Gang Green Nation
Taking a look at a Jets running back prospect
The New York Jets recently signed former Michigan running back Donovan Edwards as an undrafted free agent. Today we break Edwards down in detail.
The 22-year old Edwards is listed at 6’1” and 212 pounds. He is best known for scoring on two long rushing touchdowns in the first half of the 2023 national title game to spark Michigan’s win. He rushed for 2,251 yards and caught 86 passes in his college career, scoring 23 touchdowns, and was an all-Big Ten honorable mention in 2024.
Background
Edwards was ranked as at least a four-star recruit with every major high school scouting service, including 247-Sports, who had him as a five-star prospect, the number two running back in the nation and the top overall prospect in the state of Michigan.
Having been recruited to Michigan, he had some success in a rotational role in his freshman season, as he rushed for 174 yards and three touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 265 yards and a score.
Despite not being the number one back in 2022, Edwards started three games and rushed for a career high 991 yards at over seven yards per carry. This included five 100-yard games. He also caught 18 passes and scored a career-best nine total touchdowns.
2023 was a tough year for Edwards, as he averaged a career-low 4.2 yards per carry and ended up with under 500 rushing yards. He did catch a career-high 30 passes and scored five touchdowns though.
The season ended on a high, as Edwards had 41 and 46-yard rushing touchdowns in the first half of the national title game against Washington. He ended up with 104 yards on just six carries.
At the end of the 2023 season, he opted to stay in school and expectations were heightened when he was featured on the cover of an EA Sports video game. However, his 2024 season again saw him splitting carries as that national title game performance would ultimately be his only 100-yard game in his final two seasons.
He still produced 589 rushing yards, 18 catches and five total touchdowns, while earning an all-Big Ten honorable mention. However, instead of being a potential first round pick, as many had anticipated, he went into the draft widely regarded as a late round pick at best.
After Edwards went undrafted, the Jets signed him to an undrafted free agent deal with $170K of guaranteed money.
Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Edwards brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Edwards is listed at 6’1” and 212 by the Jets, but he actually measured less than 5’11½” and weighed in at 205 at his pro day. He had previously been listed at 190 when he arrived at Michigan and bulked up from 203 to 215 in 2023.
His combine numbers were very good, as he ran a 4.44, posted a 38.5-inch vertical and...
