One of the best parts of training camp is watching the players who are bound to ignite chaos. Seeing the undrafted free agents making a push for a roster spot in camp always offers a fun storyline, especially when they have nothing to lose--which is what the New York Giants have seen happen.
Between Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary, the Giants' running back room feels relatively set in stone. And for all the offseason speculation about John Harbaugh looking to add to the RB rotation, he may have gotten his wish, as an undrafted free agent is making himself tough to ignore.
Undrafted rookie Damon Bankston received some major buzz back during rookie minicamp, and he has started to prove that hype was well-deserved. He's an efficient runner, can catch passes out of the backfield, can offer value on special teams, and is a willing blocker, so he has real versatility, which has started to be put on display.
Damon Bankston made the most of the last day of training camp
To end the Giants' practice session on Saturday, Bankston was one of the stars of the show. Per The Athletic's Dan Duggan, the 23-year-old scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives during a live contact goal line drill-- and he wasn't even running behind the first-team offensive line in the drill.
He did this while running behind Evan Neal and Bryan Hudson, which has to count for something. And we also have to remember that Bankston is far from the biggest back. At 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, he's pretty undersized for NFL standards, but that didn't offer any concern in this drill.
This isn't to say he'll supplant the head-banging Skattebo as the goal-line back, since he's still a ways away from that, pushing Singletary or Eric Gray for a roster spot feels feasible. However, the goal-line role is probably the area where Big Blue may feel least comfortable using Bankston given his skillset.
The New Mexico State (and Weber State) product averaged an impressive 36.2 yards per kickof return last season and ran two back. But Bankston was also one of the more impactful receiving backs in college football last season, and that's more than we can say for Singletary or Eric Gray.
Damon Bankston is no stranger to having a chip on his shoulder. He wasn't a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school or college, and is fortunate to have stuck around this long in the pros. But rather than roll over and die in training camp, he's forcing the Giants to consider keeping him in 2026.
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