{"id":212322,"date":"2025-01-23T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T14:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=212322"},"modified":"2025-01-23T09:00:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T14:00:21","slug":"new-york-giants-position-group-report-card-running-backs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/01\/23\/new-york-giants-position-group-report-card-running-backs\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Giants Position Group Report Card: Running Backs"},"content":{"rendered":"

It hurt seeing Saquon Barkley run for 200 yards in the divisional round<\/a> against the Rams last weekend. Every Giants fan, even if it\u2019s buried beneath their resentment, has a tinge of jealousy when they see Barkley break off multiple 40+ touchdowns in the same game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No, Saquon Barkley wouldn\u2019t have rushed for 2,000 yards with the Giants in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Giants wouldn\u2019t have been a playoff contender with Barkley in 2024. There were way too many holes on the roster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But why did he have to do it in Eagles Green?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After reviewing an abysmal quarterback room<\/a>, let\u2019s take a look at how the Giants\u2019 running backs fared in their first post-Saquon season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the grading system works:\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A: Position group played at an elite level, likely with some pro-bowlers, all-pros, and quality depth<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

B: Position group was a positive, pro-bowl alternates and quality depth\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

C: Position group was mostly positive, although no pro bowlers or game changers<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

D: Position group was unplayable at times, with very little depth, and a negative impact on games<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

F: Position group was mostly unplayable at the NFL level<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

New York Giants Position Group Report Card: Running Backs<\/h2>\n

The Room<\/b><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Tyrone Tracy Jr<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Devin Singletary\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Eric Gray\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Dante \u201cTurbo\u201d Miller\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Giants running backs as a whole had similar numbers in 2024 than in 2023.\u00a0 Albeit with pedestrian numbers, the Giants feel like they found a starting caliber running back in rookie Tyrone Tracy, Jr. He may not be as talented as\u00a0 Barkley or become a 2,000-yard rusher, but the team was able to effectively run the ball with him in spurts until injuries decimated the offensive line.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    They\u2019re modest numbers, but Joe Schoen\u2019s running back by committee approach seemed to work at the beginning of the season until injuries on the offensive line began to pile up. The resources that were debatably supposed to be for Barkley were allocated to improving the offensive line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    A running game is intertwined with an offensive line’s efficiency and it\u2019s no secret the Giants offensive line has struggled for the better part of the last decade. Schoen\u2019s theory is that a team can find productive talent in the mid-rounds and pair them with a quality offensive line that controls the line of scrimmage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It worked to an extent, the Giants\u2019 overall rushing metrics from 2023 to 2024 looked like this:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    2023 Season:<\/b><\/p>\n