New York Giants: Is David Wilson a Lock to Be the Backup Running Back?
Back in April's NFL draft, the New York Giants selected David Wilson, aย running back from Virgina Tech.
Coming off a season where he rushed for 1,709 yards and was named the 2011 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Wilson is expected to give a huge boost to the Giants running game, which finished last in the league in 2011-12.ย
The Giants alsoย lost former back-up running back Brandon Jacobs, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers this past offseason.
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In two preseason games, Wilson has rushed forย 69 yards onย 15 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. However, most of hisย productionย has comeย against third and fourth-string defenses.
As a whole, the Giants' running game is still struggling. Ahmad Bradshaw injured his hand in Saturday's game, although the Giants believe he will be fine.
Current backup D.J. Ware carried the ball 11 times and only gained 15 yards against the New York Jets Saturday. It is becoming more and more apparent that Ware is best suited as a third-down specialist, much like he's been for the Giants in years past.
While Ware is the current backup, ifย his struggles continue, Wilson will most likely be backing up Bradshaw during the regular season.
Is it the right move? I think so. But so far, the coaches seem to lack confidence in Wilson.
There is a reportย stating that Wilson is having a hard time grasping the Giants' playbook, which has the coaches concerned. Weย sawย this Saturday,ย when the Giants put Andre Brown into the game before him. While Brown is currentlyย ahead of Wilson on the depth chart, it would be nice to see Wilson play before Brown, especially ifย he is supposed to be the backup solution.
There are still two more preseason gamesย left for the New York Giants. While the defense and passing game looks to be as strong as they were last year, the running game is still a glaring weak spot. The Giants drafted David Wilson to be the backup to Ahmad Bradshaw, but unlessย he gets more time, there is a chance that he'll slip down the depth chart.
