The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly plan to bring in Kansas State RB DJ Giddens as one of their 30 pre-draft visitors. The Draft Network’s Justin Melo shared the news Wednesday afternoon.
As Melo’s tweet mentions, Giddens also held a formal interview at the NFL Combine with Pittsburgh.
Despite agreeing to terms with Kenneth Gainwell yesterday, Pittsburgh is still likely to draft a running back. Highly productive the last two years, Giddens rushed for over 1,200 yards in 2023 before topping that number with 1,343 yards in 2024. He also rushed for 17 touchdowns over that span.
In three years with the Wildcats, Giddens carried the ball 517 times for 3,087 yards and 23 rushing scores. He caught 58 passes for 679 yards, an impressive average of over 11 yards, with four more scores.
At the NFL Combine, Giddens impressed. Checking in at 6002, 212 pounds, he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash with impressive jumps, a 39.5-inch vertical and 10’10” broad. His testing produced a 9.89 Relative Athletic Score, nearly a top-20 figure from a running back the last 35 years.
In our scouting report, Jonathan Heitritter noted Giddens’ size, tackle-breaking ability, and vision. Negatively, he pointed out a lack of elite top-end speed and inconsistent pass protection. His report concluded:
“DJ Giddens is a high-cut runner who has been productive and efficient during his time as a starting running back, displaying a good blend of burst, quickness, and strength. He doesn’t have the home run speed nor elite pass-catching skills, but he is competent in every category, making him a player who should contribute quickly and likely push for a feature-back role one day.
When coming up with a pro comp for Giddens, Chuba Hubbard came to mind as another high-cut runner who has good size and play speed but wasn’t seen as the freak athlete. However, after backing up Christian McCaffrey for a couple of years, Hubbard broke into the starting lineup and shined in 2024, earning himself a lucrative contract extension.”
Heitritter gave him a third-round grade. That’s similar to his projection with Mock Draft Database, which slots him in the fourth round. After trading a second-round pick for WR DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh is most likely to target a running back in the third or fourth round, putting Giddens squarely on the team’s radar.
Check out our full report below.
