Giants rookie RB will win over fans with his mentality entering season

The New York Giants arguably snagged the best value player in Round Four of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo. The Peach Bowl MVP finished second only to Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty in all-purpose yards in 2024 and his tape displays a nearly unstoppable work ethic.

Skattebo practiced for the first time as a Giant on Friday wearing No. 44, a double-up of his college identifier (No. 4). He spoke to reporters after practice and explained why he's entering his NFL career with the same chip on his shoulder he left college with.

"How many snaps in the NFL have you seen me play? Zero. I've proved nothing," he said.

At the end of the 2024 college football season, Skattebo said he felt disrespected because he was "the best running back in the country" and "there's nobody out there that can stop me." He made sure to clarify that he was purely talking about his abilities going up against NCAA defenses.

"I proved what I am in college but I've proved nothing at this level," he continued. "So now where I'm at, I have to prove myself and if that's for five years or that's for ten years, I'm going to continue to prove myself."

Giants fans should be pumped about RB Cam Skattebo's approach to the NFL

Despite New York already having Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushing the ball on offense, Skattebo offers a versatile change-of-pace option for head coach Brian Daboll. At Arizona State he displayed an ability to score from just about anywhere on the field.

While trick plays may not be the go-to option when Skattebo is on the field, his mental approach to how he'll play at the professional level should have every Giants fan counting down the days to Week 1.

"It feels good when you get in the endzone but imagine running someone over and then running another person over and then getting in the endzone," he told reporters Monday.

For anyone who has watched his tape, his smaller stature has seemed to fool some defenders into thinking he's easier to take down than he actually is. That's just how Skattebo likes it.

"People want to sleep, they can sleep. I have no issue with that. It's been something I've had to deal with my whole life," he said.

The Skattebo-Tracy combo could be deadly for opposing defenses this coming season. Not since the days of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have the Giants boasted as potentially bruising a duo in their backfield. Fans should be salivating in East Rutherford, N.J.