The offseason hunt for extra bodies in the running back room hasn't been particularly fruitful for the New York Giants. As of right now, John Harbaugh's desire to turn back the clock on the running game has resulted in the Giants running it back with Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary.
But it's not for a lack of effort. New York was rumored to be in on free agent running backs like Kenneth Walker III and Tyler Allgeier, and there was also the Jeremiyah Love-sized elephant in the room in the 2026 NFL Draft, which never amounted to anything more than a Giant smokescreen.
Even though Love wasn't available for the Giants with the fifth pick in the recent draft, they're probably better off that way. Because he landed with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3, Arizona's logjam in the running back room could blossom into the perfect opportunity for Harbs to finally address RB.
Because of Jeremiyah Love, the Giants could be a team to watch for James Conner
Between Love, Allgeier, Trey Benson, and James Conner, the Cardinals have a surplus of viable running backs. And for a team who is going to be horrible in 2026, they're certainly going to field offers on all but Love, and I'd be shocked if they don't trade at least one of them before the season.
And with that in mind, ESPN's Dan Graziano floated Big Blue as a potential trade destination for Conner, which is only possible because the Heisman Trophy finalist wasn't available at five. And the Giants badly need a reliable veteran, especially one who likely won't cost all that much to acquire.
"A team looking for a reliable veteran back could make a move for Conner if he's having a hard time getting carries," Graziano wrote. "The Bengals and Giants jump to mind; they were looking for running back help this offseason but didn't bring in much."
The two-time Pro Bowler surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in both 2023 and 2024, but was limited to just three starts (and 95 rushing yards) in 2025 after suffering a season-ending foot injury early on. The issue with Conner is he's on the wrong side of 30, but his $3 million contract is very reasonable for a Giants team in need of RB help.
Skattebo is no lock to return in time for Week 1, Singletary is lucky to still be on the roster, and Tracy is best as a receiving back. the G-Men would be foolish not to add competition to the RB room before the summer ends. So even if he isn't the player he was before the injury, Conner is plenty formidable.
And if the Giants manage to strike a deal for James Conner like Graziano floated, in a weird way, they'll have Jeremiyah Love to thank for helping to make it happen.
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