The New York Giants are aiming to supercharge their offense this upcoming season with a new-look, dynamic backfield. They hit majorly on their fifth-round draft pick last year, adding running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who quickly emerged as the starting rusher. This year, they took a similar strategy, stealing Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo in the fourth round.
Now the two young running backs will combine to create a fire-and-ice duo in Big Blue’s backfield. But how high could this tandem’s ceiling reach? If the offense clicks together, the Giants could have two 1,000-yard running backs powering their offense in 2025.
The Giants enjoyed a 1,000-yard season from Tyrone Tracy Jr. in 2024
Tracy quickly burst onto the scene in 2024 and overtook the starting running back job from veteran free-agent acquisition Devin Singletary. The Purdue product finished his rookie season with 12 starts under his belt, averaging 49.4 rushing yards per game and totaling 839 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
As a former wide receiver-converted running back, Tracy was always expected to be an impactful piece in the Giants’ passing attack. That rang true as the rookie amassed 38 receptions for 284 yards and one touchdown.
In total, Tracy finished the season with 1,123 all-purpose yards from scrimmage. Had he been the starter from Week 1, that total could have been significantly higher. Tracy is expected to maintain the starting gig in 2025, however, New York will likely deploy a running back by committee approach to their rushing attack. This could open an opportunity not only for Tracy to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage once again, but for Skattebo to do the same as a rookie.
Cam Skattebo’s versatile skill set makes him a threat for 1,000 all-purpose yards
Skattebo is a hard-nosed, violent runner. In 2024, he forced 103 missed tackles, the second-most of any running back in the country. He finished the season with 1,712 rushing yards — with 1,202 of those yards coming after contact. Skattebo is a big-play threat from anywhere on the field, but his true calling card is his ability to make plays as a receiver.
The Arizona State product totaled 45 receptions for 605 yards and three touchdowns receiving in his final collegiate season. In total, Skattebo finished the season with a ridiculous 2,316 yards and 24 touchdowns from scrimmage. His ability to produce as a receiver makes Skattebo a strong candidate to cross 1,000 yards from scrimmage as a rookie.
At first, it might seem far-fetched for the Giants to have two running backs cross the 1,000-yard threshold in the same season. The last time New York had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season was back in 2008 when Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward achieved the task. However, Jacobs and Ward both went for 1,000 rushing yards. Tracy and Skattebo likely won’t be able to accomplish that, but 1,000 all-purpose yards? Now that might be doable.
In a nutshell, the Giants have two versatile running backs that can contribute to the offense both on the ground and in the team’s passing attack. Both Tracy and Skattebo should see a high-volume workload this season as Big Blue aims to deploy a committee approach that creates matchup advantages and keeps defenses on their toes.