Context is sometimes key in the NFL, and the context around Arizona State product and rookie running back Cam Skattebo with the 1-4 New York Giants isn’t ideal.
The Russell Wilson experiment at quarterback lasted three games before rookie Jaxon Dart became the starter for head coach Brian Daboll.
Skattebo gained the opportunity to become the starting back with Tyrone Tracy Jr. injured lately, and the early results — save a few classic Skattebo highlights — have been tepid in the eyes of ESPN NFL analyst Bill Barnwell, who took a hard look at the class of rookie rushers through Week 5.
After skipping everything but the jumping tasks at the combine, Skattebo ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at Arizona State’s pro day. While that’s not outlandishly slow for a 220-pound back, there were real questions about whether Skattebo’s athleticism and style would translate well to Sundays, where he was going to face bigger, better athletes on a weekly basis.
So far, those concerns seem warranted. Skattebo has taken over the Giants’ backfield almost by default after Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s shoulder injury, and he hasn’t yet been able to generate many explosive plays in the run game. Just five of Skattebo’s 63 rush attempts this season have gone for 10 or more yards, a rate which ranks 26th out of the 34 backs we’ve been using as our baseline.
He is 33rd out of those 34 backs with a minus-0.28 expected points added (EPA) per rush.
Barnwell notes that Next Gen Stats’ rushing model indicates Skattebo has earned a total of 11 yards over expectation on his 63 carries for 240 yards and two touchdowns (3.8 average).
In other words, he’s getting what’s expected based on what the Giants’ offensive line is opening up for him. But churning out explosives or extra yardage has been tough.
When Skattebo does get the second level with some burst, he looks fine. I’d also say it has been a little too easy for defensive linemen to slow down or tackle him with outstretched arms or ankle tackles near the line of scrimmage. Those are tackles that guys like (Chargers rookie Omarion) Hampton have been able to run through or backs like (Commanders rookie Jacory) Croskey-Merritt have been able to run away from so far this season.
But Skattebo has surprised in a good way as a receiver, with 18 receptions on 22 targets for 143 yards.
Many of those are on basic checkdowns, according to Barnwell, but operating in open space has allowed him to get up to speed and run with that aggression that made him a darkhorse Heisman candidate during his final season at ASU.
It’s still early in Skattebo’s tenure, and I want to see how he looks over an extended period of time with Dart under center, especially given the early impact Dart has had as a runner and what that can do to create lanes for running backs. I’m not sure he’s a three-down starter in the NFL based on what I’ve seen so far, but there’s still plenty of time to see more.
Former Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt earns high marks from Barnwell
Wonky eligibility issues tanked Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s one season with the Arizona Wildcats.
His one game — 13 carries for 106 yards — at Arizona indeed was a sign that there was some makings of an NFL prospect, and he was the last running back taken in the 2025 NFL Draft (seventh round).
It’s turned out the Washington Commanders made a scouting revelation, as Croskey-Merritt has averaged 6.6 yards per carry as an early-down back, using his vision, patience and wiggle to hit holes hard and avoid taking contact, writes Barnwell.
Twenty-one of his 43 attempts this season have gone for six or more yards, a near-49% clip. To put that in context, nobody else with 40 carries or more has hit that 6-plus-yard figure on more than 35% of their rush attempts.
Croskey-Merritt is first of 34 qualified backs in EPA per rush and first in success rate in his limited role.
Again, there is probably a reason offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has played the running back nearly exclusively on run plays and kept Croskey-Merritt out of pass protection reps.
It’s unclear if offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and coach Dan Quinn want to use anyone as an every-down back given how they’ve operated since joining Washington, and until Croskey-Merritt convinces them to think otherwise, he’s going to be limited to early-down work. Given how wildly efficient he has been in that role, I’m not sure that’s the worst thing in the world.
