Giants have a lot of Bark’ but . . . Blue’s upgraded run game may not be beast of East
Saquon Barkley will be the first pick in tons of fantasy football drafts this summer, and he’s one of the NFL’s most dynamic backs. But for all the Giants’ tough talk about a dominant running game leading the way in 2019, there is no guarantee they’ll have the best backfield in their own division, let alone the NFC or NFL.
Barkley is electric, but the Giants’ run game left plenty to be desired last season (both overall and in-division), and some of the NFC East’s upgraded backfields could be deeper and more effective this fall.
The modern NFL is aware that running the ball isn’t nearly as important as passing efficiently. Still, Dave Gettleman has built a roster intended to ride its run game as a strength. So here is a look at how the 2019 RB depth chart of the Giants (5-11 record in 2018) stacks up with the division champion Cowboys (10-6), the Super Bowl LII champion Eagles (9-7) and third-place Washington (7-9).
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Corey Clement, Boston Scott, Wendell Smallwood, Donnell Pumphrey, Josh Adams
The Eagles acquired Howard for a 2020 sixth-round pick, but he could be a major addition to a Philly backfield that was extremely thin in 2018 compared to the Super Bowl run a year prior featuring LeGarrette Bount, Jay Ajayi and Clement. Since the Bears drafted Howard in the fifth round out of Indiana in 2016, he has the third-most rushing yards of any NFL running back (3,370) behind only Ezekiel Elliott (4,048) and Todd Gurley (3,441), per NFL.com. Then there is the Penn State rookie Sanders, a second-round pick whom the Eagles are excited about and whose head-to-head with Barkley should be an intriguing storyline for years to come. Considering Clement’s versatility and Super Bowl heroics, and Philly’s imposing offensive line, as well, and the 2019 Eagles’ backfield could be the NFC East’s most complete.
GIANTS: Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, Rod Smith (FB/RB), Eli Penny (FB), Paul Perkins, Jon Hilliman
Barkley was the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, finishing second only to Elliott with 1,307 rushing yards and adding a whopping 91 receptions to demonstrate his all-around ability, compared to 77 catches for Dallas’ stud back. Barkley also has room to improve, believe it or not, and being a second-year pro compared to coming in as a rookie should make him more aware, acclimated and dangerous. Gallman is hardnosed, Perkins will try to crack the roster now that he’s healthy, and the former Cowboy Smith is out to prove Dallas wrong for giving up on him. The Giants’ run game, however, will go as Barkley goes. They also hope new right guard Kevin Zeitler will turn the right side O-line from a liability into a weapon. If that happens, this ground game could give Eli Manning every bit of the relief and help he needs.
DALLAS COWBOYS: Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Mike Weber Jr., Darius Jackson, Jamize Olawale (FB), Jordan Chunn, Ryan Yurachek (FB)
Elliott is the workhorse and reigning NFL rushing champ (1,434 yards) who leads a top-heavy backfield that has added draft picks Pollard (fourth-round, Memphis), who is more of an all-around specialist, and Weber (seventhround, Ohio State). So the Cowboys have more options, but it will come down again both to how Elliott plays and how often he suits up. He reportedly was having a meeting with schedule NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York on Tuesday to discuss a May incident in Las Vegas in which he was briefly detained by police. Dallas can’t afford to lose him, as demonstrated by his six-game 2017 suspension, but the Cowboys also have an excellent offensive line if they stay healthy, with added depth.
WASHINGTON: Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, Bryce Love, Byron Marshall
Washington’s backfield is tantalizing on paper with some exciting names. It’s also filled with injury risks, however, including Guice (second-round 2018, LSU) and the fourthround pick Love (Stanford), both of whom are coming off torn ACLs. Peterson is 34 years old. There also were reports that ex-Giant tackle Ereck Flowers will enter training camp as Washington’s starting left guard, which makes this running game impossible to bet on. As in 2018, then, Washington may have the ability to outrush an opponent on any given week. It’s simply difficult to gauge how healthy and consistent this group will be, given all of the factors on Jay Gruden’s offense.