is not a shifty runner and does not make defenders miss often. He changed his direction at one of the lowest rates in this class. I would call him a zig-zag runner. I said it is like if you played Madden and did not know how to juke, so you just zig and zag the joystick.
Plus, while he has good speed, it takes him a second to get going. He also runs upright, which could be a problem at the next level. I wrote that he runs like Arian Foster, but that would be the absolute ceiling for Johnson. I think he could blossom into a three-down back, but I question if he can do so in Year 1.
Devin Neal is a big back who doesn’t always play like his listed size. Neal has quick feet, to go along with good vision, which is why he runs well behind his blockers. I like him more as an outside runner, but he can win up the middle as well. What I like best is that Neal is a weapon both as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. He has soft hands and is more than just a dump-off type of RB. Still, I would not define him as an elite pass-catching back.
He is a shifty runner with good burst, but is certainly more of a make-you-miss than the run-you-over style of runner. I expected a back of his size to be a bit more physical and break more tackles. He also got stuffed at the line more than I liked, including doing so for safety against Kansas State. He reminds me of Devin Singletary, who is a good back and can do a lot well, without any truly special traits.
Damien Martinez out of Miami is a big, bruising back. He has good burst and is shiftier than you would expect for a back his size. He is not afraid to throw his size around and has the contact balance to allow him to do so and keep his legs churning. He is better in short-yard situations as he runs hard and will continuously fight for extra yards. NFL coaches love that. I’d expect him to get goal-line work at the next level.
He made a nice one-handed catch against Georgia Tech, which stood out to me because it was more than a simple dump-off. While I do not expect him to be showcased in the passing game at the next level, it shows that he can contribute if asked.
He does have limitations, though, as his long speed is certainly questionable. He will not be a home-run hitter at the next level, but I even have questions if he will be a consistent chunk-yard runner. I compared him to Jamaal Williams, who has had fantasy-relevant stretches but is a better real-life than fantasy back.
Brashard Smith is an explosive runner with good burst and top speed. Give him space, and he likely turns it into a chunk play. He does a good job of allowing a hole to open, and then is fast through it. He excels as an outside runner. He is also a legitimate weapon in the passing game. He ran a stop-and-go route against Florida State, where he had to go up and catch the ball with a defender in his face. He runs like a wide receiver, though, because he used to be one.
Highest % of runs where RB changed directions 2024
- Brashard Smith, 18.1%
- Kalel Mullings, 16.8%
- Raheim Sanders, 15.1%
- Cam Skattebo, 15.1%
- Donovan Edwards, 14.7%
- RJ Harvey, 14.5%Lowest
- Marcus Yarns, 3%
- Phil Mafah, 4.2%
- Jaydon Blue, 7.1%
- Ashton Jeanty, 7.5%— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) March 24, 2025
Smith is still learning how to play as a running back. I have concerns about whether he will be an effective short-yard runner. Especially since he is small for the position. While watching him, two names came to mind: Curtis Samuel and Laviska Shenault Jr. Both are RB/WRs in one. The hope for Smith is that he can transition to the position like Tyrone Tracy Jr. did last year.
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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