After a Michigan career full of unmet potential, Donovan Edwards will try to put it all together with the New York Jets:
Cult heroes are a staple of college athletics, often encompassing low-profile recruits who contribute in surprising ways on the big stage. The opposite tale is just as common, with blue-chip busts a dime a dozen, failing to meet lofty recruiting profiles and maybe even transfer away from the school where they were supposed to dominate.
Donovan Edwards is in a weird middle-ground of his own. A top-50 recruit on 247Sports’ composite and a potential evolution of the running back position for the Michigan Wolverines , few players will top his performance in Columbus in 2022 or in the 2024 National Championship Game. And yet, it feels like this elite prospect never really lived up to the hype and now enters the NFL as an undrafted free agent. What a strange tale.
The highest of highlights
If someone were to only know Edwards by his YouTube compilations, it would be baffling to learn that he went undrafted. His pure skill is immediately clear, and he put it to use on the biggest stage. Edwards’ legacy as a Wolverine is full of highlights: the breakout at Maryland in 2021, the one-handed snag against Ohio State the next week, dominating Penn State with Blake Corum in 2022, the fourth quarter in the Horseshoe, his lead-back performance in the 2022 Big Ten Championship Game, the Penn State runfest in 2023, his takeover in the first quarter against Washington.
Edwards is an athletic specimen at running back, a lightning bolt in the open field and a pass-catching threat in multiple capacities. On paper, this was the perfect complement to Corum and Kalel Mullings (and Karan Higdon, Hassan Haskins, and Zach Charbonnet before them), and an enhanced version of someone like Chris Evans. That raw talent is still there, but even four years later, it still feels like a mystery.
Too many lowlights
It is amazing that someone responsible for four of the most iconic touchdowns in the Jim Harbaugh era failed to put up bigger — or even decent — numbers during his time in Ann Arbor. It would be one thing for a former three-star recruit to have a clutch game or two, but this was a legitimate prospect who both disappointed immensely while also cementing himself in Michigan lore forever.
Even his biggest moments showed his flaws, however. Those runs in the National Championship Game displayed a critical lack of vision that plagued him most of the 2023 season and lost him the starting opportunity in 2024. While his physical gifts are substantial, this is not a running back that has shown any consistency; home runs are great, but there is a need to hit singles as well.
Edwards must read his blocks much better to have any success (or runway) in the NFL. Finding the holes, not going down easily under contact, and showing dependability are all things he failed to do at Michigan but must quickly figure out to last at the next level. His profile and highlights will give him a shot, but chances flee fast for underperformers in a league where running backs cycle in and out.
Big lights (will inspire you)
Someone was going to give Edwards the opportunity, and indeed the New York Jets extended him a UDFA contract. The competition is there, with former top-40 pick Breece Hall leading the way and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis on rookie deals as well. By no means are the Jets giving Edwards anything more than a look, with multiple young running backs well ahead of him on the depth chart.
That being said, none of these players have been superstars. Hall was 24th in the league in rushing yards last season and the Jets were 30th in rushing touchdowns and 31st in rushing yards per game. This is a position group in need of a big improvement, and Edwards has a level of talent that could be the difference maker. Rookie running backs make a splash all the time, so this is about as good of a situation as any for the former Wolverine.
Edwards will start with a small role, but if he can show some improvements, then his playing time could definitely grow. Perhaps the sting of going undrafted can provide a spark to really round out his game. Getting better at the basics will allow him more chances to hit those home runs, which will always be his calling card. Potential is just potential, but Edwards has what it takes to be a successful NFL running back; the question will be if he can gain enough believers before the clock runs out.