Getty New York Giants running back Jacob Saylors with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023.
The New York Giants have signed a new running back according to KPRC2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson and player agent Ray Haija.
“Jacob Saylors, who led all running backs in the UFL in receiving yards, rushing and touchdown catches, [is] signing with [the] Giants, per his agent @RayHaija to @KPRC2,” Wilson relayed on the evening of June 17.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan later confirmed this transaction on June 18, noting that “the Giants had RB workouts last week and are going with Jacob Saylors.” Saylors “finished second in the UFL with 460 rushing yards,” Raanan added.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan shared an inkling that Big Blue would bring in another running back ahead of training camp, stating such on June 17. He just had the wrong player, suggesting a Matt Breida reunion instead of the UFL standout.
New Giants RB Jacob Saylors Is Latest UFL Success Story
We’ve seen it happen in the past with the AAF, USFL and XFL. This offseason, it’s the UFL that has been providing opportunities for journeyman players that are looking to prove they can cut it at the NFL level.
Saylors is the latest example of that after starring with the St. Louis Battlehawks this spring.
At the collegiate level, Saylors closed out his tenure at East Tennessee State with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns as a rusher in 2021 and 2022. He also added over 100 receiving yards in each of his seasons with the university, as well as 27 total touchdowns over those final two 1,000-yard years.
The Cincinnati Bengals were the first NFL team to give Saylors a look as a rookie, signing him to a UDFA contract. But that audition didn’t last long.
As a member of the UFL’s inaugural campaign, Saylors was able to showcase his abilities for all NFL general managers and scouts to see. In just nine appearances, he ran for 461 yards and five touchdowns, registering another 152 receiving yards and three TDs through the air.
That came out to 51.2 yards per game, 4.9 yards per carry and 6.6 yards per catch. A true dual threat for a successful 7-3 Battlehawks team.
Giants RB Competition Should Yield 3 or 4 Roster Spots
Not including the practice squad, there should be three or four roster spots for Giants running backs this summer — and that final spot will likely only be available for a player that can also contribute on kick returns.
As of now, the favorites to make the roster are starter Devin Singletary (a lock), 2023 draft pick Eric Gray and rookie fifth rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr. (likely lock). After that, rookie Dante “Turbo” Miller appears to have a slight edge on Jashaun Corbin and Saylors for that potential RB4 role, if there is one.
That edge is due to the speedy back’s expected ability as a returner, although Saylors could push Miller in this regard. The UFL standout did not return at all with St. Louis this spring, but he did serve as a part-time kick returner in college.
At East Tennessee State, Saylors averaged an impressive 28.8 yards per return in 2021 with over 700 total special teams yards that season. He averaged another 23.2 yards per return during his final season and finished with an average of 25.0 yards on his collegiate career.
The RB competition has begun to take shape ahead of training camp, with Miller, Saylors and Corbin pushing both Gray and each other for the final one or two running back jobs.