Giants Player Profile | Jon Hilliman, RB

2019 Season Rewind

For Jon Hilliman and his family, a phone call from any NFL team would have been cause for a celebration, but a phone call from the Giants came with a different aura.

The Plainfield, New Jersey native comes from a family of Giants fans, and when he got that call from the Giants after the 2019 draft, he was given the rare privilege of starting his NFL career with his favorite childhood team.

As a child, Hilliman skipped school for both of the Giants' most recent championship parades in downtown Manhatten following their Super Bowl XLII and XLVI victories against the New England Patriots.

Hilliman's NFL journey started like every other rookie in training camp, where he would compete in a crowded running back room for a chance to make the roster.

His preseason debut came at home against the Chicago Bears, as he showed off his power running right away with 16 rushes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Hilliman scored again the next week in Cincinnati and built the case to stick around amid roster cuts, however with Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, and Elijah Penny in the picture, Hilliman had to settle for the practice squad at the beginning of the season.

But Hilliman didn't have to wait long to get his chance. A Week 3 injury to Barkley earned Hilliman a promotion from the practice squad, as Hilliman made his regular-season debut the very next week against Washington at home.

Hilliman struggled to hit rushing lanes and break tackles in his first NFL action, and a fumble near the goal line cost him a chance at his first touchdown.

Despite the poor performance, Hilliman's role would only elevate after Gallman went down with a head injury against Minnesota in Week 5.

After Gallman's injury, Hilliman and Penny split time as the primary running backs, but again Hilliman struggled to get loose against the Vikings, only rushing for 20 yards on nine carries.

Then on a short week, Hilliman and the Giants went on the road to play the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.

Almost eight years after celebrating the Giants' fourth Super Bowl championship in the Canyon of Heroes, Hilliman suited up to play in that matchup. He was on track for his best game as a pro with a modest 38 yards on 11 carries as the Giants were able to keep the game competitive early.

Then with the Giants trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, Hilliman caught a pass out of the backfield and turned upfield on a drive that could have tied the game. Instead, he committed his second fumble of the season, a costly one that was returned by Kyle Van Noy for a game-changing touchdown that sunk the Giants 35-14.

Hilliman was cut after the loss but ended up back on the Giants practice squad for the remainder of the season. He then signed a reserve/future contract with the Giants on December 30, 2019.

Looking Ahead

It will be another tough road to get back on the 53-man roster as Hilliman, who will turn 25 in November, is again part of a crowded running back core going into 2020.

Hilliman shared a position group with the same faces from last season and will be returning in 2020, along with newcomers Dion Lewis and Javon Leake.

Barkley and Lewis are projected to be the two primary pieces in the Giants' offensive backfield this season. Both are versatile, shifty runners that specialize in catching passes out of the backfield, but both boast also boast some power running as well

Hilliman's skill set as a pure downhill power rusher might prove to be a good complement to Barkley and Lewis on short-yardage downs. Still, Hilliman will have to make significant improvements to his ball security and vision.

Many of Hilliman's busted runs in 2019 were due to him not hitting the right gaps and getting stuck behind the offensive line. This may have been due to rookie nerves, but still, Hilliman doesn't possess the elite NFL speed to improvise in the event of busted plays.

With new offensive line additions, Hilliman may find better success running in between the tackles if he ever gets the chance to share the field with the starting offense.

Still, it will take another blend of preseason performance and less-than-ideal injury circumstance that the Giants are generally hoping to avoid in 2020.