New York Giants Training Camp Profile: RB Gary Brightwell

Gary Brightwell first caught the Giants' coaches' eye with his special teams ability, but what does he have to offer as a running back?

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
May 26, 2021 10:00 AM EDT

The Giants running back room will have an all-new look this season, as general manager Dave Gettleman let veterans Wayne Gallman, Alfred Morris, and Devonta Freeman go via free agency and replaced them with veterans Corey Clement and Devontae Booker and rookie Gary Brightwell.

Brightwell is the first of two Giants draft picks chosen in the sixth round and a player who caught the coaches' eye not for his prowess as a running back but more so for his special teams work at Arizona.

Somewhat raw as a runner, Brightwell has a solid enough foundation to build on but needs to add some experience to his game.

Background

Brightwell attended and graduated from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, where, as a senior in 2017, he was a team captain, first-team all-conference, and first-team All-State MIAA.

At Arizona, however, Brightwell was more known for his special teams play than his contributions at running back. As a true freshman, his only stats were two special teams tackles.

The following season (2018), Brightwell got on the field for the Wildcats, finishing that year with 91 carries, 525 yards, 5.8 average, three touchdowns, two receptions, nine yards.

By the time he made it to his senior season, he had earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors for his 88-carry, 390-yard, 1-touchdown rushing season, but by then, some of the limitations in his game were evident.

For one, he's a single speed runner who lacks a second gear in the open field. He also showed wasted motion in transitioning from a receiver to a runner after making a catch and was inconsistent in picking up the blitz.

As a special teams player, Brightwell is instinctive and physical--he recorded eight special teams tackles in his four-year career. But Brightwell needs further development as a running back before making a dent at the next level.

What He Brings

Despite a relatively limited sample size as a running back, Brightwell has several traits in his game that will serve him well in the NFL. The first is his contact balance.

Brightwell runs close to the ground, keeping his center of gravity low and maximizing the natural leverage afforded him by his 5-foot-10, 218-pound frame.

He is also difficult for defenders to wrestle down unless they meet him head-on and squared up. Brightwell has enough power in his game to where he needs to be wrapped up and wrestled to the ground.

He also has very good vision coming out of the backfield in picking out holes and exercising patience in waiting for running lanes to open and then accelerating through those holes.

Although he has good short-area quickness, he isn't particularly agile beyond that first move, nor does he have a great burst or long speed or the play strength to push piles, particularly in short-yardage situations.

With additional strength work, this might still develop in his game, but it currently lacks consistency.

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His Contract

Brightwell's four-year rookie contract is worth approximately $3.658 million and includes a $178,870 signing bonus. He currently doesn't fully count against the Top 51 highest cap figures n the Giants, but if he made the roster, Brightwell would count for $704,718 against the salary cap.

If he doesn't make the roster, only $44,718 of his signing bonus would count toward this year's cap, with the remainder hitting next year's cap since this would technically be a post-June 1 transaction.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Brightwell was only used sparingly in Arizona's offense, being deployed as a running back 244 times in his four-year stint (out of 664 snaps). He also didn't record more than 94 carriers or 13 receptions in any one season.

Brightwell's path to the NFL will likely begin on the practice squad, where he can work on the nuances of his game as a running back, acclimate to the pro game's speed, and valuable practice reps to where down the line he gives himself a chance to climb up the depth chart.