Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants have been looking into more physical running backs that can help 2024 draft pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. carry the early down load — namely Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II.
On April 4, FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz named the Giants as one of Judkins’ various top 30 visits. Among the other potential suitors were the bitter NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys.
“A fast-rising prospect in a deep RB class,” Schultz noted, regarding Judkins. He also added a quote from a scout, who said: “[Judkins is a] pretty complete player. Trusts his eyes, finishes every run, and catches passes with ease. The 4.48 [40-yard dash] should really help him. He’s not a guy who needs to come off the field much.”
There was another more under-the-radar top 30 report from April 4 that confirmed Big Blue could be targeting a specific type of ball carrier, however, as The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler relayed that the “Giants will host Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II.”
Fowler described Gordon as a “dynamic ball-carrier [who] has had an excellent pre-draft process [and] remains one of the premier RBs in a loaded class.”
Potential Giants NFL Draft Targets Quinshon Judkins & Ollie Gordon Both Thrive in Contact Situations & Complement Tyrone Tracy
GettyThe New York Giants will host 2025 NFL Draft running back prospects Quinshon Judkins (pictured above) and Ollie Gordon II.
If you watch both Judkins and Gordon play, they’re similar in one obvious way. Both thrive as contact-absorbers who can break tackles and gain tough yardage.
“[Judkins] is wired and built for a heavier carry count and short-yardage success,” NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein scouted. Detailing: “He runs with good burst inside but is more collision-based than wiggle-oriented when maneuvering through the lane.”
Zierlein cited “prototypical size, aggression and play strength” as Judkins’ top strength as a runner. He also referred to the Ohio State product as a “touchdown monster” who “runs with NFL-caliber physicality and falls forward as a finisher.”
Gordon looks a little different running the football stylistically, but he serves a similar purpose as Judkins.
While scouting the Oklahoma State star, Zierlein began by calling him a “big-workload back with a skill set that requires a physical, downhill run scheme.”
“When he gets going downhill, he becomes a battering ram, slamming through tackles and adding tough yards after contact,” the analyst continued. Gordon is another red zone threat too, like Judkins, and he was credited with “plus tackle-breaking ability.”
Both potential bell-cow RBs would pair really well with a “slasher” and plus-change of pace back like Tracy.
Devin Singletary Is Likely Playing out His Final Year With Giants
If the Giants draft a runner like Judkins or Gordon, the biggest losers would be Devin Singletary and Eric Gray. The latter would be hard-pressed to make the 53-man roster, while Singletary could be playing out his final season with NYG either way.
According to Over the Cap, the Giants can save $5.25 million by releasing Singletary next offseason. They are able to make this move prior to June 1 as well, which helps with free agency.
If Gray or 2024 UDFA Dante Miller were to impress this summer, the Giants could theoretically part ways with Singletary ahead of Week 1. A post-June 1 release would only save Big Blue $1.5 million in 2025. But they could also shop the veteran via trade.
As a productive player with a manageable salary, it’s possible someone might want Singletary for a conditional draft pick. From a Giants perspective, any trade would mostly be a salary dump.
Per OTC, trading Singletary after June 1 would save a helpful $5 million in cap space.
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