From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne.
No. 1 DEMOND CLAIBORNE/RUNNING BACK, WAKE FOREST (SENIOR) – 5096, 188 pounds
Measurements
Player
Ht/Wt
Hand Size
Arm Length
Wingspan
Demond Claiborne
5096/188
9
30 1/8
N/A
40-Yard Dash
10-Yard Dash
Short Shuttle
3-Cone
4.37
1.59
N/A
N/A
Broad Jump
Vertical
Bench Press
10’2″
N/A
N/A
THE GOOD
– Explosive athletic ability
– Great short area change of direction
– Quick burst
– Good long speed
– Has speed to win the edge
– Gets skinny through small holes
– Wants to bounce outside
– High effort pass protection
– Decent route runner
– Secure hands
– Decent vision in the open field
THE BAD
– Undersized
– Average play strength
– Average contact balance
– Bad technique in pass protection
– Inconsistently takes advantage of his speed
– Out of control running style
– Can lose balance in space
– Struggles to break tackles
– Average vision near the line of scrimmage
STATS
– Started 25 games across 4 seasons at Wake Forest
– 2025: 179 rushes, 907 yards, 10 touchdowns, 4 fumbles, with 23 receptions
– Career: 558 rushes, 2599 yards, 26 touchdowns, plus 55 receptions
INJURY HISTORY
– 2025: Exited season opener vs Kennesaw State with a rib injury. Reinjured his ribs against Georgia Tech
– 2024: Left the game vs Miami and was seen throwing up on the sideline before exiting to the locker room
BACKGROUND
– Turning 23 in October of 2026
– Participated in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl
– Named Second Team All-ACC in 2025
– In 2024, he was named All-ACC Third Team
– Four-star recruit out of King William High School in Virginia
– Ranked the No. 38 running back in the country
– Led his team to a state championship in 2021
– Named the Virginia Region 2A Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-State in 2019
– Was a sprinter on the track team
– Claiborne grew up with a single mother who worked three jobs to provide for four children, and he promised to get her into a better situation
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Demond Claiborne had a very successful career at Wake Forest, ranking fourth all-time in rushing yards. On tape, you can see why this is the case. His speed jumps off tape, leading to explosive plays and turning small gains into big ones. He wins in the open field with vision, and if a second-level defender takes the wrong angle, they’ll struggle to catch up to him.
He will ensure that every defensive back is involved in the run game because of how quickly he gets past the defensive line. On this overtime play, he breaks an arm tackle and takes off, giving Wake Forest a chance to win the game.
His change of direction is useful near the line of scrimmage, and he can turn potential TFLs into explosive plays by making the bigger defensive lineman miss. He sets up blocks well and makes defenders crash into the offensive linemen. Then he bounces outside to create a bigger gain.
On this play, his outside bounce results in a touchdown.
Claiborne’s game has some problems. Speed and change of direction are a great base to start with, but breaking tackles is what puts running backs over the top. Claiborne has a clear issue breaking tackles, and it can limit what he can do if he does not win with speed. Arm tackles can bring him down, a red flag that suggests his weight is a problem.
His upper-body strength is fine, but it’s problematic when a running back consistently gets tackled by diving defenders. On this play, he has some room to operate, but gets tackled by the ankles.
Claiborne’s contact balance is just average, and in space, he will fall and stop his run early by his own doing. Once again, he has room to operate, but he falls on his own and stops the run.
Claiborne can win with his athleticism, but he needs to utilize his burst more. It seems like, as the season progressed, he wanted to bounce runs outside more instead of taking open gaps. I wish he would realize that he has an elite burst to get to the second level. He will play hesitantly at times when he needs to burst and will run out of control at times when he needs to be patient.
On this play, he picks the wrong gap and hesitates, leading to a fumble. This shows up consistently in his film.
Claiborne blocks willingly in pass protection, but lacks the play strength and technique to consistently win. He was proficient in college, but he will only be on the field on third down to catch passes, a strength of his game. On this play, he does his job, but you can see the out-of-control technique and the way he lunges.
CONCLUSION
While Demond Claiborne has great athletic ability and speed, he lacks elite vision and cannot break tackles consistently. I would trust him in a committee to get a few carries a game, but he needs to gain weight and develop in pass protection to secure his job as a rotational back.
NFL Projection: Mid-Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 6.5 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.2-7.2
Games Watched: vs Georgia Tech (2025), vs SMU (2025), at Florida State (2025), vs North Carolina (2025)