The New York Giants received high praise for their 2023 NFL draft class. Although most of the hype surrounds their value selections of John Michael Schmitz (Round 2) and Jalin Hyatt (Round 3), there is some excitement about fifth-round selection running back Eric Gray.
With Saquon Barkley’s future as a Giant up in the air, some believe Gray might be a hidden gem in this draft and could eventually be a part of a committee to fill a void left by Barkley — whether that be now or down the line.
Even in the likely event the Giants and Barkley work out their issues, a starting role could be available to Gray, reports ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Rookie Eric Gray seems to be among the frontrunners to win a job as a returner. He returned some punts and kicks at Oklahoma and Tennessee, although not with any frequency and without much success.
Gray will likely have a tough time getting a high volume of carries with the Giants given how crowded the backfield is projected to be, so production on special teams will be a must.
Last year, the Giants struggled to find a reliable returner. Richie James struggled with ball security and not long after Adoree’ Jackson began fielding punts, they lost their top corner for a significant time due to injury.
Using Gray as a returner could keep their key players healthy on both sides of the ball.
Gray wasn’t used as a returner in his senior year at Oklahoma but clearly, he is making an impression on the Giants’ coaching staff — enough of one that has made him a front-runner at this point in the offseason.
