New York Giants running back Devin Singletary suffered a major blow to his ego and productivity beginning with the 2023 NFL season in a recent ranking of NFL running backs.
Singletary was named the worst running back in the entire National Football League by former standout running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew, a former Pro Bowler who played in the league from 2006 to 2014, was twice named first-team All-Pro running back and second-team All-Pro in 2009.
The former NFL rushing yards leader has the credibility and firsthand experience to know what makes a star running back, but his evaluation of Singletary may have been a bit harsh.
Devin Singletary of the Giants is the worst starting running back in the NFL
Jones-Drew, who now works as an analyst at NFL.com, said this about Singletary and why he believes New York’s bell cow doesn’t generate as much buzz in the backfield as his contemporaries (h/t Sam Kirk of Big Blue View):
“The Giants were ready to take a step back in the running game when Saquon Barkley left for the rival Eagles. Singletary was good in Houston last season, setting career highs in runs and yards, but he won’t draw the attention of opposing defenses. Plus, I wonder if New York has done enough to bolster its offensive line. Big Blue’s running game faces an uphill battle,” Jones-Drew wrote.
Singletary finished the previous season with 898 rushing yards for the Houston Texans, along with four rushing touchdowns. Although he didn’t find the end zone in volume, he averaged 4.2 rushing yards per carry compared to other running backs in the NFL, outperforming several running backs who made Jones-Drew’s top 10, such as Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley and Green Bay Packers star Josh Jacobs. Still, his numbers only tell part of the story.
Is Singletary really the No. 32 overall RB?
According to Player Profiler, the Floridian native didn’t blow the NFL world away with his performance. Singletary was able to boast 10 breakaway runs in 2023. This is a great example of a player’s ability to find gaps at the line of scrimmage and overcome defenders to gain sizable advantages on the field. His 10 breakaways earned him a No. 15 spot in the NFL, but he was underwhelming in other areas. The 26-year-old managed 733 yards of offense, which earned him a No. 28 spot at his position. He also ranked 25th with 39 tackles evaded and had a 15.9 percent juke rate, which earned him a forgettable No. 39 spot at his position and illuminated the nuances behind the footwork he displayed for the Texans last year.
Singletary is expected to give the Giants a nearly 1,000-yard season in the running game, coming close to the star value that Saquon Barkley left behind when he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles to begin the 2024 NFL offseason. While the Florida Atlantic product does most of his damage carrying the football, it’s worth noting that he also ranked in the bottom 10 among backfield producers in 2023, with a run-blocking rating of 36.9, which earned him 26th overall. Among pass receivers, his 78.9 percent catch rate and 6.4 yards per pass reception, despite both being strong peripherals, also earned him 20th and 22nd overall.
So there are reasons for Jones-Drew’s assessment. However, all things considered, Singletary will likely provide the Giants with production that is conducive to a potential playoff berth when he’s behind Jones and the hopefully improved offensive line in 2024. If Singletary can reduce the number of times he stops runs and the coaching staff puts him in the best possible positions to gain a lot of yardage in a variety of offensive formations and against defensive formations he’s performed well against, such as base-front formations where only one other running back had more runs in 2023, then he should be exactly what New York invested in, regardless of outside opinions.
