Damien Martinez only needed three collegiate seasons to prove to the world that he deserves a shot at the next level. With NFL scouts checking out what he could bring to the pros, he’s projected to get himself selected at some point in the upcoming NFL Draft. Does Martinez have what it takes to get drafted, and will he prove successful when he makes it?
Height: 6 ft – 0 in
Weight: 217 lb
Age: 21
Position: Running Back
College: Miami
College Career Summary:
Martinez didn’t take long to prove that he belonged on the football field. As a freshman in 2022, Martinez started in five games and appeared in 13 as a member of the Oregon State Beavers. He rushed for 982 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the process, going for over six yards per carry. The following season saw him return to Oregon State and fully assume the role of the starting running back. He started in all 12 games, rushing for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns, also rushing for over six yards per carry. Both of these seasons pushed his stock up enough to the point where he had quite a ton of suitors when he hit the transfer portal. Eventually, he settled down by choosing the Miami Hurricanes. Almost identical to both of the previous seasons, Martinez started in 12 games and rushed for 1,002 yards, nine touchdowns, and rushing for just under six yards per carry. Three consistent seasons in college have helped him get the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award, and two separate First Team All-Pac-12 selections. All of his receiving numbers took small steps forward in each of these seasons just to top it all off.
2024 Season
Games Played: 13
Yards: 1,002 rushing, 198 receiving
Touchdowns: nine rushing, zero receiving
Career Stats:
- 37 games played
- 2,990 rushing yards
- 25 total touchdowns
- 500 rush attempts
- 31 receptions
Passing/Rushing/Receiving/Defensive Metrics:
- 0 yards per carry throughout his career
- 4 yards per reception throughout his career
- 385 career receiving yards
Strengths:
- Bruising runner that showcases great contact balance
- Short-area quickness with nimble footwork
- Can manipulate second-level defenders with pacing
- Natural ball tracking ability, not many balls thrown his way
- Impressive rushing vision in the interior
- Falls forward and seeks out contact at the end of runs
Weaknesses:
- Doesn’t feature home-run speed
- Had a DUI arrest in 2023, concerns regarding maturity raised
- Technical issues regarding his pass protection
- Pad level can often be too high when running
High Pressure Situations/Clutch Gene:
The first example of Martinez in a high-pressure situation came this season during the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Miami was facing off against the 18th-ranked ISU squad, and despite the 42-41 loss, Martinez put up a phenomenal performance. He rushed the ball 14 times and turned it into 179 yards and a touchdown, along with a six-yard reception. In 2023, Martinez faced off against a fifth-ranked Washington team, losing that game 22-20 despite him rushing 26 times and turning them into 123 yards with two touchdowns. Overall, Martinez has had a handful of excellent performances in pressure games and situations. The problem is that we just haven’t been able to consistently see him as the primary ball carrier in these big games. He’s been operating in a committee throughout most of his collegiate career, not receiving many rush attempts due to splitting carries with other running backs.
NFL Projection And Fantasy Relevance:
Projections for Damien Martinez in this upcoming NFL Draft have varied, but most have him being selected at some point between the fifth and seventh rounds. This is unfortunately a very deep running back class, pushing Martinez further down the rankings due to the immense level of competition that he’s facing. To make matters worse, many NFL teams have running backs that are projected to start for them in the foreseeable future, making the position less valuable. Still, though, Martinez will likely hear his name get called throughout this draft. When thinking about fantasy football relevance, it’s hard to imagine that he’d find his way onto the field straight away as a rookie. He’ll likely get drafted to a team with another starter in the backfield and given his struggles in pass protection along with his inexperience as a pass catcher, it’ll take some time to get fantasy relevance. In dynasty formats, there is far more potential to make an impact. His size and bruising rushing style show that he can get touches on an NFL team throughout his career. Plus, he does have experience working in a committee backfield, something he’ll need to get accustomed to early on at the next level regardless of where he gets drafted. There might be other running backs in this draft class that are better than him, though he wouldn’t be a terrible dynasty draft choice. I’d still be worried about his off-the-field issues though.
You never want to see a player get himself into trouble off the field. Martinez getting arrested for a DUI in 2023 is certainly going to hurt his chances of getting drafted along with finding a spot on a starting lineup early on in his career. He’ll desperately need to prove himself in pre-draft interviews to hear his name get called, and throughout training camp if he does get drafted so that he can make an official roster. I like his physicality and short-area quickness, even the fact that he can catch the football naturally out of the backfield. I don’t like his poor pass protection techniques, his inexperience as a pass catcher, or his lack of home run speed. Martinez will make for a contributor in an offense throughout his NFL career if he continues to develop similar to what we’ve seen in college. Unfortunately, I don’t see workhorse potential from Martinez, as in somebody who can run the backfield by himself at the next level. He’s going to remain in a committee for most of his career, unless he can prove to handle large workloads.