Alright, let’s talk about Donovan Edwards and the whole 2023 draft thing. I remember spending some time looking into this back then, mostly ’cause you kept hearing his name pop up after big plays for Michigan. Felt like I needed to figure out where he really stood for that specific draft.
So, I started digging around. First thing, you obviously saw the flashes. The guy had juice, no doubt about it. Big runs, catching the ball out of the backfield – looked dynamic. That always gets the draft buzz going, right?
My Initial Look
I pulled up his stats from the previous season (2022). Good numbers, definitely showed promise. But then, the big thing hit me pretty quick: he wasn’t the guy. Blake Corum was there, and Corum was getting a massive workload and putting up monster numbers before his injury. Edwards was more of the change-of-pace, explosive threat.
That got me thinking. NFL teams, especially early on, usually want a guy who’s proven he can handle a bigger load. Edwards hadn’t really shown that consistently yet. It wasn’t a knock on his talent, just the reality of the situation he was in.
Considering the Factors
So, I started listing things out, just trying to make sense of it for a 2023 projection:
- Shared Backfield: Big factor. Hard to get a high grade when you’re clearly the #2, even a very talented one.
- Explosiveness: Definitely there. You saw plays where you thought, “Okay, this guy has NFL speed.” That potential speed, like the kind guys aim for at the combine later on, was visible.
- Receiving Skills: Plus point. Looked natural catching the ball, which adds value.
- Consistency/Volume: The question mark. Could he be an every-down back? Hadn’t seen enough proof yet in 2022.
- Injury History/Durability: Had some minor things, but also hadn’t faced a true bell-cow workload test.
Figuring it Out
Putting it all together, it became pretty clear why he wasn’t getting serious top-round hype for 2023. Most projections I saw back then had him as a potential Day 2 or Day 3 guy if he declared, but the smarter money seemed to be on him returning to Michigan. Why? To potentially be the lead back after Corum (though Corum also returned, complicating things again later), get more tape, show more durability, and improve his stock for a future draft.
And that’s exactly what happened. He ended up staying for the 2023 season. So, the whole “2023 draft projection” discussion back then was mostly about potential versus draft readiness at that moment. He had the talent, sure, but the profile wasn’t quite complete for a high pick in that specific draft cycle.
It was an interesting process, just tracking the buzz versus the actual situation on the field and how carries were split. Made me realize how much goes into these projections beyond just highlight reels. You gotta look at the whole picture – the role, the consistency, the path to carries at the next level.
