It has been said that the running back position has been dying in the NFL for the last several seasons and it appears that theory has come to fruition for the New York Giants as of late. The New York Giants 2016 running back depth chart has some question marks with four contributors last season. The G-men will be searching for some answers in 2016 as a result.
Orleans Darkwa, Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, and Andre Williams each had their opportunities in 2015 to take full reins of the top spot, yet none of them were able to stand out, hence the new additions. General manager Jerry Reese and first year head coach Ben McAdoo both thought it best to bring in some competition and weed out the weak. Veteran Bobby Rainey as well as rookies Marshaun Coprich and Paul Perkins were added to the roster via free agency and the 2016 NFL Draft, respectively. The hope is that more competition at the position will force someone to rise to the occasion. So who, if anyone, will emerge as the lead back in Big Blue?
New York Giants 2016 Running Back Depth Chart Projection
- Rashad Jennings – Although missing some opportunities as a Giant these past two seasons, Rashad Jennings is still the guy… for now. After missing five games in 2014, Jennings got off to a poor start in 2015. Averaging only 11 carries per game in September, Jennings scored one rushing touchdown and only managed to pull in five receptions without a score. The majority of his season was a mixture of inconsistent play, partially due to inconsistent touches. Not having topped 63 rushing yards in a game until Week 14, Jennings was not cutting it for coaches Tom Coughlin and then offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. As a result, he was sharing carries as one part of a four-way tandem in the Giants backfield. Luckily for Jennings, he finished the season extremely well by running hard, fast, making great cuts, and taking advantage of his opportunities. Amassing nearly half of his total yardage and scoring two of his three rushing touchdowns, the last four weeks showed the Giants’ coaching staff that Jennings can handle the load and deserves to get the bulk of the opportunities early on in 2016.
- Paul Perkins – By Week 7 you will agree with this decision… trust me (82 yard TD run). Perkins has incredible talent and the ability to make defenders miss. He has what starts out as a one-cut style rushing attack but that soon becomes two, three and four cuts when he hits the second and third levels of the defense. Although not the ideal pass blocker, Perkins can catch when needed and runs screens extremely well, which is something the Giants desperately need to get back to. He will need some time to get bigger and stronger so that he can gain more “tough” yards, but will give an immediate boost to an average backfield. Totaling over 2,900 rushing yards, 23 rushing touchdowns, while adding 56 receptions that led to over 440 receiving yards for three scores during his final two years at UCLA, Perkins can and will be a success story and a late-round steal.
- Shane Vereen – Shane Vereen is the “jack of all trades” running back that is good across the board in terms of skillset, yet is not great at anything. Generating over 750 total yards in 2015, Vereen still has skill and can contribute on a weekly basis, but is not nearly explosive enough to warrant a starting or true backup role. As a clearly established third down back, Vereen became a matchup problem several times throughout the season, hauling in at least six receptions five different times. He will not have a problem getting on the field because of his pass-catching and pass-protection abilities, but the new additions of Perkins and wide receiver Sterling Shepard will likely cut into his targets.
- Bobby Rainey – Coprich is likely a roster fill for OTAs while Darkwa and Williams will be fighting for this spot along with Rainey. Nonetheless, neither Darkwa nor Williams possess the pass-catching ability that Rainey does and neither are capable of making people miss on a consistent basis. In 2014, Rainey showed that he is capable of stepping in and making plays by catching 33 balls and in 2015, he proved that he can be a playmaker on special teams. With Dwayne Harris trying to become a bigger part of the offense as a WR3/WR4, Rainey will definitely get an opportunity to contribute on a team that needs its role players to make a difference.
