Alexander Wilson
The Giants can talk all summer about Jaxson Dart, John Harbaugh, and the new offensive staff, but the run game still gets a lot less interesting if Cam Skattebo is not fully back from the ankle injury.
The overlooked run-game push matters so much going into camp. The Giants were a top-five rushing team last season, helped by Dart’s legs, but the running back room still needs Skattebo to be more than a nice half-season memory.
Before the injury, Skattebo played eight games with five starts, averaged over 4.0 yards per carry, scored five rushing touchdowns, and added 207 receiving yards with two more scores. Useful volume, especially for an offense that wants to make Dart’s life easier.
The ankle is the part everyone has to see.
The Giants need Skattebo healthy early
Tyrone Tracy handled 176 carries for 740 yards at 4.2 yards per attempt last season, so the Giants are not empty behind Skattebo. But the best version of this backfield is not one guy grinding through every early-down look. It is Skattebo bringing contact balance and receiving value while Tracy keeps the room from getting stale.
The setup should help. Four offensive line starters are back, Francis Mauigoa is the only new piece up front, Patrick Ricard adds a real lead-blocking presence, and Greg Roman’s run-game background is not subtle. The Giants are basically telling everyone what they want to be.
Skattebo gives the offense a cleaner identity
The Giants do not need Skattebo to become a star for this to work. They need him available, sturdy, and annoying to tackle. If he gives them that, Dart gets more second-and-manageable throws, the play-action game becomes easier to sell, and the defense does not have to carry every ugly afternoon.
If the ankle lingers, the whole plan gets thinner fast. Tracy can help, but Skattebo is the back who makes this feel like a real committee instead of another patch job.
Camp will tell the Giants how much of that version is actually coming back. If he is moving right, the run game may be the thing that keeps this offense from getting too weird too early.
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