{"id":228465,"date":"2025-04-15T12:44:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T16:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=228465"},"modified":"2025-04-15T12:44:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T16:44:21","slug":"three-mid-round-running-backs-for-the-giants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/04\/15\/three-mid-round-running-backs-for-the-giants\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Mid-Round Running Backs for the Giants"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Giants are high on last year\u2019s fifth-round pick, running back Tyrone Tracy and his future.\u00a0 In 12 starts, Tracy 839 rushing yards on 192 carries and averaged just under 70 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. He has enough patience to churn out modest gains balanced with the ability to break explosive runs.\u00a0 The team could very easily get through an entire season with him and Devin Singletary as their primary running backs.\u00a0 Who are the Giants mid round running back targets?<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2025 draft class<\/span><\/a> is loaded with running back talent and it is imperative for the team to draft into a class\u2019s strengths. The Giants could look to target a running back in the middle rounds and still find a starting-caliber player, similar to Tracy. The key, however, is to find a running back who complements Tracy\u2019s skill set.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three Mid-Round Running Backs for the Giants<\/h2>\n

Ollie Gordon<\/b><\/h3>\n

Gordon is a bruising running back out of <\/span>Oklahoma State<\/span><\/a> who excels in a downhill running scheme. His lack of agility forces him to run with an angry, linear style that resembles Brian Robinson, Jr. Gordon plays like a battering ram when he reaches the open field. He may not be able to be the premier running back in a scheme, but his workhorse ability matches the explosiveness that Tyrone Tracy brings on a down to down basis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Giants struggled in short-yardage situations in 2024. They converted just 44.6% of third downs of five yards or lower and just 24.1% of fourth downs of two yards or lower. Gordon\u2019s punishing style will not only warm the hearts of the blue-collar Giants fans of old, but also solve a problem that\u2019s been plaguing the Giants\u2019 running game since the Brandon Jacobs era. Far from a perfect prospect, Gordon will bring value to the Giants around the fourth or fifth round.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/1m4kl\/status\/1912131449018277989<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

RJ Harvey, Jr.<\/b><\/h3>\n

Similar Gordon, RJ Harvey, Jr. out of <\/span>UCF<\/span><\/a> doesn\u2019t necessarily have the breakaway speed that other running backs do in this draft. Instead, Harvey is another punishing style running back that old school Giants fans cherish. The difference between Harvey and Gordon? Harvey is only 5\u20198 and runs with the mindset that he has to prove himself with every carry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, he doesn\u2019t have the elusiveness of most modern NFL running backs.\u00a0 In turn,\u00a0 his contact balance allows him to gain an adequate amount of yards after contact. Paired with Tracy, the Giants could have a viable or even advantageous running back committee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/jagibbs_23\/status\/1910355486651695559<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Kaleb Johnson<\/b><\/h3>\n

The <\/span>Iowa <\/span><\/a>connection might give the Giants an edge in scouting Johnson. Joel Thomas served as Iowa\u2019s running backs coach during Kaleb Johnson\u2019s tenure as a Hawkeye. It might make sense to bring Johnson to East Rutherford because he knows Thomas\u2019 style, demands, and scheme. Thomas was also in Iowa for a portion of Tyrone Tracy\u2019s time there. Albeit Tracy was a receiver during that period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for Johnson\u2019s running style, he breaks the pattern of bruisers from above. Instead, he uses his elusiveness and patience to run on schedule and follow his blockers. At 6\u20191, 224 pounds he\u2019s built like a punishing back. However, he runs with a linear upright style that when blocked well, helps him break off chunk runs at the second or third levels. Johnson could be a target that fits Daboll\u2019s offense specifically that relies on explosive plays from all parts of the field.\u00a0 As compared to Gordon and Harvey, who might be reduced to short-yardage or first and second down roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson will go earlier in the draft than Harvey and Gordon. Most mock drafts have him going somewhere between the second and third rounds. However, those spots are also ripe with interior offensive and defensive lineman. So can the Giants match positional needs with the best player available?<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/AustinAbbottFF\/status\/1910876147748896823<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Giants don\u2019t necessarily have a <\/span>need<\/span><\/i> at running back, but it\u2019s smart to invest in positions that often get injured and are a strength of a draft class. If Joe Schoen is patient, he could find a quality player in rounds four, five or six. Ideally, the running back the Giants target complements Tracy\u2019s play style to keep their running game efficient in 2025 and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Main Image: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Giants could target the running back in the mid rounds of the 2025 NFL draft to compliment Tyrone Tracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5408,"featured_media":228492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1647],"tags":[32605,33139,7416,7300,32478,32986],"class_list":["post-228465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-giants","category-nfl-draft","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-kaleb-johnson","tag-new-york-giants-draft","tag-new-york-giants-news","tag-ollie-gordon","tag-rj-harvey"],"modified_by":"Isaac Zuniga","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5408"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228465"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":228493,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228465\/revisions\/228493"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}