Giants have a crowded house in the backfield, but John Harbaugh will keep 4 running backs on the 53-man roster
The New York Giants are going through a major change this year as veteran head coach John Harbaugh has taken over a franchise that has failed to make the playoffs in eight of the last nine years. He certainly had great success during his 18-year run with the Baltimore Ravens.
That included one Super Bowl triumph and 12 trips to the playoffs. Harbaugh’s teams are known for the running game, ability to play defense and frequent edge on special teams. That’s not a surprise, because Harbaugh earned his bones as a special-teams innovator.
Now he takes over a team that lacked discipline in the past, but that appears to have changed as the Giants prepare for the 2026 season.
They have a young quarterback with explosive potential in Jaxson Dart. They have a running back in Cam Skattebo who knows how to get every last inch out of every carry. The Giants have an engaging group of wide receivers that includes Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton and Odell Beckham Jr. However, that group won’t include slot receiver Calvin Austin, who tore his ACL in Tuesday’s practice.
The Giants have one more preseason game to go before the Giants must get down to the 53-man limit. There are a number of key positions that Harbaugh has to pay attention to when it comes to finalizing the group that he will go to battle within the NFC East.
Perhaps the toughest area to decide is at the running back slot. While Dart and the passing game will get most of the headlines, the Giants need a dependable ground game to take pressure off of the young quarterback. Harbaugh knew that when he had Derrick Henry running the ball, it made it much easier for Lamar Jackson to lead the Ravens offense.
Giants have to climb the ladder in the NFC East
Playing a more conservative game that is vitally dependent on a power running game. Skattebo is definitely the center piece of the running game. However, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have to make sure he understands the big picture. He must stay on the field as much as possible. That means the antics Skattebo wants to employ — celebratory flips, leaps and other “look at me” options — have to be struck from his game.
This type of behavior not only takes away from the team that Harbaugh is trying to build, it also leads to potential injuries. Skattebo’s rookie season came to an end after 8 games last year because of his ankle injury. The Giants need him to stay healthy.
However, Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy and recently signed Najee Harris are in the running back room. The Giants have significant options when it comes to running the football.
Harris will be in the picture this season and will be worked in slowly because he is returning from a torn left Achilles tendon. Harris impressed Harbaugh in a workout before signing him. It will take a while before he is in football shape and can contribute to the team. He had four consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards or more prior to last year’s injury.
RB pecking order is unclear
Tracy and Singletary would appear to be in the picture as the third and fourth running backs. Tracy did a solid job with 740 yards and a 4.2 yards per carry average last season. The 5-11, 211-pounder did most of his work after Skattebo went down, and he is not likely to come close to the 176 carries that he received a year ago.
Singletary is an interesting running back as well, because he is quite a bit smaller at 5-7 and 203 pounds than Tracy, but he is a better blocker. That has allowed him to gain favor with the coaching staff. He is adequate as a runner after gaining 437 yards on 119 carries a year ago and scoring 5 rushing touchdowns, but he is not dynamic.
Tracy has not endeared himself to Harbaugh with his performance this summer. He had a missed block in the second preseason game against the Dolphins as well as a fumble. This will leave him behind Singletary on the depth chart when the season opens. However, Harbaugh is not likely to cut him from the roster.
The Giants will keep Skattebo, Harris, Tracy and Singletary on the roster when the 53-man roster is finalized. Changes could occur once the Giants have a chance to look at players who have been cut by the other 31 teams. However, Harbaugh wants to have a powerful and dependable running game. That’s the basis for keeping a fourth running back on the roster.
The New York Giants are going through a major change this year as veteran head coach John Harbaugh has taken over a franchise that has failed to make the playoffs in eight of the last nine years. He certainly had great success during his 18-year run with the Baltimore Ravens. That included one Super Bowl triumph and 12 trips to the playoffs.