Last year, the Giants saw Cam Skattebo ride the momentum from one of the most exciting players in the 2024 College Football Playoff for Arizona State to effective rookie starter. That road saw Skattebo make his way to New York as a fourth-round pick and open the season on the bench as the Giants waited until Week 4 to name him RB1 as a rookie. It appears likely the G-Men won’t wait that long in Year 2.
Skattebo was a dedicated bell-cow back in his final year of college. He ended the Sun Devils’ regular season with two games in which he produced 324 rushing yards and six touchdowns. In the Big 12 Championship, Skattebo stole the show with 170 yards on the ground and three total touchdowns, and when the team was eliminated in the playoffs, it was in spite of Skattebo’s 148 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and 42-yard touchdown pass. Still, there were concerns about his limited burst and willingness to take on big hits at the next level.
The Giants opened the season with Tyrone Tracy Jr. as their starting running back, and after a rough Week 1 outing, Devin Singletary was tapped for Week 2. That second contest of the season ended up featuring more of Skattebo than anyone else, and though Tracy earned the starting nod in Week 3, it was clear at that point that Skattebo was taking over the lead back role, out-carrying both his backfield mates for the second week in a row.
Established as New York’s RB1 in Week 4, what came next was a bit of a mixed bag. While Skattebo proved to be nothing if not effective, ranking near the top of the NFL in rushing touchdowns and first downs per rush over the first two months of the season, his efficiency left room for improvement. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Skattebo’s 4.1 yards per carry and 3.0 yards after contact were fairly average league numbers, and he only produced one carry of over 20 yards. Still, per Duggan, as long as he remains fully healthy through the rest of the offseason, he’s the Giants’ No. 1 back.
Skattebo’s rookie campaign ended with a brutal open tibia fracture and right ankle dislocation. Less than eight months removed from surgery, Skattebo was back on the field running drills with the team. He hasn’t been fully cleared, but he expects to be ready to go for Week 1 of his sophomore season. In his absence last year, Tracy picked the reins back up and finished the season as Big Blue’s leading rusher. He’s finished each of his two seasons in the NFL having reached 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
Tracy has his own limitations to his game, but he provides the Giants with a second, solid rusher. Skattebo appears set to open the season as RB1 next to quarterback Jaxson Dart, but if injuries end up being a limiting factor once again, Tracy remains a strong RB2 option.