It didn’t take long for Cam Skattebo to become a cult favorite among New York Giants fans. A hard-nosed bruiser with no-nonsense energy and one of the more ridiculous College Football Playoff performances in recent memory tends to have that effect. Now that offseason buzz has given way to actual projections, some Giants fans are starting to raise an eyebrow.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay dropped a rookie stat forecast for top running backs, and the numbers pinned next to Skattebo’s name were enough to stir some feelings. Not in a “sky is falling” way, but more in the “what are we supposed to make of this” kind of way. Kay projects 154 carries, 675 yards, and four touchdowns on the ground, along with 27 catches for 223 yards and a receiving score.
It’s the kind of line that’s both encouraging and odd. For a fourth-round rookie, it’s a very good first-year return. For Skattebo’s biggest believers, it probably feels like a bit of a hedge. But if this is what the G-Men are getting out of their rookie RB2, the offense might actually be heading somewhere promising for the first time in what feels like a decade.
Breaking down Cam Skattebo’s projected role in Giants backfield
If these numbers come anywhere close to reality, it means a few things about the Giants’ backfield—and none of them are bad. It means Tyrone Tracy Jr. is still locked in as the lead guy. It means the committee setup is working. And it means New York is running the ball often enough to support two contributors with real value.
There was a time when any mention of the Giants’ offense included the word “Saquon” and not much else. But things look different now. Tracy is a legitimate playmaker, and if Skattebo finds rhythm in a rotational role, Big Blue might be looking at one of the more balanced ground games in the NFC.
Some fans might glance at 675 rushing yards and shrug, especially considering what Skattebo did in college. But buried in those numbers is a much bigger message. This staff sees value in a true two-back setup. And if Skattebo could reach those kinds of numbers without being the primary option, it says a lot about where this offense might be heading.
Of course, there’s always the chance he blows through this projection by midseason and makes the whole prediction look ridiculous. But if things stay on script, these numbers would quietly reflect a team finally finding rhythm in the run game. And for an offense still trying to figure out its identity under center, that might be the most important development of all.
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