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Giants Should Already Be Targeting This Monster 220-Pound RB
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- Giants Should Already Be Targeting This Monster 220-Pound RB
(Andrew Rydland-Imagn Images)
It's becoming more and more apparent that the New York Giants do not have a true No. 1 running back on their roster.
Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy are nice complementary pieces, but they are both too flawed to serve as featured backs .
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The Giants may have to look toward the 2027 NFL Draft to find an answer, this even though New York is rather thin on draft capital.
The Giants don't have fourth, fifth or seventh-round picks at the moment, which will severely limit their ability to properly fill out the roster. But perhaps they can make a couple of trades to get some assets back before next April.
Regardless, one player New York should already be targeting is BYU Cougars halfback LJ Martin.
At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Martin is a load, but he also possesses surprising breakaway speed. He isn't exactly a track star, but he definitely has enough burst to eventually develop into a RB1 on the professional level.
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Martin racked up 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground a year ago, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He also hauled in 36 receptions for 255 yards.
The senior back has been limited by an ankle injury this season, which he suffered back in Week 4. But prior to the injury, Martin had been terrific, carrying the ball 44 times for 344 yards and three scores — good for an average of 7.8 yards per attempt.
Unlike last year, the 2027 draft class will be pretty deep at running back, so the Giants should have their fair share of choices, even with their skimpy draft capital.
But will Martin actually be available?
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His ankle injury may have actually helped New York in that regard, as missing such a substantial chunk of playing time and thus falling behind other productive running backs in the process could cause his draft stock to slip.
Some have viewed Martin as a Day 3 pick all along, but whether or not he would actually fall all the way to the sixth round is questionable (he probably won't).
That's where the Giants may have to get creative and swing some trades to potentially gain some more Day 3 capital, and that could start as soon as the NFL trade deadline.
New York desperately needs help in its backfield, and Martin could very well be the answer the Giants are searching for. He should absolutely be on their radar. Now they just need to forge a plan to be able to land him.
