The New York Giants have a competitive running back room as they look to replace the production Saquon Barkley gave them, with newcomer Devin Singletary presumably taking over as RB1 with Eric Gray and Tyrone Tracy Jr. right behind him. However, there is another running back they have that has been impressive but will find it hard to climb up the depth chart.
Dante Miller has been impressive since training camp
Dante “Turbo” Miller was very impressive in training camp with his speed and quick burst off the handoff. The 25-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent with New York during the offseason. He played 26 games over three college seasons with Columbia, where he was named to the First-Team All-Ivy League in 2021 after accumulating 814 rushing yards on 145 attempts (5.6 yards/carry) and scoring four rushing touchdowns.
He then transferred to South Carolina in 2022 where he played six games before a miscommunication over his eligibility deemed him ineligible for 2023, which led him to sign with the Giants as an undrafted rookie this offseason.
It will be tough for Miller to surpass Gray and Tracy on the depth chart
While Miller has shown plenty of flashes, his lack of game action over the past three years is likely part of why the Giants are hesitant to immediately insert him into first or second-team reps. In addition, Gray and Tracy have simply outperformed him thus far, with Gray in particular having an outstanding first preseason game against the Detroit Lions with two rushing touchdowns and 98 total yards from scrimmage.
Also, Gray and Tracy both exhibit the ability to be useful in both the running game and the passing game, which immediately makes them more valuable to a Giants offense that is looking to become more explosive after a desolate 2023 season on that front. Miller has good traits as a runner but has little experience as a receiving back, as he caught a total of just 20 passes over his entire college career and didn’t score a receiving touchdown.
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Miller still believes he brings a lot to the table
Despite all of that, Miller is confident in his abilities and believes that he has an opportunity to make a name for himself on the team and potentially crack a roster spot or a practice squad role, at the very least.
“I do have elite speed, and that’s just gonna be one of my things,” Miller said via The New York Post. “I’m blessed to have that. I’m lucky enough to be able to go out there and display it.”
Miller could potentially see more action in the Giants’ next preseason game, which is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17 on the road against the Houston Texans. There, he will have the opportunity to showcase that elite speed and could increase his chances of earning a roster spot with a strong performance.
