The New York Giants can’t undo the mistake of letting Saquon Barkley walk, but at least they’re showing signs of a plan. The latest move? Bringing in Ladell Betts as their new running backs coach. That hire alone won’t fix the mess that’s been left in the backfield, but it might have just handed the Giants the perfect draft target.
Enter Kaleb Johnson.
Johnson, a 6-foot, 225-pound wrecking ball out of Iowa, is climbing up draft boards and could be a legitimate steal in the early third round—right in the Giants’ range. The best part? He already has a built-in connection with Betts, who coached him at Iowa. With Tyrone Tracy Jr. as the only real threat in the Giants’ backfield right now, landing Johnson could be the move that finally puts the Barkley saga to bed.
Kaleb Johnson could be the answer to the Giants' Saquon Barkley-sized roster hole
Betts spent the last four years coaching Iowa’s running backs, including Johnson, who just put up a ridiculous 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. He’s a classic power back with vision, balance, and sneaky explosiveness. If the Giants are looking for someone to pair with Tracy Jr. now—and eventually take over as RB1—Johnson checks every box.
Tracy Jr. flashed serious potential in 2024, but at 25 years old, he’s not exactly a long-term solution. Johnson, at just 21, could form a one-two punch with Tracy for the next year or two before fully taking the reins. And with Betts guiding both of them, this could be the backfield foundation the Giants desperately need.
The Giants’ run game ranked 23rd in total rushing yards last year and lacked any real punch outside of Tracy Jr. Adding Johnson wouldn’t just give them a talented runner—it would give them a legit weapon to build around.
Johnson has all the traits of a future workhorse back:
- Vision and patience: He presses the hole with precision, setting up blocks like a pro.
- Power and contact balance: He doesn’t just go down on first contact. He wears defenses down.
- Explosiveness: Despite his size, Johnson has legit burst and can rip off chunk runs.
- Red zone dominance: His 21 rushing touchdowns in 2024 prove he’s a closer.
The biggest knock on Johnson? He’s still developing as a pass protector and isn’t a polished third-down back yet. But that’s exactly why landing with Betts in New York makes sense—he already knows how to coach him up.
At the end of the day, the Giants need to rebuild their identity in the backfield. The Betts hire felt like an admission that they screwed up letting Barkley go. The next logical step? Drafting Johnson and giving this offense the electric, efficient run game it’s been missing.