The New York Jets just recently authorized former Michigan running back Donovan Edwards as an undrafted freelance. Today we damage Edwards down in 22-year old Edwards is listed at 6’& rsquo; 1 & rdquo; and 212 pounds. He is best recognized for racking up on 2 long hurrying touchdowns in the first fifty percent of the 2023 national title game to spark Michigan’& rsquo; s win. He hurried for 2,251 lawns and caught 86 passes in his university occupation, scoring 23 goals, and was an all-Big 10 ethical mention in 2024. BackgroundEdwards was ranked as at the very least a four-star recruit with every significant high school scouting solution, consisting of 247-Sports, who had him as a luxury possibility, the second running back in the nation and the top total possibility in the state of been hired to Michigan, he had some success in a rotational role in his freshman period, as he rushed for 174 backyards and 3 touchdowns and captured 20 passes for 265 backyards and a not being the leading back in 2022, Edwards began three games and hurried for a career high 991 backyards at over seven lawns per carry. This included five 100-yard video games. He also caught 18 passes and scored a career-best nine overall touchdowns. 2023 was a challenging year for Edwards, as he averaged a career-low 4. 2 backyards per bring and ended up with under 500 hurrying yards Arian Smith Jersey (https://www.gamedaynewyorkjets.com/new-york-jets-arian-smith-jersey). He did catch a career-high 30 passes and scored 5 touchdowns period finished on a high, as Edwards had 41 and 46-yard rushing goals in the first fifty percent of the nationwide title video game against Washington. He wound up with 104 backyards on simply six the end of the 2023 period, he chose to remain in institution and expectations were increased when he was featured on the cover of an EA Sports video clip game. Nevertheless, his 2024 season again saw him splitting brings as that national title game performance would ultimately be his only 100-yard video game in his last 2 still generated 589 hurrying lawns, 18 catches and 5 total touchdowns, while gaining an all-Big 10 honorable reference. Nevertheless, rather of being a potential first round pick, as numerous had actually anticipated, he entered into the draft widely considered as a late round pick at Edwards went undrafted, the Jets signed him to an undrafted free agent handle $170K of assured ’& rsquo; s proceed to some more thorough analysis of what Edwards brings to the table as a player, based on substantial study and movie / AthleticismEdwards is noted at 6’& rsquo; 1 & rdquo; and 212 by the Jets, however he really determined less than 5’& rsquo;” 11 & frac12; & rdquo; and weighed in at 205 at his professional day. He had formerly been detailed at 190 when he came to Michigan and bulked up from 203 to 215 in 2023. His combine numbers were great, as he ran a 4. 44, posted a 38. 5-inch upright and authorized 23 bench press reps. He didn’& rsquo; t do the agility drills or long jump, has actually been a conventional tailback, however likewise reveals indications of being able to generate when he align in the slot or motions out his job, he had some success on running back alternatives, as he finished all four of his masquerade 131 backyards and 2 goals. That consisted of a 75-yard bomb, on which he struck the receiver in stride in spite of being struck as he abilityEdwards is even more of a speed back than a power back, with the capacity to break lengthy runs Eric Watts Jersey (https://www.gamedaynewyorkjets.com/new-york-jets-eric-watts-jersey). Over 53 percent of his rushing yardage in 2022 came through breakaway yardage, positioning him 9th in the nation and fourth amongst power 5 backs because ’& rsquo; s less efficient as a power back or when called upon to grind out the tough yardage, yet he will fight for yardage at the end of a has the capability to damage takes on, but he’& rsquo; s even more of a direct jogger than a person that is imaginative or will certainly dance about in the brought 22 or even more times on 3 events in 2022 yet never ever had greater than 17 lugs in a video game otherwise, so he doesn’& rsquo; t have a large amount of experience with dealing with a big workload. He was abused a lot because 2022 period safety is a bit of a worry, as he had 2 fumbles as a receiver and six as a ball provider throughout his 4 periods. These tended to take place at the end of a yardageAlthough he had 23 occupation touchdowns, a lot of these came on lengthy plays, as the brief yardage representatives went to Blake Corum for the majority of Edwards’ & rsquo; job. Whether this is since Corum was efficient that, or Edwards was not, is hired, Edwards did rack up a pair of times on lugs from the opposing team’& rsquo; s objective catchingEdwards’ & rsquo; pass capturing capabilities are progressed for a running back prospect, with his receiver coach having stated he can have been a top-10 receiver in the nation and that he can start in the slot for a lot of FBS first revealed up when he had an institution record 170 backyards on 10 catches in a 2022 game. This was not all on dump-offs though, as he has shown the capacity to make plays down the has had success when motioning out vast and obtaining got by a linebacker. This can be a mismatch, even against NFL-level linebacker skill, and his path running stands catches the round pretty effortlessly, with an 83 percent catch rate in his job, including a couple of objected to he did drop 4 comes on his career, Edwards didn’& rsquo; t have drop any come on either 2022 or 2024. BlockingPass protection is one area that Edwards requires to operate at, although he did reveal some progression in 2024 as he published the very best pass obstructing effectiveness variety of his job without sacks allowed. He surrendered two sacks in the previous looked practically much more comfortable within that role, also, although he did surrender a pair of TeamsSpecial teams is somewhere Edwards never ever truly contributed at the college level, but he will certainly need to show he can deal with these tasks if he’& rsquo; s mosting likely to compete for a lineup played just nine snaps on special groups in college. Eight got on the return device and one remained in kick ’& rsquo; s been plenty of discussion online concerning whether Edwards has excellent vision, or if it’& rsquo; s in fact his biggest weakness. Some experts commended his vision after the national title video game, but lots of others see plays such as this another ’& rsquo; s most likely much more accurate to commend his all-natural feel for exactly how the play was developing than his vision on that particular play since he at first made what seems a poor followers came to be significantly frustrated with his absence of vision, mentioning it as the main reason for his underwhelming production and the fact other backs were obtaining reps in advance of him. They would indicate plays similar to this one to highlight said that, there were plays where he did present the capability to cut down into the open area or follow his blockers with perseverance, so possibly it’& rsquo; s a lot more exact to define his vision as inconsistent instead of poor. As a basic rule, he is erratic in regards to picking the best hole at the line of scrimmage, however he seems to have great reactions once he damages into the open field. Is the previous fixable, though? Whether it is might choose his lasting future at the NFL enhancement to his incongruity in the running video game, Edwards’ & rsquo; instincts in pass security can be unsteady at times was required a pre-snap penalty when he had a false beginning in 2023. AttitudeEdwards, who is a passionate Christian, had to grow up quickly when his mother passed away after a fight with cancer cells when he was simply two years old, compeling his father and older brother to bring him so, as a group captain in senior high school, Edwards admits he still had some growing to do, as he would certainly yell at colleagues and be essential in an effort to boost their efficiency. He stated he learned a whole lot from that experience and turned into a far more reliable leader at the university a group captain in 2024, Edwards was admired by his instructors for his team-first mindset, specifically as he continued to be encouraging even when he was shedding reps to some of the various other backs he was mentoring. He has a magnum opus values, toughness and competition and brings great power on and off the was constantly very certain in himself, mentioning on a podcast a few years ago that he wished to revolutionize the running back placement and emulate Barry Sanders and Walter Payton. However, he has actually because been humbled and set by difficulty, consisting of battling some psychological wellness concerns during a tough 2023 example of his team-first attitude was that he vowed to tip out of bounds at the one-yard line to aid Corum damage the group’& rsquo; s touchdown document, instead of rating only off-field warning versus Edwards, whose on-field discipline was great with simply one charge in his university occupation, came when he was criticized for sharing a controversial Kanye West tweet Ja'Sir Taylor Jersey (https://www.gamedaynewyorkjets.com/new-york-jets-jasir-taylor-jersey). He said sorry two times, picked up from it, and wasn’& rsquo; t punished by the team, who approved it was a showed toughness in the 2022 season as he nearly hurried for a thousand backyards in spite of having fun with a partially torn curve and a damaged , that might have influenced his unsatisfactory 2023 period, as it influenced his preparation. He additionally had an Achilles injury ahead of that ’ & rsquo; college career came to an end when he was knocked out of his final routine period game due to an upper body additionally missed time in 2021 with a concealed injury and experienced a small injury to his ankle joint last FitWhile Jim Harbaugh has a reputation as somebody who leans on a power running system, the Wolverines integrated both zone and man/gap systems in their running game. With several of his variances, it’& rsquo; s worth considering if this wasn’& rsquo; t a suitable fit for Edwards and if he & rsquo;d price better as a one-read, one-cut , could the Jets want to construct on his potential as a receiver and groom him for a 3rd down back role where bring the round isn’& rsquo; t the almost all of his role anyway?Edwards was a colleague of present Jets border defender Braiden McGregor at has struggled to live up to assumptions on a variety of events in his job. Harbaugh called him “& ldquo; a generational player” & rdquo; yet his 2023 season didn’& rsquo; t meet his 2022 production. However, his large performance in the nationwide title game and the computer game cover restored the hype heading into 2024 only for his numbers to as soon as again occurred once more somewhat when the Jets picked Edwards up as an undrafted freelance. He’& rsquo; s conveniently the highest account undrafted complimentary representative they brought in, and the most significant name, so he at first drew in a great deal of attention. Nonetheless, when such gamers are offered because they stopped working to meet assumptions, there’& rsquo; s usually a good factor for & rsquo; manufacturing as a ball service provider is obviously the factor he wasn’& rsquo; t prepared, due to the fact that he’& rsquo; s a good athlete with excellent pass-catching abilities and a tremendous ’& rsquo; ll contend hard in camp, yet with Breece Hall and two 2024 draft chooses in advance of him, it appears like a long odds for him to crack the rotation in 2025 unless there are injuries. Edwards’ & rsquo; finest shot to stick may be if he can obtain onto the technique squad and encourage the team to give him a chance at a function that gives him an opportunity to get entailed in the passing game.