New York Giants RB Cam Skattebo: The Good, The Great, and The Ugly

The rookie running back has turned into a fan favorite and valuable member of the offense. Where did his game shine and where could he still improve?

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New York Giants have consistently taken running backs early on Day 3 in the draft, and 2025 was no exception. 

In the fourth round, they snatched up Cam Skattebo, a back who made his name at Sacramento State as a hard-nosed, tough-running workhorse back and then transferred to Arizona State and became a star. 

It did not take him long to endear himself to fans in Big Blue Nation, and it took even less time to become a valued member of the Giants' offense. He and quarterback Jaxson Dart injected the team with a level of youthful exuberance and bravado that was infectious and made the offense better. 

We learned that, even in the NFL, he is a difficult back to bring down and that he is a much more accomplished receiver than the team may have even thought he would be. Yes, he has some small things to clean up, but the same could be said for all running backs.

Let’s look at the good, the great, and the ugly of the Skatt Attack!

The Good: Receiving Ability

The Good of #NYGiants RB Cam Skattebo is his receiving ability. It is an added weapon to his arsenal. pic.twitter.com/YIlKlxyzlz

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) February 12, 2026

It's not just about Skattebo catching dump-off passes and running after the catch. If you look at the way he catches the football, he catches it with his hands.

So many running backs will allow the ball to come to their body so that they can corral it, but true receivers understand that you have to go out and meet the football. 

That is what Skattebo does so well. Once he has the ball in his hands, that's where his instincts as a runner take over, and he goes to work. 

His ability to run in the open field, break tackles, and turn yards into points makes him an even bigger threat to defenses. 

On several occasions, he turned a relatively short gain into a first down or even more with his running ability.

The Great: Excellent Contact Balance

The Great of #NYGiants RB Cam Skattebo is his ability to pick up yards after contact. He is a difficult back to get to the ground. pic.twitter.com/TXliDW8uSt

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) February 12, 2026

The best part of Cam Skattebo's game is the way he runs the football. There's no doubt why fans love him, and that's because he's like a pinball when he's out there running through defenders.

His ability to make defenders miss is unbelievable. When he has to take on hits, he does so in a way that allows him to keep his balance and continue churning his legs forward. 

His low center of gravity means that defenders and would-be tacklers can't get a clean shot on him without him being able to protect himself.

Because he's so low to the ground, it allows him to bounce off of defenders who do not arm tackle and pick up more yards. 

Defenders know they have to get low to take on Skattebo, or else he can run them over. So when they drop their hips to try to tackle, he uses that as a way to avoid taking a big hit.

Giving them half a man to hit is why so many tacklers bounce off.

The Ugly: Tries to Bounce When the Play is Dead

The Ugly of #NYGiants rookie RB Cam Skattebo is at times he will try to make more out of a play than is there. Sometimes it is better to just hit the hole, pick up what you can, and live to fight another day. pic.twitter.com/YLQfM6nuZp

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) February 12, 2026

One of Skattebo's best traits can also be traced to one of his worst: Sometimes he tries to run like a hero. 

If he doesn't immediately see an opening, he will try to find one elsewhere and, at times, put himself in a worse position. This doesn't happen enough to be a legitimate problem, and it's something that can be solved with a little bit more NFL maturity. 

However, it is something you notice on film. 

In the NFL, sometimes you have to know when to live to fight another day.

When you run inside zone and there is no area to run to, you should put your head down, plunge forward for a couple of yards, get up, and play the next play instead of trying to bounce it outside and getting chased down for a one-to-two yard loss.

Coach’s Corner

There isn't much to fix about Cam Skattebo's game, because everything he does is what you want in the back. 

Suggestions for him going forward will focus on maintenance and injury prevention. He is always going to invite contact, which puts him at risk of getting banged up and possibly missing games. 

Bumps and bruises are a part of the game, and he knows it. He has a lot of wear on his body from all of the carries over his four years in college. 

He should focus on flexibility to help him avoid soft-tissue injuries and bounce back faster when he is tackled in compromising positions.

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