The New York Giants running back room took a massive hit last season when Joe Schoen let Saquon Barkley head down I-95 to land with the Philadelphia Eagles. En route to a Super Bowl championship, Barkley set NFL history with the most rushing yards ever in a season (playoffs and regular season combined). The narrative has been run into the ground, so for the sake of time—just not good stuff.
If there was one good thing to come out of Big Blue's running back room, it was 25-year-old Tyrone Tracy Jr. out of Purdue. With the impossible task of replacing Barkley, the rookie performed admirably. He ended the season with 839 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 284 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown. Really not bad considering he was a fifth-round pick. However, he was about the only good thing to come out of the RB group.
The rest of the unit performed pretty poorly. Devin Singletary—who signed with the G-Men in the offseason—didn't provide much. And Eric Gray is the only other running back who carried the ball last season for the Giants and he had 31 yards on the season. A lot left to be desired. Fortunately, it looks like help is on the way and Tracy Jr. will have some reinforcements coming soon. The kind that should complement his style of play while also re-establishing New York as a feared rushing team.
NY Giants will visit with Quinshon Judkins and Ollie Gordon II
Per Jordan Schultz and Ryan Fowler, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, and Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II (respectively) are both scheduled to visit the Giants as part of their top-30 pre-draft meetings. It's a clear sign New York is doing its homework on two of the most physical backs in this deep running back class.
Judkins and Gordon aren’t just bruisers. They’re tone-setters. And in a post-Saquon world, that’s exactly what this offense needs. Both thrive through contact, can carry a heavy workload, and bring a red zone presence this roster sorely lacked last season.
Tracy Jr. showed plenty of juice, but pairing him with a downhill hammer makes this backfield way more dangerous — and way harder to game-plan for.
Judkins feels like the more polished, plug-and-play option. He’s not flashy, but he’s efficient and consistent. He hits the hole with conviction, keeps his feet through contact, and does just enough in the passing game to keep defenses honest. The 4.48 speed didn’t hurt either. As one scout told Schultz, “He’s not a guy who needs to come off the field much.” That’s the kind of reliability the Giants are trying to rebuild their identity around.
Gordon, meanwhile, is pure violence in shoulder pads. When he gets downhill, it’s a problem. He’s got the size, power, and temperament to wear down defenses, and he can absolutely feast in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Think of him as a Brian Robinson Jr./Derrick Henry type—the kind of back who makes defensive backs think twice about coming downhill. He’s had a strong pre-draft process, and Fowler calling him a “premier RB” in this class feels spot-on.
Both Judkins and Gordon project as early-down backs who could step in and immediately compete for Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s starting spot. If one of these guys gets the call on draft weekend, the RB1 battle in camp could get real spicy real quick.