Giants RB Eric Gray Lands on PFF's Week 1 Preseason Team of the Week

Eric Gray had a big game against the Detroit Lions in which he made his case to be the Giants RB2.

Aug 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Eric Gray (20) celebrates a touchdown with New York Giants guard Jalen Mayfield (62) during the preseason game against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium. / Scott Rausenberger-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants running back Eric Gray, the team’s 2023 fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma, has been named to Pro Football Focus’s preseason Week 1 “Team of the Week” honors for his performance in the Giants’ 14-3 preseason win over the Detroit Lions last week.

Gray had four carries for 52 yards, two of which were touchdowns. One touchdown was a 48-yard jaunt that electrified the crowd. He also had four receptions (out of four pass targets) for 46 yards.

Gray had 98 all-purpose yards that included a 24-yard catch-and-run on a check down from Tommy DeVito.

"I wanted to put my best foot forward," Gray said after the game. "Like I said, I just want to be Eric Gray; just be me. Last year, I kind of made football more than it is. It's just football at the end of the day. Just being me."

Brian Daboll was pleased with the running backs' performance as a whole but singled out Gray in his press conference on Friday.

"I thought they were hitting the hole with good vision. They ran in space. (Eric) Gray had a nice catch there from (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito). It wasn't perfect, but most of the time, they were going forward. They ran hard. They got their pads down. They did a nice job for the first game."

Gray is coming off a forgettable rookie campaign. Last season, the team tried to shoe-horn him in as a return specialist, a role for which he wasn’t suited. He then hit another patch of adversity when he suffered a calf injury that landed him on injured reserve.

And when he finally returned to the roster, he was seldom looked at on offense, finishing with 17 carries for 48 yards and six receptions for 22 yards on 65 offensive snaps behind veterans Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida ahead of him on the depth chart.

This summer, Gray can earn a bigger role on the team. He is locked in a competition with Tyrone Tracy, Jr., this year’s fifth-round draft pick, for the RB2 spot behind starter Devin Singletary.  And with Tracy unfortunately suffering a sprained ankle that could keep him sidelined for at least three weeks, Gray can lock up the RB2 spot with solid showings in the team’s remaining preseason games.

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