The loss of Saquon Barkley continues to haunt the New York Giants. Watching him thrive in Philadelphia after rushing for over 2,000 yards and winning a Super Bowl didn’t help ease the pain.
But the G-Men are now a season removed from the loss of Barkley, and you’d think the state of the running back room would be in a better place, right? Think again.
PFF's Dalton Wasserman is not a believer in the New York Giants' revamped RB room
Pro Football Focus released its latest rankings ahead of training camp, and the Giants’ backfield has landed near the bottom. PFF’s Dalton Wasserman had New York’s running back tandem listed at No. 31 in the NFL, only ahead of an NFC East rival- the Dallas Cowboys.
“Giants running backs ranked 30th in the NFL in PFF rushing grade last season,” Wasserman wrote. “There are some intriguing pieces, but it’s hard to feel confident in this group without a clear lead back.”
Wasserman makes a fair point. Brian Daboll will employ a running back by committee approach since the backfield still lacks a true game-changer.
2024 fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy did show flashes last season, recording three 100-yard rushing games. The converted receiver from Purdue appeared in all 17 games as a rookie and surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards in just 12 starts. But the 25-year-old also struggled with ball security, coughing up the football an alarming five times.
Where the Giants get interesting is with fourth-round rookie Cam Skattebo. The Arizona State product concluded his college career with a reputation as one of the most physical backs in the country. A former JUCO star turned Big 12 workhorse, Skattebo’s 1,711 rushing yards and 21 scores led to a fifth-place finish in Heisman voting.
He’s not the fastest back in the room, but his ability to churn out tough yards could make him a valuable rotational piece — especially in short-yardage situations. But still, betting on two Day Three picks to stabilize a post-Barkley backfield isn’t the biggest confidence booster.
Big Blue also has the veteran presence of Devin Singletary, but the 27-year-old is coming off of career lows in rushing yards and yards per carry. Once seen as a reliable change-of-pace option, Singletary now looks more like a depth piece due to his familiarity with Daboll’s scheme than an actual solution to the running back woes.
It is unlikely that Eric Gray does much to change the fate of this group: he has fumbling issues of his own. Furthermore, it isn’t even a foregone conclusion that Gray cracks the Week 1 roster, as South Carolina’s Turbo Miller could steal his special teams role.
They don’t need a Barkley-level superstar, but they desperately need an answer. Right now, they’re still searching through a whole lot of serviceable.
