Eric Gray makes emphatic case for a prime spot on Giants’ RB depth chart

Second-year running back Eric Gray made a big statement for the Giants against the Lions Thursday night

One of the biggest questions facing the New York Giants as the 2024 NFL season beckons is straightforward. How will they replace the production from departed running back Saquon Barkley?

With Barkley having made the quick trip down I-95 to Philadelphia, the Giants have several options in their running back room to try and pick up the slack. Devin Singletary, who the team signed in free agency, will likely get the bulk of opportunities but there is room for as many options as possible in New York’s backfield.

On Thursday night second-year running back Eric Gray made a case for a big role of his own.

While reports from the Giants’ training camp indicated that rookies Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Dante Miller had the inside track for the RB2 role, Gray made an emphatic statement in Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Lions. The Oklahoma product had 4 carries for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns and led the Giants with 4 receptions for another 46 yards.

His biggest play was this 48-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. With the Giants facing a 2nd and 10 Gray takes the delayed handoff from quarterback Tommy DeVito and flashes several traits en route to the end zone:

What stands out first is the vision, as well as the explosiveness. Gray identifies the crease to his right as he attacks the line of scrimmage, and with one quick step to his right, he slices through the line of scrimmage and into the Lions’ secondary. From there he puts a tremendous move on safety Morice Norris, faking with another hard step to his right before cutting back to his left. The juke move sent Norris sprawling to the MetLife Stadium turf and allowed Gray to rocket into the end zone with the game’s first touchdown.

That change-of-direction move probably felt pretty nice, given what happened earlier this week between the two players during joint practices:

Gray added his second touchdown run with a plunge from one yard out to give New York a 14-3 lead later in the first half.

While the touchdown run highlighted his vision, change-of-direction skills, and his burst as a runner, the Giants also got Gray involved in the passing game. As noted above he caught four passes — on a team-high four targets — and while two of those were screen passes and the third a checkdown on a vertical concept, this catch on a wheel/rail route certainly stands out:

With the Giants facing third and long they dial up a mesh concept, with tight end Theo Johnson and wide receiver Allen Robinson running the shallow concepts underneath. Wide receiver Gunner Olszewski runs the “sit” route, checking up over the top of the two crossers right over the football.

Out of the backfield Gray runs the wheel, or rail, route, releasing towards the sideline before breaking upfield.

With the Lions in man coverage linebacker DaRon Gilbert is tasked with tracking Gray out of the backfield, and that task is complicated by Johnson’s route, which creates some traffic Gilbert has to avoid as he chases the RB. While the route concept gives Gray some separation, the running back still needs to finish the play. He does just that, tracking the throw from DeVito perfectly over his shoulder, and hauling it in for a 24-yard gain.

When a running back offers this kind of explosiveness out of the backfield as a receiver, that is a good thing for an offense.

Following the game Gray spoke with SB Nation’s Ed Valentine about his night.

“I just wanted to put my best foot forward,” he said. “Like I said, I just want to be Eric Gray; just be me. Last year, I kind of made football more than it is. It’s just football at the end of the day. Just being me.”

Eric Gray worked on Thursday night against the Lions. And it might work well enough for the second-year running back to carve out a big role in New York’s offense this season.