The NY Giants already boast one of the NFL’s premier running backs, in Saquon Barkley, but spent significant resources upgrading the depth at the position this offseason.
Signing DeVontae Booker via free agency and adding Corey Clement and Ryquell Armstead showed the NY Giants’ commitment not just to adding playmakers behind Barkley, but also telegraphed concern over Barkley’s durability.
Barkley, chosen No. 2 overall by the NY Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft, has missed 17 of 48 possible games through the first three seasons of his career, and is coming off a torn-ACL.
So, what happens if Barkley gets injured again in 2021?
Here’s a look at how the NY Giants’ running back depth chart is shaping up behind Saquon Barkley for the 2021 season
1) Saquon Barkley
When fully healthy, Barkley is among the five most versatile and dangerous running backs in the NFL.
However, for the NY Giants, those moments have been few and far between.
Barkley burst onto the scene, taking home Offensive Rookie of The Year honors after being chosen No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and proceeding to produce 2,028 total yards from scrimmage and score 15 touchdowns.
However, after a high-ankle sprain cost Barkley three games in 2019 and limited him for much of his sophomore NFL season, and he was lost for the final 14-plus weeks of the 2020 campaign after tearing his ACL in Week 2, Barkley has accounted for just 1,535 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns since his rookie year.
The NY Giants picked up Barkley’s fifth-year option this spring, but the bigger and more consequential decision will be whether the organization goes ahead and ultimately makes him the highest-paid running back in the NFL.
Barkley’s performance this season will play a key factor both in the NY Giants’ ability to compete in 2021 as well as just how committed the organization is to him long-term.
2) Devontae Booker
Booker was one of the more puzzling signings the NY Giants made this offseason, agreeing to terms on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, back in March.
Last season, for the Las Vegas Raiders, Booker rushed for 423 yards and three touchdowns, while forcing 10 missed tackles and averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.
It seems as though the NY Giants view Booker as insurance on Barkley’s sudden durability concerns. Booker also could be an ideal fit for coordinator Jason Garrett’s system, as he’s productive in the passing game as a target out of the backfield. Last season, Booker caught 17 of his 21 targets for 84 yards and only dropped one pass.
Booker’s versatility on offense, and ability to contribute on special teams will give him a leg-up on the competition to be Barkley’s primary backup this season.
3) Corey Clement
Clement was a pivotal piece of the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl winning puzzle, and plenty experienced as part of a running back committee.
The NY Giants signed Clement back in May, following a tryout during the team’s rookie minicamp, and he should be in-line to be New York’s No. 3 running back when the season begins.
Clement, 26, has averaged four yards per carry through the first three-plus seasons of his career. The Glassboro native, and Wisconsin alum has 655 career rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
One additional benefit to signing Clement is the fact that he arrives in East Rutherford with extensive knowledge of a division rival’s personnel. Clement should have the opportunity to push for a roster spot, and contribute on special teams.
4) Ryquell Armstead
Ryquell Armstead arrives in East Rutherford with plenty of intrigue, and likely hungry for the opportunity, given that he was released by the Jaguars after missing all of the 2020 season following complications from long-haul COVID-19.
A former standout at Temple, Armstead rushed for 108 yards on 35 carries as a rookie for the Jaguars, back in 2019.
Claimed off waivers by the NY Giants back in May, Armstead averaged 2.57 yards after contact per attempt, according to Pro Football Focus, and broke off two of his 35 carries in 2019 for more than 10 yards.
Armstead’s shiftiness as a runner and prowess on special teams give him a chance to compete for a roster spot. He could wind up being a steal for the NY Giants, given his skill-set, pedigree, and drive to rebound from a lost 2020 season.
5) Gary Brightwell
Brightwell was chosen by the NY Giants in the sixth-round of May’s NFL Draft, and offers shiftiness as a runner and dominance on special teams, as a bottom-of-the-roster player to watch this summer and possibly into the season.
The Arizona product produced eight tackles on special teams, in addition to his 1,305 yards and nine rushing touchdowns through three collegiate seasons.
Adding Brightwell likely was a decision the NY Giants made to raise the overall talent on a special teams unit that seemed to backslide in 2020, following several outstanding seasons, previously.
Still, Brightwell is a player to watch to perhaps steal some snaps on offense and offer some change-of-pace out of the backfield, should he make the team out of camp.
Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL