With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE
POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Running Backs
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW: Team fixture and injury-prone running back Saquon Barkley departed via free agency in March. His Cinderella season with the rival Philadelphia Eagles was a public relations disaster for the Giants as Barkley’s accolades included NFL rushing leader with over 2,000 yards, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pro, and a Super Bowl ring. The Eagles were the NFL’s second-best rushing team.
Meanwhile, still encumbered by poor quarterback play and offensive line issues, the Giants ranked 23rd in rushing in 2024, averaging 105 rushing yards per game. The team was 18th in yards per rush, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. The Giants were tied for 20th with 13 rushing touchdowns (the same number Barkley had all by himself).
The Giants signed Devin Singletary as an unrestricted free agent from the Houston Texans in March 2024. He began the season as the team’s starter, but was supplanted by Tyrone Tracy. Singletary played in 15 games with five starts, carrying the ball 113 times for 437 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes for 119 yards. Singletary fumbled twice.
The Giants selected Tracy in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. By early October, he had become the team’s featured back, supplanting Singletary. Tracy played in all 17 regular-season games with 12 starts, carrying the ball 192 times for 839 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 284 yards and one touchdown. Tracy fumbled the ball five times and also dropped five passes as a rookie.
Eric Gray, who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL Draft, carried the ball just 14 times for 31 yards and caught 10 passes for 82 yards. Gray did lead the team with 21 kick returns, averaging 26.4 yards per return, but eventually lost that job to Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Ball security has remained an issue for Gray with six fumbles in his first two seasons.
The Giants signed Dante Miller as an undrafted rookie free agent in April 2024. He spent almost all of the season on the Practice Squad, being elevated twice, but barely playing. He also was signed to the 53-man roster before Week 18, but was inactive for the game.
ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: Everyone returns. The Giants drafted Cam Skattebo in the 4th round of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed undrafted rookie free agent Rushawn Baker after the draft.
TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: With Saquon Barkley likely to continue tormenting the Giants for the next few years, New York must find its own way forward. The plan appears to be relying on a platoon system with Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Cam Skattebo. To be honest, after three seasons in the same offensive system, it is hard to define what that system really is and how the running game fits into it. What are the bread-and-butter run blocking schemes and plays? What is the rushing attack’s identity?
ON THE BUBBLE: Under Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka, the third running back has largely been an afterthought so the team may simply carry three running backs on the 53-man roster again. If so, Eric Gray, Dante Miller, and Rushawn Baker will likely have trouble making the team.
FROM THE COACHES: Brian Daboll on Cam Skattebo: “He plays with great contact balance. He’s tough as nails. You can use him a variety of ways. Pass game, he can catch, he can run routes, he can throw the ball… and he’s got very good vision and quick feet. He’s a 220-pound back who runs with power, toughness.”
FINAL THOUGHTS: I like the make-up of the running backs room. A former WR playing in just his second season as a RB, Tracy was stunningly instinctive and productive as an NFL rookie. If he can cut down on the mistakes (fumbles and drops), Tracy has the look of consistent 1,000-yard rusher who can also hurt teams in the passing game. He has a feel for the position, runs tougher than his size, and has enough wiggle and speed to break big plays.
Skattebo seems like a perfect complement, a physical, fiery presence who can be a tone setter for the entire team. The sooner he takes Singletary’s carries, the better. He’s the future. Do not sleep on his ability to catch the football, not only as an outlet target, but down-the-field threat.
I firmly believe the Practice Squad will come into play with the rest of the room. Eric Gray will not likely be picked up by another team and the Giants should be able to stash him there in case injuries hit. Dante Miller may be more tricky. He stood out in OTA practices with his speed as a receiving target. Is there a chance he makes Singletary expendable?
Overall, since the Giants operate out of a more pro spread offense, the running game seems more like an afterthought. Some teams like the Ravens, Eagles, and 49ers have taken more of a contrarian approach with good success. It makes one wonder if the Giants should be zigging instead of zagging.
FINAL DEPTH CHART: Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Cam Skattebo