The Giants received bad news on Monday when team doctors advised running back David Wilson to no longer play football due to a serious recurring neck injury. As a result, there now remains an open spot for those competing in the backfield.
After Wilson received the news, he announced would no longer return to playing football, which opened the door for running back Peyton Hillis, who the team said would become the No. 2 back on the depth chart behind starter Rashad Jennings. Hillis joined the Giants during the 2013 season after David Wilson was lost for the year and appeared in seven games, rushing the ball 73 times for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Coach Tom Coughlin said he wants the team to return to their physical run game, and Hillis' north-south running style fits the description.
However, despite Hillis' experience and power, many believe it's only a matter of time before rookie running back Andre Williams surpasses him on the depth chart. The former Boston College back led the nation in rushing last year and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Williams somehow dropped to the fourth round in this year's draft, where the Giants selected him with the 13th pick (113th overall). He impressed on Sunday night in the Hall of Fame Game against the Buffalo Bills, rushing seven times for 48 yards, which led the team that night.
Rashad Jennings, signed as a free agent in the offseason from Oakland, will likely remain the starter based on his experience in the NFL and success last year. He spent the 2013 season with the Raiders and rushed 163 times for 733 yards (4.5 average) and six touchdowns. Jennings, also a north-south runner like Hillis, was the backup running back for Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville for three seasons and still has a lot left in the tank. The 29-year-old has only 387 rushing attempts and 97 receptions in four NFL seasons. Tom Coughlin is also a big believer in starting the experienced veteran over the talented rookie, as displayed during his tenure in the NFL.
Fortunately for those competing for the job, all of these players are in the same boat - the Giants are in the process revamping their offense behind new coordinator Ben McAdoo, the former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach. Although Hillis has moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart, the position is still very much up for grabs with nearly a month of practices and preseason remaining before Week 1. Jennings, Hillis and Williams are excited about this year's group of backs and hope to help out Eli Manning and the offense move toward a bounce back year.
"I think we have a lot of guys who can go out there and produce," said Hillis in this ESPN article. "I still think it's going to be a great running back group. I do. I think we've really improved the offensive line, and I think we have backs in the backfield that can hit. So I think we can have a great group."
The Giants will face the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium in their second preseason game this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. We'll see how the running back corps does against an experienced Steelers defense.
