3 NFL Draft RB targets for New York Giants to replace Devontae Booker
By Reese Nasser
The recent release of Devontae Booker leaves a gap in the New York Giants’ backfield. New York could look to the draft to find a replacement
The New York Giants’ rebuild under their new regime has officially begun.
The Giants most recently decided to move on from running back Devontae Booker and tight end Kyle Rudolph on Wednesday.
Booker served as the lead back for the Giants when Saquon Barkley was forced to miss time due to injury. He finished the season as arguably the Giant’s most productive player. He was effective both in the running and the passing game.
The veteran running back ran for 593 yards and two touchdowns on 145 attempts. He also hauled in 40 receptions for 268 receiving yards and one touchdown on 45 targets. He finished the season with a 65.0 PFF grade.
The #Giants have cut RB Devontae Booker, league source confirms (@DDuggan21 first). The move creates $2.12 Million in cap space, and triggers a $1 million dead-money charge.
— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) March 2, 2022
Booker rushed for 593 yards and two touchdowns last season.
With the New York Giants’ future at the running back position unclear at the moment, targeting a running back in the draft would make sense. With the front office claiming that they are “open for business” a trade including Saquon Barkley could be a real possibility.
If the Giants choose to draft a running back, the rookie could end up serving as either their RB2 behind Barkley, or take on a starting role given a trade. Regardless, the Giants will at least be on the lookout for a running back that can produce at a similar level to that of Booker.
Lucky enough, this draft class boasts several talented running backs. Some have even been compared to Booker from a play-style perspective. With such a deep group, the Giants could choose to wait until the fifth or sixth round and still find a quality rusher.