Daijun Edwards: 2024 Rookie Spotlight

Daijun Edwards is a name that many dynasty players may not be familiar with. The senior RB from Georgia is seldom discussed in this 2024 rookie class, but we’ve begun to hear some buzz surrounding Edwards at the senior bowl. I’m here to bring you the resume of Daijun Edwards and discuss his future dynasty value. Is Edwards a player worth grabbing late in your dynasty rookie drafts? Let’s find out. 

High School

Edwards had a wildly successful career at Colquitt County High School in Norman Park, GA. He started for the varsity team all four seasons and posted some video game numbers. Through four years, Edwards finished with over 5,000 scrimmage yards and 64 total touchdowns, earning him scholarship offers from several Power 5 programs. Edwards was a 3-star prospect, according to ESPN, electing to stay close to home and play for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs in Athens. 

Georgia (2020-23)

Edwards did see some action for this Bulldog team as an underclassman, which is impressive considering the roster they roll out every year. During his freshman and sophomore seasons, Edwards combined for 443 rush yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.0 YPC. He was stuck behind Zamir White, James Cook, and Kenny McIntosh, so opportunity was limited, but he was efficient with the touches he had. 

As a junior, Edwards split the backfield nearly 50/50 with Kenny McIntosh, averaging 5.5 YPC on 140 touches and finding paydirt seven times. All three of these guys are now NFL players, with Cook as the RB1 in Buffalo and Zamir showing his 3-down potential late in the 2023 season. 

Heading into his senior year, it appeared incoming sophomore and former 4-star recruit Branson Robinson was going to be the lead back in Athens, but he suffered a ruptured patellar tendon prior to the start of the year, sidelining him for all of 2023. Daijun stepped in to fill the void, splitting the backfield with Kendall Milton about 60/40. Edwards finished the year with 881 rush yards on 5.4 YPC, 13 TDs, and tacked on 20 receptions for 197 yards. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

Edwards plays bigger than his size suggests, boasting a downhill running style and breaking would-be tackles with ease. He has excellent contact balance and keeps his lower body moving through contact to grind out that extra yard or two. He wasn’t used much in the passing game at Georgia (just 37 career receptions), but he showed he has soft hands and can create yards after the catch. Most of his receptions were check-downs, so we haven’t seen much of a route tree from the senior. Edwards has above-average speed and quickness and impressive one-cut ability.

There are a few red flags to Edwards’ game, however. He’ll need to improve as a pass protector if he hopes to see the field on Sundays. While at Georgia, Edwards was ineffective when it came to stopping the pass rush. Part of this is due to his lack of size, which is our next red flag. At 5’10” and 201 lbs, he is well below the 30 BMI threshold we like to see from our NFL RBs. Additionally, he has small hands and a small wingspan, which will surely limit his ceiling as a receiver. Lastly, we’ve never seen Edwards with a backfield to himself. This is very common in a Kirby Smart system, as we’re used to seeing committee backfields in Georgia. But I question how Edwards could hold up with a 3-down workload if he finds himself in that situation in the NFL. 

NFL Projections

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Edwards is projected to be a late 3rd day pick in the 7th round. He has looked great at the senior bowl, catching the eye of NFL scouts. Below is a clip of Edwards making a spin move to juke a tackler in the backfield and bursting into the second level. 

Edwards certainly has a chance to get drafted this upcoming April, but he’ll need to improve in a number of areas if he hopes to join an NFL team’s backfield rotation. Namely, we’ll need to see him prove his worth as a pass catcher and route runner and improve as a blocker. We’ll see how he measures come combine time; if he can come in around that 205-210 range and still run a sub 4.5 40-yard dash, he could even sneak into early Day 3 of the draft. 

Dynasty Value

I say this in every article, but combine results, landing spot, and draft capital will tell the tale. Do I think Daijun has a legitimate shot at becoming a starter in the NFL? I don’t find it likely, but it’s not out of the question by any means. Think of all the Georgia RBs that have found NFL success since Smart took over: James Cook, Zamir White, D’Andre Swift, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and Mecole Hardman. This is all in the past seven years. If I’m making a late-round dart throw on an RB, Georgia prospects are going to be near the top of the list for me. 

In a four-round superflex dynasty rookie draft, I think there’s a good chance Edwards goes undrafted altogether. So, you may be able to get the guy for free off waivers after the draft and see what happens. But if he does creep up the boards and is in consideration late, I’d be completely fine grabbing Edwards in the fourth round. I’d rather take a shot on a late-round RB than a WR. Stash this guy at the end of your bench or taxi squad and wait to see if he follows the path of his Bulldog predecessors. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding