2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Wake Forest’s Running Back Demond Claiborne

Demond Claiborne is a name that most draftniks haven’t heard of—yet. But he’s one of the 2026 draft class’s most explosive athletes. Claiborne had his coming-out party for Wake Forest in 2024. He logged 228 carries for over 1,000 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. 

He’s also an excellent receiver and dangerous out of the backfield with every touch of the ball. He caught 23 passes for over 250 yards and scored two touchdowns in the air. He was named to the preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker Award and promises to be one of this season’s most electric players in the ACC.  

Strengths

Claiborne’s strengths lie in his speed and quickness. He’s dangerous in space and plays with sudden playmaking ability. He cuts fluidly and is patient behind his blockers until he’s ready to pop through a hole, using his relatively diminutive stature to hide behind the wall of bodies to his advantage. He possesses elite escape ability and changes direction well without losing momentum or speed. And as a runner, he’s got great vision, allowing blocks to develop first before using his quick-twitch speed to blow by. 

But Claiborne is more than a traditional runner. He’s a capable receiver and pass protector, even for his size. And he can be deployed in all facets of special teams, making him a true impact player on offense and in kick returns. He is surprisingly strong when he runs, demonstrating better contact balance than scouts may expect and has been resilient, playing through the usual bumps and bruises without missing time. 

Weaknesses

Some scouts will question Claiborne’s size and overall durability as a smaller back. He’s only 5’9” and weighs a shade under 200 lbs., so his 3-down profile in the pros may be limited. Teams may shy away from making him anything close to a bell cow back since he may not be able to take the 20-carry “between the tackles” workload required from such a player. 

And while Claiborne is a better-than-average pass blocker, he’s still improving and may not make the ideal pass-pro back at the next level. Claiborne is strictly a speed back, so asking him for power runs or in short-yardage situations might be too much. 

Conclusion 

While Claiborne projects as an early day three pick, he’s got more intrinsic value than that. He may be overlooked because of his size, but he has the explosiveness of the Miami Dolphins’ Devon Achane. He may not have Achane’s straight-line speed, but it’s close. If teams are seeking a playmaker with upside potential, Claiborne may be their targeted pick next year. He may be a better fit for specific blocking scheme offenses, but he can run, catch, and return kicks at the next level. Draft Nation expects Claiborne to be off the board in round four.