New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo has gone from fan favorite to a player some analysts are suddenly eager to knock down a peg.
That shift has been building for a while, and it picked up again when The Athletic’s Dan Duggan questioned how high Skattebo’s ceiling really is after what he viewed as an uneven rookie year. Duggan noted that if Skattebo had stayed healthy, he would have tied for 27th in yards after contact per rush and 26th in rushing success rate.
“Skattebo should enter the season as the Giants’ No. 1 back as long as he’s fully healthy, but his lack of explosiveness might limit his ceiling,” Duggan wrote.
That came only weeks after ESPN’s Bill Barnwell described Skattebo as below average in several categories, including yards per carry, success rate, and explosive play rate.
But the numbers don’t exactly support the idea that Skattebo was some disaster before the injury. His 50% rushing success rate was actually a little better than the league average of 49.4%. If the argument is that he should have done even more in a three-man backfield, that’s a separate debate.
What’s harder to dismiss is how productive he was overall. Skattebo averaged nearly five yards per touch and put the ball on the ground only once over his first 125 touches. On pace, before the injury, he was tracking toward roughly 1,250 yards from scrimmage.
Of course, he’s not being asked to carry the entire offense the way a Derrick Henry or Jonathan Taylor would. Skattebo will keep sharing work with Tyrone Tracy Jr., and there’s no sign the Giants plan to dial back Jaxson Dart’s designed runs.
That’s part of what makes the criticism feel a little off. Plenty of teams would take those numbers from a back in a system like this.
The one real concern worth circling is the lack of chunk plays. Skattebo had only one run of more than 20 yards, and that’s the area where the Giants will be hoping for growth. First-round pick Francis Mauigoa’s arrival at right guard could help there.
For now, though, the skepticism around Skattebo feels louder than the evidence warrants. The Giants clearly believe in him, and if he stays healthy, he won’t need long to remind everyone why.
In Other News...
Giants Fans Are Stunned By Cam Skattebos Viral New Look
Cam Skattebo has already given Giants fans a few reasons to keep watching, and his latest offseason appearance added a different kind of buzz. The rookie running back, a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been noticed for a changed look since his first year in the league, with longer hair giving him a far different vibe than the one he brought to camp as a rookie.
The attention comes after a frustrating first season that ended with a Week 8 ankle injury, a setback that cut short what the Giants hoped would be an early foundation piece in their backfield. Skattebo has since returned to offseason workouts, and the expectation around him remains the same on the field even if his image has shifted a bit off it, with the same physical style still part of what made him such an intriguing addition in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Von Miller Just Gave Giants Fans Another NFC East Headache
Von Miller has a way of keeping the NFC East talking, and his latest Instagram post did exactly that. The veteran pass-rusher, who spent last season with Washington and still produced at a level that matters, put himself back in the division conversation at a time when Dallas is clearly looking for help up front.
The Cowboys have been trying to rebuild their pass rush after moving Micah Parsons and adding more young talent in the draft, so any hint involving a proven veteran is going to draw attention. For Giants fans, it is another reminder that the division arms race never really slows down, and Millers next move will be watched closely even if he has not said much beyond the post itself. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans May Hate How This Dexter Lawrence Move Looks Now
Dexter Lawrences move out of New York is already looking like the kind of deal that can linger in a fan bases memory for a long time. The Giants sent the standout defensive lineman to Cincinnati for a 2026 draft pick, and while the return is still years away, the early buzz around Lawrence has only made the decision feel more consequential from New Yorks side.
In Cincinnati, Lawrence has settled in quickly and taken on a leadership role, with Bengals observers pointing to him as a player who can help reshape the front. The appeal is obvious: he brings the kind of presence that can lift both the run defense and the pass rush, and for a team trying to harden that part of the roster, the fit has been easy to like. [Read more 🡒]