Demond
Claiborne.
Demond
Claiborne.
Wake Forest· 5'10"· 188 lb· 4.37s 40
R6 · #198 · Minnesota Vikings"One-cut ACC workhorse with 4.37 speed and two-time all-conference production, whose 188-pound frame — not his tape — is what pushed him into the sixth round."Pre-draft read
Claiborne is a compact, one-cut speed back who plays with force. Wake Forest ran him almost exclusively out of shotgun zone. He presses the front-side tackle, plants once, and gets vertical without wasted bounce steps. His acceleration is a separator; a 1.59 ten-yard split means the crease only has to exist for a moment, and once he clears the second level he is rarely caught.
Vision is good; he reads the front-side key cleanly but can miss cutback lanes when the initial read is walled off. He runs behind his pads on inside carries, absorbs the first arm tackle, and finishes falling forward. In the passing game, he is a reliable checkdown option on swings and flares; he was also a weapon on kickoffs, with two career return touchdowns.
This player is best suited for an outside zone run scheme that prioritizes a one-cut back with immediate acceleration off the handoff.
Initially, a change-of-pace back and kick returner, with a ceiling as a committee back who excels on outside runs and as a receiver.
A gap/duo power run scheme where he would be asked to move piles between the tackles.
Claiborne's speed and one-cut ability make him a good fit for specific roles, but his size limits his ceiling in run-heavy schemes.
Demond Claiborne 2025 Regular Season Highlights | Wake Forest Running Back
The senior season in full: 907 yards at 5.1 per carry behind a line that ranked 109th nationally in line yards, plus the burst that produced the 4.37 forty.
Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne | 2026 NFL Draft Tape
The draft-tape cut: outside zone reads, one-cut acceleration through the crease and the contact balance that keeps a 188-pound back upright.
Demond Claiborne 2024 Regular Season Highlights | Wake Forest Running Back
The breakout junior year — 228 carries, 1,049 yards, 11 touchdowns and 23 receptions, the season that made him a full-time ACC workhorse.
Claiborne projects as a change-of-pace back and returner due to his compact size but explosive play. He provides an immediate speed element and special teams value, offering a specific role for an offense needing that dynamic. His pro potential hinges on his ability to transition his speed and receiving growth to the next level.
He left Wake Forest as a two-time all-conference back, carrying the offense for two straight years behind a struggling offensive line. He posted 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, then 907 yards at 5.1 per carry as a senior, doing so behind a line that ranked 109th nationally in line yards in his final season. He was a genuine weapon on kickoffs, with two career return touchdowns.
Measurables ultimately influenced his evaluation; at 5'9 3/4 and 188 pounds with 30 1/8-inch arms, teams viewed him as a change-of-pace back rather than a lead back. Despite his 4.37 forty confirming his speed, his size flagged him more as a specialist. Minnesota drafted him at pick 198, betting on his return production and third-down receiving growth.
- 01
Legitimate home-run speed for the position
a 4.37 forty with a 1.59 ten-yard split, indicating he gets to top gear in two or three steps.
- 02
One-cut decisiveness on outside zone
he presses the tackle's outside hip, plants once and goes downhill without extra bounce steps.
- 03
Efficiency behind a bad line
averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2025 when Wake Forest's run blocking fell to 109th nationally in line yards.
- 04
Contact balance that outperforms the frame
at 188 pounds, he consistently absorbs the first arm tackle and keeps his feet through hits.
- 05
Immediate special-teams value
two career kick-return touchdowns on a 26.3-yard average, an immediate asset for roster security.
- 01
Size is the ceiling
5'9 3/4 and 188 pounds with 30 1/8-inch arms genuinely limits his role as a full-time NFL back between the tackles.
- 02
Pass protection is the swing skill
he will step up against blitzers, but his anchor is what you expect at his weight, losing ground to linebackers.
- 03
Advanced efficiency numbers were only average
his 0.047 predicted points added per play in 2025 sat at the national median for backs.
- 04
Receiving profile is short-area only
28 catches for 140 yards in 2025 is a five-yard average, mostly checkdowns and swings.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.37sp50
- Vertical
- —in
- Broad jump
- 122inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Att | Yds | TD | Rec | RecYds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Wake Forest | 10 | 14 | 57 | 0 | 1 | -5 |
| 2023 | Wake Forest | 10 | 137 | 586 | 5 | 3 | 35 |
| 2024 | Wake Forest | 12 | 228 | 1048 | 11 | 23 | 254 |
| 2025 | Wake Forest | 12 | 179 | 905 | 10 | 28 | 140 |
| Career | — | 44 | 558 | 2596 | 26 | 55 | 424 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Robby AshfordQB30%
- Sawyer RacanelliWR11%
- Chevy BrensonWR8%
#14 of 15 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.48 (p98) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Honors
- Second-team All-ACC (2025)
- Third-team All-ACC (2024)
- 1,049 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, third in the ACC in carries
- Two career kickoff-return touchdowns on a 26.3-yard average
A one-cut speed back who earns third-down and change-of-pace snaps on a roster, wins on outside zone and kick coverage value, and lives on the edge of the 53 until an injury opens the door.
Same compact, low-to-the-ground build and the same ability to make the first defender miss in a phone booth, with enough patience to be a true committee starter rather than a specialist.
If the pass protection never gets to a trustworthy level, the role narrows to gadget touches and special teams, and the light frame keeps the carry count capped at eight to ten a game.