Locking in a massive 90-man roster preview for the New York Giants is really turning out to be a serious grind -- who woulda thought? Trying to keep track of every single player fighting for a roster spot in East Rutherford while keeping the analysis fresh takes a lot of time and a ton of coffee. But finding the hidden storylines buried in the depth chart makes the process totally worth it.
If you missed our earlier deep dives, we already broke down the high-stakes roster squeezes for Beau Brade, Darius Muasau, and Jake Kubas in our previous player profiles. Now, it's time to pivot to a skill position player whose backstory is one of the most fascinating I've come across in a while.
That brings us to the running back room, where a former high school phenom is trying to catch the eye of a head coach who knows exactly what legendary production looks like.
138 shades of Gray
Once upon a time, Eric Gray was a destroyer of defenses and debilitatingly maniacal between the sidelines.
Before the fourth-year back was clawing and scratching for touches in North Jersey, he was putting up video-game numbers that rivaled one of the greatest to ever play the position. During his legendary tenure at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, TN, Gray shattered state records by racking up 138 career touchdowns and 8,198 total yards.
To put that into perspective, NFL megastar Derrick Henry scored 153 touchdowns during his own mythical high school run in Florida.
This historic, near-unprecedented scoring pace turned Gray into a highly coveted four-star recruit. His dominant high school numbers generated massive buzz, paving his way to Tennessee before he ultimately transferred -- and broke out -- with the Oklahoma Sooners. After his monster senior season in Norman, Big Blue took the 26-year-old with the 172nd pick of the 2022 Draft.
A lotta Gray area
It isn't likely that Gray will make the 53-man roster come August, but the arrival of new head coach John Harbaugh completely changes the equation for the Giants' backfield, setting up a brutal numbers game.
Historically, Harbaugh prefers to carry a lean three running backs on his active 53-man roster. With powerhouse starter and fan-favorite Cam Skattebo working his way back from a devastating, season-ending ankle injury, his spot is locked in. After posting back-to-back 1,000-plus-scrimmage yard seasons, third-year back Tyrone Tracy Jr. is penciled in as the high-end No. 2.
Things got tighter after Devin Singletary surprisingly survived the offseason chopping block by agreeing to a contract restructure that freed up $3.7 million in cap space.
That leaves Gray trapped in a bottom-of-the-barrel roster war with 2025 offseason darling Dante "Turbo" Miller. Gray's natural rushing instincts give him a baseline opportunity, but he will have to fight off a crowded room just to survive final cuts. He offers little to no special teams value either, making it even more difficult to see him sticking around.
Eric Gray fun fact extravaganza
Though the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder is looking to make his mark in New York, his football roots remain deeply tied to his home state.
He's the first and only player in Tennessee high school history to win the prestigious Mr. Football award three consecutive times. Local legend has it that opposing coaches used to put nine players in the box just to stop Gray from embarrassing them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google