He’s a six-time Pro Bowler who’s knocked open rushing lanes for some of the best in the NFL, including two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry, so when Patrick Ricard speaks, New York Giants second-year running back Cam Skattebo should listen.
Skattebo will like what he hears when he listens to Ricard compare him to Baltimore Ravens stud Henry. Speaking to NFL Insider Jordan Shultz on “The Schultz Report,” All-Pro fullback Ricard had this to say about Skattebo and ‘King Henry’: “I feel like Skatt is very similar. He might be a little bit smaller, but that dude runs really hard and really downhill. And just to see him play last year with (quarterback Jaxson) Dart, and just see, like, that juice and the energy that they bring. I’m really looking forward to, you know, blocking for him (Skattebo) and getting his career going.”
Those are just the words Giants fans should want to hear. They should also motivate Skattebo to fully recover from ankle surgery as quickly as possible.
The straight-ahead bruiser’s partnership with 300-pound blocking-back Ricard is key to redefining the Giants offensively. Into something like the smash-mouth vision new head coach John Harbaugh made the hallmark of the Ravens.
Ricard will be vital for this transformation, but he’s not the only new member of the Giants primed to make Skattebo better.
Patrick Ricard Key to John Harbaugh’s Revolution
Harbaugh’s arrival after 18 years in Baltimore signalled a revolution of sorts for the Giants. Namely, a credible face for yet another rebuilding job. A Super Bowl-winning coach who made the Ravens consistent contenders with a consistent identity easily identifiable across the league.
Ricard knows all about that identity, telling Shultz, “I know what I’m getting myself into. I know exactly what type of team he wants, exactly what he expects out of you and the team in general. And I love the way he coaches. He wants a physical, tough team that works very hard.”
The Harbaugh-led Ravens played punishing football on both sides of the line of scrimmage, but nowhere more than in the running game. Ricard’s massive frame, willingness and skill as a blocker put multiple defenders on skates and cleared the way for rugged runners to wear out would-be tacklers.
That track record is why the Giants handed the former undrafted defensive tackle a record-setting contract in free agency. Harbaugh knows what Ricard can do for any running back.
Henry was the most notable beneficiary of Ricard’s presence, rushing for 1,921 yards in 2024, before adding 1,595 last season. The veteran produced two of his most prolific seasons at a time when running backs are supposed to slow down.
Ricard was a big part of Henry’s success. Putting Ricard in the backfield, using him as an additional tight end or simply stacking him on the line of scrimmage, gave the Ravens a decided advantage in muscle within the trenches and in space.
A great example of Ricard’s value was this touchdown plunge by Henry against the New York Jets from last season. Ricard (42) was in a stacked alignment and he simply absorbed and deleted defensive end Jermaine Johnson.
Having a fullback who can win matchups like this so easily gives a running game its edge. It’s why Giants fans can expect to see plays like this repeated by a fully healthy Skattebo.
He’ll be prolific running behind Ricard and the other tone-setter Harbaugh added to his offense.
Giants Rookie Ready to Help Cam Skattebo
The Giants became a Harbaugh-style attack when they selected Francis ‘Sisi’ Mauigoa with the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He’s a 6-foot-5, 329-pounder who already has a message for Skattebo.
Mauigoa is the kind of overtly physical mauler Harbaugh favored along his offensive lines with the Ravens. Just another layer of brute force in front of Ricard and whoever is lucky enough to get to run the ball behind him.
Skattebo figures to be the biggest beneficiary, provided he’s at 100 percent sooner, rather than later. Fortunately, Harbaugh has delivered a positive update about Skattebo’s progress returning from the ankle injury that ended his debut campaign prematurely.
Having Skattebo get to work early with Ricard and Mauigoa can quickly create the ground-and-pound offense Harbaugh and his veteran run-game coordinator Greg Roman want to inflict on unfortunate defenses.
Giants FB Patrick Ricard Speaks Out About Cam Skattebo