The New York Giants kickoff return unit ranks 20th in the NFL, averaging 24.4 yards per return. Of the team’s 13 returns, ten have been by running back Eric Gray (for 256 yards, second most return yards in the league behind Raheem Blackshear of the Panthers), and the other three by rookie running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr.
The deployment of Gray on kickoff returns is a bit of a surprise this year and perhaps one done out of necessity after veteran Isaiah McKenzie suffered a season-ending injury.
Before that, it looked as though the Giants were moving away from Gray, who in 2023 returned four kickoffs for 58 yards in that role before landing on injured reserve in Week 7 with a calf strain.
Having gotten the role back, Gray, who has one fumble this year, is second in the league in returns of 20+ yards with 10, again behind Blackshear, who, like Gray, has a long of 31 yards this season.
“From the kickoff return standpoint, he has tracked it well. I thought he can understand kicker intentions,” said Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial.
“He does a good job of catching it forward and even fielding those liners that are a little bit harder for some returners. I think he studies his butt off, and he has tracked the ball well, and he has caught it well.”
Last week against the Cowboys, Gray managed to get the ball out past the 30-yard line, a rare occurrence for the kickoff return unit. Ghobrial, who, back in the spring, spoke of the advantages of having a running back as a kickoff returner.
“Speed is always a huge attribute of any returner,” he said at the time. “A returner that can eat up grass initially with good catch mechanics, catching it forward, that can get to that initial line of defense has the best chance of actually having an explosive return in this league.”
The results so far might not be what the Giants want in terms of the kickoff return game, but it sounds like the Giants will continue using Gray as one of their kickoff return man options moving forward.
“The running back experience, from his perspective, is always going to be a strong suit because he has the natural run skill that many running backs have,” Ghobrial said.
“He does run hard, and you can tell the players want a block for him.”
