Could Cam Skattebo be a part of a new “Earth, Wind, and Fire” for the Giants?
Do the New York Giants need to add at running back?
The answer to that likely centers around Brian Daboll’s vision for the offense as a whole. If the Giants want to use their passing game to dictate the game to the defense, they could be interested in a power back to play opposite Tyrone Tracy when the defense is spread out.
In that case, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo should definitely be on their radar. Skattebo isn’t a dynamic threat out of the backfield, but he’s one of the toughest running backs in the nation to stop when you need that dirty yardage.
Prospect: Cam Skattebo (4)
Games Watched: vs. Kansas (2024), vs. BYU (2024), vs. Iowa State (2024), vs. Texas (2024)
Red Flags: Shoulder (2024)
Measurables
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 215 pounds
Strengths
Best traits
- Competitive toughness
- Play strength
- Contact balance
- Vision
- Receiving
Skattebo is a physical downhill running back. He’s a straight-ahead one-cut runner who has little finesse in his game.
Skattebo has good size at 5-foot-11, 215 pounds with a very powerful lower body which allows him to power through tackles. His game is built around vision, contact balance, play strength, and competitive toughness.
Skattebo is a patient runner behind the line of scrimmage and does a great job of following his blockers while giving them time to establish their blocks. He understands how to get in their back pocket before exploding through the hole and to the second level. Skattebo does a good job of tracking and anticipating defenders around the line of scrimmage and making subtle changes to his runs to force poor tackle attempts. Likewise, he’s good about dropping his hips and running behind his pads through traffic.
He’s a determined, bloody-minded runner who seems to relish the physical side of the game. He has fantastic contact balance and is able to either bounce off of hits or run through all but good form tackles. Skattebo’s lower body is powerful enough that he’s able to pick up yardage even when defenders are able to wrap up. He also uses his vision to find defenders so he can finish his runs by delivering hits, as opposed to being hit. There were multiple occasions in the tape viewed where he had the opportunity to step out of bounds, but instead turned back inside to hit a defender.
Skattebo also has true three-down upside and is useful as a blocker and as a receiver. He’s a very willing blocker who gets after defenders in pass protection and also has the play strength to sustain his blocks. Skattebo is also a capable receiver out of the backfield and also has experience playing out of a wide receiver alignment. He runs his routes well and is a natural “hands” catcher who does a good job of framing the ball and securing it before he turns upfield.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Athleticism
- Cutback ability
While Skattebo is a punishing runner who’s hard to get on the ground, he’s a limited athlete.
He lacks the agility to routinely cut back, and his runs are often over as soon as his feet stop. He also doesn’t have much in the way of explosiveness and needs a runway before he can hit top speed – a top speed that’s also relatively limited.
Skattebo’s athletic limitations could limit his overall appeal.
Game Tape
(Skattebo is the Arizona State running back wearing No. 4)
Projection
Skattebo most likely projects as a rotational back at the NFL level, though he has starting upside in the right situation. He won’t be a fit for every team and will need to be paired with a blocking scheme that allows him to get north-south as soon as possible.
Skattebo doesn’t have the agility and explosiveness to out-athlete defenders or make something out of nothing. However, he should be a reliable runner who can pick up tough yardage and break off long runs if (when) initial tackle attempts fail to bring him down.
Skattebo’s upside in the passing game should give him a broader appeal at the pro level, and he could be a weapon for Spread Coast offenses that look to force defenses into smaller sub-packages and use their alignment to spread them out.
All in all, Skattebo plays with a fullback’s attitude and there are shades of Marshawn Lynch in his game.
Does he fit the Giants?
Potentially, depending on their vision for the backfield
Final Word: A second-round value
