Giants meet with Athletic Tulane running back ahead of NFL Draft

tyjae spears, new york giants
Jan 2, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Tyjae Spears (22) runs with the ball against the USC Trojans during the first half in the 2023 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants are preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft following a hot start to free agency. As college Pro Days get started, the Giants sent a group out to Tulane, expressing heavy interest in running back Tyjae Spears. According to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network, the Giants had dinner with Spears earlier this week ahead of Tulane’s Pro Day.

Giants expressing interest in Tulane RB Tyjae Spears

Tyjae Spears had an impressive outing at his Pro Day with the Giants’ scouts in attendance. He ran between a 4.47s-4.49s 40-yard dash on both of his attempts, according to Jim Nagy. Spears did not run the 40 at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, so his Pro Day runs were important for scouts.

A sub-4.5s 40 time is solid for Spears who stands in at 5-foot-10, 201 pounds. At the Combine, Spears demonstrated his explosiveness with a 39″ vertical jump and a 10’5″ broad jump with 18 bench press reps.

Spears is coming off a highly-productive final season at Tulane. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry while rushing for 1,581 yards and an insane 19 touchdowns in 2022. He also added two receiving touchdowns on 22 receptions for 256 yards. Spears was a dominant force in the American Conference.

Spears also demonstrated his talent in Mobile Alabama at this year’s Senior Bowl. His route-running was on full display as he routinely torched linebackers in drills:

The Giants could view Spears as a developmental prospect that could be targeted in the middle rounds of the draft. With Saquon Barkley currently on the franchise tag, his long-term future as the Giants’ leading rusher is a bit uncertain. New York could be searching for a contingency plan in case they are unable to come to terms with Barkley on a long-term contract extension.

Spears has a fourth-round draft projection. The running back position will not be of high priority for New York in this year’s draft, however, they clearly intend on adding more depth and talent behind Saquon Barkley. Tyjae Spears would be an intriguing target for the Giants on the third day of the draft.