This NY Giants rookie is set to make a bigger impact than people might imagine

One of the major storylines heading into the 2023 NFL season is how the next class of rookies will perform in Year 1. For the NY Giants, it will be exciting to watch cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins III, center John Michael Schmitz and wideout Jalin Hyatt. However, there's one first-year player that more people should be talking about. 

Running back Eric Gray was selected by the G-Men in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. He started his collegiate career at Tennessee, where he rushed for 1,311 yards in 22 games over his first two seasons. After Gray's sophomore year, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and eventually committed to Oklahoma.

In the last two seasons, the 5-9 running back dominated the Big 12 Conference; however, he would break out as a senior in 2022. Last season, Gray rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games with the Sooners, which significantly raised his draft stock.

Gray will now have the opportunity to carry his recent success to the pros in 2023. While he is not expected to win the backup running back job over Matt Breida, the rookie is in line to be Big Blue's starting returner this season after having an impressive summer with the team.

What can NY Giants fans expect from the rookie RB in 2023?

We won't be seeing a lot of Gray in the Giants backfield this season, with veteran running backs Saquon Barkley and Breida set to receive most of the touches - but we now know what the rookie can do at this level after two preseason games.

In the Giants' preseason opener with the Lions, Gray was faced with growing pains. The rookie rushed for nine yards on five attempts and did not look like himself, but that would quickly change in the second game against the Panthers.

Gray rushed for 16 yards on five attempts and a second-quarter touchdown with 1:42 remaining in the first half. From the Panthers' 9-yard line, he picked up a strong block from rookie center Schmitz and pushed the pile into the end zone to extend Big Blue's lead to 17. 

While it would be nice for Gray to get opportunities within the red zone, Giants fans can look out for him as a member of the special teams serving as the primary returner this season. For now, he will have to continue to get reps, as he only had seven punts and four kickoff returns throughout college with Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Although he does not have much experience returning kicks, he has slid into that role nicely since training camp began last month. We can only hope this opportunity will help Gray develop and give him a tremendous amount of experience.

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