He’s been overshadowed by the emergence of 2024 NFL draft fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr., along with the arrival of this year’s fourth-rounder Cam Skattebo, but Devin Singletary still has value in the running game for the New York Giants.
The veteran is valuable enough to still be “getting first-team reps at training camp,” according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Dunleavy pointed out how “in the rush to pair up Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s speed and cutbacks with Cam Skattebo’s power and soft hands to keep with the NFL trend of young backfield tandems, the 27-year-old Singletary can get overlooked.”
It means Singletary still running with the starters is significant. He’s reminding head coach Brian Daboll, who is already very familiar with the 27-year-old’s skill-set, about his ability to impact a running game needing an identity one year removed from the Giants letting two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley walk in free agency.
Singletary says “I get where I fit in,” but the back who played for Daboll with the Buffalo Bills can adopt a bigger role for a couple of notable reasons.
Devin Singletary Can Stay Relevant for Giants
Two things kept Singletary from meeting expectations last season. As Dunleavy put it, Singletary “was plagued by early season fumbling issues (two in three games) and a groin injury that caused him to miss two games, during which time he was unseated as the starter by the rookie Tracy.”
Things looked worse for Singletary once Skattebo was drafted and quickly touted as a breakout candidate between the tackles. This made “it looked like Singletary might become the third wheel. Instead, he has been the clear No. 2 back, especially with Skattebo missing three of the past four practices due to injury and primarily used as a pass-catcher when involved,” per Dunleavy.
The extra playing time may be attributed to Skattebo’s injury issues at camp, but Singletary can bank these reps alongside his own improved health. As Singletary explained to Dunleavy, “I never had that type of injury before. Now that I’m back 100 percent, it’s just do what I’ve always done.
What Singletary’s always done is demonstrate “leadership and knowledge of the offense — he spent three seasons in Brian Daboll’s playbook with the Bills.”
This knowledge has value, but so does Singletary’s versatility. If Tracy is a breakaway runner, albeit one with upside as a receiver, while Skattebo’s the bruiser, Singletary is more of an all-rounder.
Giants Need Dynamic Backfield Committee
Replacing a back as explosive as Barkley with just one player was always going to be the stuff dreams are made of for the Giants. That’s why Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka need a varied and dynamic rushing committee, one with Singletary still firmly in the mix.
He merits inclusion thanks to reps like this one highlighted by The Giants Take Podcast, showing Singletary making people miss in tight spaces and turning on the jets to accelerate from pursuit.
Singletary has big-play juice thanks to one-cut-and-go skills, natural escapability and deceptive play speed. Those qualities make Singletary a key member of the rotation, one whose experience will be useful on third downs if Tracy continues to take the lead in obvious rushing situations.
That’s just one way the Giants can deploy their resources in the backfield. Ultimately, splitting the carries and getting their playmakers, including Skattebo, onto the field more often, will only help revive a running game that went stale without Barkley.
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