Just get one.
Given the rhetoric, especially recently, when analyzing the position of running back, it seems there is a belief out there that they are all pretty much interchangeable. You can find one here, there, anywhere. Plug him in, use him in a rotation and get on with it.
The NFL is a passing league anyway, and there is no need to invest a great deal of resources, in the draft or on the salary cap, on a running back.
Continuing with that line of thinking, it is why Daniel Jones’ new contract came in at $160 million, Dexter Lawrence’s brand-new deal was signed for $90 million and, if Saquon Barkley is able to come to an agreement with the Giants, his potential three-year money likely will not reach $40 million. Quarterbacks and multifaceted defensive tackles get the big bucks. Running backs, even the best of them, lag behind.
That is not particularly relevant for Eric Gray just yet. He was selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the draft out of Oklahoma. Saturday he participated in the second day of rookie minicamp.
“It’s been a lot of emotions,’’ Gray said. “[Friday] being on an NFL field and I was walking on it, I was like, ‘Wow, the Giants, really. I’m like really in the NFL now.’ It’s been unbelievable. You think about coming, for me, all the way from [youth football] to now, it’s flown by, and it’s a blessing to be here.’’
Gray is here to learn the ropes behind Barkley, Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell, the running backs returning from last season. After one rep Saturday, head coach Brian Daboll pulled Gray aside to alert the rookie about defining his route more crisply.
“Making sure I’m doing everything correctly, getting used to his style of coaching,’’ Gray said.
Maybe Gray is more in line with what the NFL is morphing into. He was highly productive in 2022 at Oklahoma — 1,366 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns — and all that got him was hearing his name as the Giants’ selection in the fifth round, on Day 3 of the draft.
“I’m here now,’’ Gray said. “First day, second day, third day, that’s all out of the window. I’m here now. Got a chance to be in a special place like this. I’m happy about it.’’
For the “you can get a running back anytime’’ crowd, the fact remains it is wise to take one early in the draft. How early? There were 15 running backs in 2022 with more than 1,000 rushing yards. Five of them (Josh Jacobs, Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Travis Etienne and Najee Harris) were first-round picks. Five of them (Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, Miles Sanders, Dalvin Cook and Kenneth Walker) were second-round picks. Three of them (Jamaal Williams, Rhamondre Stevenson and Tony Pollard) were fourth-round picks, and two of them (Aaron Jones and Tyler Allgeier) were fifth-round picks.
It is true that the past two times the Giants won Super Bowls they leaned most heavily on bargain-basement running backs such as Brandon Jacobs (fourth round), Ahmad Bradshaw (seventh round) and Derrick Ward (seventh round). Barkley cannot help it that he was taken with the No. 2-overall pick in 2018. What was he supposed to do? Shout, “What about positional value?’’ over and over again until the Giants decided against drafting a running back so high?
“I think it’s a very valuable position,’’ Gray said. “You look at today’s game, you look at the different running backs in the league, you think about how important they are to the offense. They got to learn protections, they got to learn the passing game, they have to learn what everyone’s doing.’’
Perhaps Gray, if given the opportunity, can develop into an Aaron Jones-type player. Jones, in six seasons with the Packers, has been durable and dependable, surpassing 1,000 yards three times, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and averaging 52 receptions over the past four years. Coming out of Texas-El Paso, Jones was quick, but not exceptionally fast, with a 40 time of 4.56. Gray’s time at the NFL Scouting Combine? 4.55. Jones, coming out of college, was 5-foot-9, 207 pounds. The Giants are listing Gray at 5-10 and 210 pounds.
“He’s a very mature young player that’s had some production,’’ Daboll said. “Does have good hands. How that sorts out, that will be up to him.’’
Most likely, Gray will have to wait at least a year for the Giants to see what he’s got. Barkley remains the starter and workhorse. You never know, though, as running backs often get on the field early in their career. No matter where they were drafted.