By J.T.
Photo Credit -Maize in Brew
The NFL Draft talk never ends and we here at Draft 412 will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars. From today until draft night 2024 we will bring you mocks, profiles, team needs, and everything else related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Michigan, Running Back, Donovan Edwards
Name- Donovan Edwards
Pos- RB
Team- Michigan
HT/WT- 6’1” 210 lbs
Born- 2/25/2003
Home – West Bloomfield, MI
Dononvan Edwards won 4 straight district titles at West Bloomfield High School. He ran for 1,439 rushing yards and 569 yards receiving his junior year, scoring 25 touchdowns. He ran for 1,021 yards and 17 touchdowns in nine games as a senior before the season was suspended for Covid. He was a consensus 4-star rating and 247Sports had him ranked as their #29 overall player in the country. He was selected to play in the Under Armour All-American Game, Adidas All-American Game, Hall of Fame World Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl. He committed to Michigan over a plethors of other D1 offers.
In his freshman season Edwards played in 12 games as running back and special teams. He carried the ball 35 times for 174 yards and 3 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 265 yards and 1 touchdown. He shared the team’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Last season Edwards appeared in 11 games with 3 starts at running back. He ran 140 times for 991 yards and 7 touchdowns. His 7.1 yards per carry were 3rd all time in Michigan history.
Edwards did a wonderful job for Michigan last season when Blake Corum went down with an injury. He has good vision and cut back ability, helping him to make big plays out of nothing. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and runs hard with a strong burst. He is an elite athlete who excels in open space and a willing blocker, one the Wolverines trust to protect their quarterback from blitzes. Edwards has gotten better at being patient and waiting for blocks to develop before he hits the hole, leading to more yardage gained per carry.
On the downside he lacks home run speed to break the big one at the NFL level, though his burst will get him some nice runs. He is more of an outside runner than a between the tackles back. He has been a benefactor of a great offensive line play and does not make guys miss with elusiveness.
Getting a comparison to Donovan Edwards was tough. He has big play ability but not elite speed. Draft 412 sees a little bit of Matt Breida in his game, and should have the type of production that Breida has shown in 6 seasons.
Strengths
Good vision
Cut back ability
Pass catching
Capable blocker
Weaknesses
Speed
Elusiveness
Separation
Power
Final Analysis
Donovan Edwards has made a name for himself being Michigan’s #2 running back. He has had some huge games against big competition (Ohio State). He will be a dependable, competent running back in the NFL
Draft 412 Draft Prediction- 3rd or 4th round