Miami RB Damien Martinez is a patient and physical runner who could be an option for the Broncos in the draft

Martinez is a patient and physical runner who could be an option for the Broncos in the mid-rounds of the draft.

One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos in the middle rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft is Miami running back Damien Martinez. He is a 6’0”, 217-pound running back who is viewed as one of the more physical backs in the entire draft. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, has Martinez graded as his 16th-best back in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Martinez played his first two years of college at Oregon State before transferring to Miami this past year. During his three-year career at both schools, he played in 38 games, which included 27 starts, and totaled 514 carries for 3,196 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry and 26 touchdowns while also catching 32 receptions for 391 yards. This past year for Miami, he appeared in 13 games and started 10 games and totaled 159 carries for 1,002 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and 10 rushing touchdowns while catching 17 balls for 204 yards.

Player Profile

Damien Martinez | Running Back | Miami

• Height: 6’0
• Weight: 217 pounds
• Hands: 9 ³⁄₄ inches
• Arm Length: 30 ¹⁄₂ inches
• Wingspan: 75 ¹⁄₂ inches
• Age: 22 years old
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.51 seconds
• 10-Yard Split: 1.58 seconds
• Vertical Jump: 35 inches
• Broad Jump: 10’4”
• Short Shuttle: 4.49 seconds
• 3-Cone Drill: 7.16 seconds

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Has good size and build
• Runs angry and is a very physical back
• Incredible contact balance and keeps going through contact
• Will run through arm tackles and weak tackle attempts
• A very patient runner who waits for the running lanes to open before exploding through
• Has quick feet for his size and uses them to make cuts
• Thrived in multiple blocking schemes (gap and zone)
• Has good ball security
• Sufficient checkdown target in the passing game
• Has the size, strength, and mentality to be a pass blocker
• Averaged 6+ yards per carry every year in college

Weaknesses

• Not an overly dynamic runner and lacks wiggle and long speed
• Plays a little tall and needs to consistently lower his pad level
• Not a dynamic pass catcher
• His burst is adequate at best
• Doesn’t give you much on third down

Damien Martinez’s RAS

What other analysts are saying about Miami running back Damien Martinez

The Athletic’s lead draft analyst, Dane Brugler, on RB Damien Martinez

A one-year starter at Miami, Martinez became the lead back in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s RPO-based version of the Air Raid with gap/duo principles. He led Oregon State in rushing his first two seasons before transferring to Miami in 2024. With the Hurricanes, he again surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and led the team in rushing while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Martinez uses his patience, physicality and balance to pick through contact — a sizable chunk (71 percent) of his 2024 yardage came after contact. Though he often finds the right lane, he is more of a one-speed guy and gives pursuit a chance to close on him. Overall, Martinez doesn’t have the burst or wiggle to consistently make defenders miss, but he can power through/over them and prides himself on his finishing ability to churn out positive yards. He can be a “dirty work” runner on an NFL depth chart.

Final Thoughts

How Sean Payton and the Broncos feel about running back Audric Estime will determine how interested they are in backs like this. Estime profiles as an early down power back who will get you the tough yards in short-yardage and do all the dirty work. If they do not have the belief in him moving forward (a healthy scratch for the wildcard game is a red flag) they could look at a Damien Martinez to potentially take over that role.

I like Martinez’s game a good bit. He’s a patient, physical, and angry runner who was productive consistently in college at two different schools in two different offenses. Yes, he is likely only a two-down back who offers just checkdown ability as a pass-catcher, but I believe he can be a productive power back in a running back rotation.

Martinez likely goes in the third to fourth round range, but I have seen him projected as high as the second round. Some analysts like him a bit more than others, which probably means some teams like him more than others. I am on the fence about his fit with the Broncos but would not be upset if they ended up drafting him late on day 2 or early on day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.