Damien Martinez Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Sam Navarro/IMAGN Images)
School: Miami
Class: Junior
Position: RB
HT: 6’0
WT: 217 lbs
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Background: Damien Martinez is an explosive and dynamic running back out of Lewisville, Texas. He was a top 50 running back nationally for Lewisville High School, but did not generate a ton of national attention. Martinez was an all-state selection as both a junior and a senior and won district offensive player of the year as a senior. Martinez also ran track throughout high school. Damien chose to play for Oregon State out of high school over schools such as Georgia Tech and Kansas.
College: Martinez was dominant right away for the Beavers. He was a First Team All-Pac 12 selection in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, while also being named a Freshman All-American in 2022. In the two seasons he spent with Oregon State, Martinez ran for 2,167 yards and 16 touchdowns. After two seasons, Martinez transferred to Miami. In his one season with the Hurricanes, Martinez ran for 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Strengths: Damien Martinez is a stocky running back with deceptive agility for his size in the backfield. He has the lateral agility to make defenders miss and avoid tacklers around the line of scrimmage by bouncing outside. He has excellent contact balance, causing defenders to bounce right off him as he keeps moving forward. Martinez is not going to be brought down by a solo tackler; it will take a joint effort to bring Damien down. His size allows hm to play with a certain violence to plow through defenders and punish those in front of him. Damien consistently falls forward as a runner, using his mass and power to gain every yard he can. Martinez is a patient runner behind the line of scrimmage. He waits for blocks to develop before shooting through the lane. He has the acceleration to reach his top speed quickly despite slowing. He has the vision in the backfield to pick the correct gap to run through and gash the defense for chunk yardage.
Weaknesses: While Damien’s size allows him to be a physical bruiser, it prevents him from having any top speed. If he gets past the secondary and into open space, he will be tracked down by the faster defensive backs. Martinez is more of a downhill runner and cannot be relied on to get to the outside and gash a defense on the boundary. As a pass catcher, Martinez struggles to turn upfield and make plays with the ball in his hands. He is not much of a threat to gain yards after the catch.
Conclusion: Damien Martinez is a strong and stout running back who will be able to take on a large workload. If he wants to be a true workhorse, he will have to increase his production as a pass catcher. He will be the ideal runner to shove through the tackles and gash defenses for chunk yardage.
Scheme Fit: Gap Rushing Offense
Ideal Role: Short Yardage Running Back
Best Team Fits: MIA, DAL, HOU
Player Comparison: Eddie Lacy
Player Grade: Round 2 (82.5)
