Giants Player Profile | Dion Lewis, RB

2019 Rewind

In many ways, running back Dion Lewis' projected role with the Giants probably won't be that much different than what he did for the Tennessee Titans in 2019.

Lewis was the second running back behind Tennessee's bell cow Derrick Henry and offered a versatile skill set as a speedy runner and receiver out of the backfield to complement Henry's north-south power rushing style.

As Henry's role for Titans only grew in 2019--he led the league in yardage and carries--Lewis became less involved in the offense than in his first season in 2018

He went from seeing 204 total touches for 917 yards from scrimmage to 79 total touches for 373 yards from scrimmage last year.

Every week in which Henry was healthy, Lewis usually wasn't involved in the offense for more than 54 percent of offensive snaps and even dipped below 20 percent at times.

Lewis did get one opportunity to start a game against the New Orleans Saints after Henry was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Lewis made what he could out of his lone start as he carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards, but couldn't find the endzone as the Titans fell 38-28.

In Tennessee's three playoff games, Lewis was virtually invisible. He only touched the ball three times throughout the postseason, as Henry was leaned on heavily to carry the Titans offense through the playoffs.

Looking Ahead

The Giants will be doubling down on versatility with their running back tandem in 2020. Lewis complements Saquon Barkley's ability to rush outside the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield.

However, Lewis also brings some hidden pop to run through contact as well, as the 5'8", 195-pounder averaged 2.4 yards after contact in 2019 with seven broken tackles in 2019.

That versatility will come in handy for the Giants offense in 2020 more than for the Titans last year, as Henry seemingly carried the load the whole way through with the Titans making no effort and limiting Henry's carries.

Henry led the NFL in attempts with 303 even with missing a game and led the NFL in attempts per game with 20.2.

Barkley, on the other hand, was not on the field as much as Henry, only averaging 16.7 attempts per game. With Barkley coming off an ankle injury, the Giants might look to limit their young star's touches even more and give Lewis a much more significant role than the one he had behind Henry.

The Giants might look to limit Barkley's snaps even more in 2020 coming off the injury, especially with potential contract talks approaching.

Lewis gives the Giants a similar back to Barkley and one that can manage many of the same tasks on run and pass plays. He can also give Barkley more time on the sideline to avoid overworking the young star and hopefully lengthen his career in New York.