New York Giants Draft Prospect Profile: RB Damien Martinez, Miami

Martinez averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 514 career carries and might be best served as a complementary runner.

Damien Martinez, RB

Height: 5’11”
Weight: 217 lbs
Class: Junior
School: Miami / Oregon State
Hand Size: 9 ½”
Arm Length: 30 ½”
Wingspan: 77 ⅝”
40-Yard-Dash: 4.51s
10-Yard-Split: 1.56s
Vertical Jump: 35”
Broad Jump: 10’4”
STATS

A former three-star recruit out of Lewisville High School in Lewisville, Texas, where he was the 61st player from his state and the 35th overall running back during the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Martinez started his college career at Oregon State and immediately had an impact for the Beavers; he recorded over 2,000 rushing yards and had 16 touchdowns through two seasons with Oregon State before he entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season. Martinez was a four-star recruit, the second overall running back, in the transfer portal.

He was the 33rd-ranked player in the portal and took his talents to South Beach.

Martinez had just three fumbles across 516 collegiate rushing attempts and he averaged a healthy 6.1 yards per attempt through his three seasons.

He also averaged 3.93 yards after contact and a very impressive 4.51 yards after contact in 2024. He forced a total of 139 missed tackles in college.

Martinez’s impact was quickly felt once he stepped on Oregon State’s campus; he earned Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a two-time First Team All-Pac-12 selection. Martinez was an honorable mention 2024 ACC selection.

Strengths

Excellent thickness throughout his body
Light feet for a big back – quickly changes direction behind the LOS
Solid build up speed
Very good combination of size, short-area quickness, and footwork
Presses LOS with nimble feet to suddenly shift laterally and explode north
Excellent peripheral vision to find cut-back lanes
Solid overall burst through the hole with a low center of gravity
Runs through poor tackle attempts with excellent contact balance
Averaged 4.51 yards after contact – 8th best in FBS
Physical and punishing runner
Firm stiff arm
Excellent lower-leg drive – a pile mover
Will run through the face of DBs in the alley
Successful zone and gap experience
Good patience and vision behind LOS for zone
Allows blocks to unfold with excellent timing as gap/counter runner
Excellent spatial awareness in space to maximize blocking
Solid checkdown option as a receiver
Solid in pass protection – is not shy to contact
Identifies blitz pickups with good location skills
Physical blocker in PONY package – can lead block
High competitor with excellent toughness
Will be 21 years old throughout his entire rookie season

📈 Damien Martinez RB🌪️

📏 Height: 5’9”
⚖️ Weight: 215 lbs

2024 Season Highlights

🔥 Total All-Purpose Yards: 1,002
🏆 Total Touchdowns: 10

📊 Rushing Stats

🟧 Total Rushing Yards: 1,002
🟧 Attempts: 159
🟧 Average Yards per Carry: 6.3
🟧 Rushing Touchdowns: 10
🟧 Fumbles: 0…
— redzonefantasy (@redznfantasy) January 10, 2025

Weaknesses

Lacks breakaway speed
Is a bit stiff in the hips as a runner
Solid burst through the hole but lacks elite explosiveness
Is not a dynamic receiving threat
Could keep a firmer base in pass protection – will lunge and anticipate contact
Was arrested with a DUI in 2023

Nov 30, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Martinez (6) gestures to fans after running for a touchdown against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Summary

Damien Martinez is a physical downhill runner with an excellent combination of size, short-area quickness, and nimble feet to make defenders miss in the box.

He also possesses excellent spatial awareness to maximize blocks in space. Martinez has excellent vision and patience behind the line of scrimmage, and he possesses varying tempo speeds with a quick downhill trigger.

As a runner, Martinez can move the pile and displays high levels of toughness and physicality.

He lacks deep speed and an expanded receiving profile – and his ability in pass protection can be ironed out, albeit it’s solid – but overall, Martinez is a young rushing option with a firm understanding of the position’s nuance with the size and makeup to be a three-down back.

With that said, Martinez is an excellent option, and a compliment for Tyrone Tracy Jr., for the New York Giants to target on day three of the draft

GRADE: 6.38

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato

Damien Martinez, RB

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

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