Can the Giants' New Power Running Game Become the NFC East's Most Feared Rushing Attack?

When John Harbaugh took over as the New York Giants' head coach, there was no doubt the climate would change, among other things, regarding the running game.

He brought in former Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman to tag-team as the offensive brain trust. Those moves clearly signal that they want to have a more gap scheme, downhill running style: the same style that made Baltimore an absolute monster on the ground over the past decade.

In 2025, the Giants were no slouch running the ball. They finished fifth in total yards with 2,195 yards, and their 511 rushing attempts ranked second in the league. The team was ranked fourth in rushing touchdowns, but 18th in yards per attempt.

The production may not be what Harbaugh and his staff look to change, but rather the mindset and ferocity that go with the rushing attack. For as good as the Giants ran the ball in 2025, no one seemed to fear the Giants running the ball, whereas teams feared the Ravens running the ball.

What changes could be in store for 2026, how this Harbaugh attack could be better, and possibly how things could be worse.

The Beast of the East?

The Giants seem as if they’re building a monster in the rushing attack. They already had multiple key components, but they’ve added more in the offseason.

Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary give the team a quality three-headed monster in the backfield, all with their own unique talents that have proven to be effective in the NFL.

Skattebo provides them with a workhorse back who has the ability to pick up tough yards, keep the chain moving, and grind out surprisingly big chunks of yardage against defenses geared to stop the run.

Tracy is finding his identity as a running back, but he has proven, with back-to-back thousand-yard seasons, that he has what it takes to carry the mail when necessary. He is a great complement to Skattebo in the backfield.

Singletary has become that veteran presence who understands his role and is ready when his number is called.

All of these guys are effective. However, the thing that takes the backfield to another level as a downhill running unit is the presence of All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard, who was signed away from the Ravens in free agency.

Ricard provides a 280-pound bulldozer to clear the way for these running backs in an NFC East not used to dealing with fullback play.

The Giants have also improved the interior trenches. Francis Mauigoa, the Giants’ first-round draft pick, will likely slot in at right guard.

May 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (65) speaks during a press conference at rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

There will be a competition for the other guard position between Jon Runyan Jr., former Ravens guard Daniel Faalele, and Giants incumbent guard Evan Neal, who re-signed with the team after he seemed to be on the outs with the previous regime.

It is a nod to wanting bigger, more destructive bodies on the interior to move defenders out of the way and dominate the line of scrimmage.

Best Case Scenario

If it all comes together, it should look as dominant as the Ravens' rushing attacks have looked over the years. Skattebo should be able to collect his first season over 1,000 yards, probably ending somewhere around 1,100 yards rushing and double-digit touchdowns.

Tracy, as the number two back, would likely finish somewhere between 500 and 700 yards rushing, with Singletary coming in around 300.

The key to the team’s rushing success, however, will be the continued improvement of quarterback Jaxson Dart as a runner.

He will need to be in that 600-800-yard range to truly unlock the full potential of the offense. A 2,700-yard season on the ground would definitely put this unit at the top of the league, or at the minimum, second.

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) and running back Devin Singletary (26) participate in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Worst Case Scenario

This is a power running gap scheme offense, but elite success hinges on Dart’s ability to be a facsimile of what Lamar Jackson brings to the table as a rusher.

Dart doesn’t have to be as good as Lamar Jackson running the ball–that is almost impossible; the closest thing we’ve seen to it is Jayden Daniels of the Commanders– but what Dart needs to be is a threat on the perimeter.

This forces defensive players to account for his presence in every run scenario. If he does, it will open up more lanes in the A and B gaps and allow the running backs to work.

However, if he’s not effective, it allows defenses to clog the interior lanes, thereby making the gap scheme less effective and certainly less efficient.

There is a chance that injuries creep up again and possibly derail progress. It would render the rushing attack similar to what it was in 2024 and 2025, where they had statistical success but were unable to dictate games with it.

The results of this inefficient rushing attack would likely leave Skattebo at around 800-900 yards, Tracy at 500-600 yards, and Singletary relatively ineffective with 200 yards.

It would also mean that Dart’s rushing performance will come in somewhere around 400 yards of output.

As a team, they would probably come close to 2,000 yards total rushing, but that’s not going to put them in the elite category they are targeting. And it certainly won’t help them dictate pace and control the flow of the game.

This is why health and distribution of the rushing responsibilities will be a key balancing act to achieve.

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