The New York Giants come out of their bye week in firm command of first place in the NFC East. However, one of the areas of concern with the team is inconsistent play from the running back position.

In the five games prior to the running backs rushing for 180 yards in the Giants’ Week 7 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans, New York’s running backs were averaging 72.2 yards per game.

In addition, neither Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary, nor Tyrone Tracy Jr. are viewed as elite running backs. This is why many believe the team will trade for a running back before the Tuesday, November 10 th trade deadline.

Head coach John Harbaugh is always looking to make his team better, so We’ll rank the top four running backs Big Blue should pursue before the trade deadline.

Jonathan Taylor

At 2-6, the Indianapolis Colts are free-falling and have already traded Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. The expectation is that they will look to trade star running back Jonathan Taylor, who has two years remaining on his contract.

The 27-year-old Taylor is one of the best backs in the NFL and has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume and 77 rushing touchdowns. Through eight games this year, he has been the lone bright spot for the Colts as he has rushed for 610 yards on 14 carries, with eight rushing touchdowns. He’s also caught 21 passes for 202 yards.

He’s the best back on this list, but it will be expensive to acquire him. New York would have to give up significant draft capital, along with one of the backs. Adding Taylor would make the Giants the overwhelming favorites to win the division, and could pull off an upset in the playoffs if quarterback J.J. McCarthy continues to play at a high level.

Expect New York to be aggressive in their pursuit of Taylor, and try to finalize the trade before the end of this week.

Tony Pollard

Tony Pollard is one of the most underrated running backs in the NFL. He may not have gaudy numbers, but he’s rushed for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry for his career.

He’s also a reliable receiver coming out of the backfield, as he has five consecutive seasons with at least 33 receptions.  The 29-year-old Pollard is in the final year of his contract, and with the 1-7 Tennessee Titans going nowhere, it’s unlikely they’ll re-sign him. The Titans may be willing to trade him for a Day 2 draft pick.

This leaves the door open for New York to trade for him relatively cheaply for the remainder of the season. With Tyrone Tracy Jr. on IR with a hamstring injury, Pollard and Skattebo would give Big Blue a nice 1-2 punch at the running back position.

Derrick Henry

With the Baltimore Ravens having lost three straight games and with Lamar Jackson possibly out for the season following thumb surgery, they’re poised to be sellers by the trade deadline. This is why they might be willing to part ways with Derrick Henry. Henry’s relationship with John Harbaugh is a big reason why some have mentioned this as a trade possibility.

Harbaugh coached Henry in 2024 and 2025 with the Ravens, where he rushed for 3,516 yards and 32 rushing touchdowns. But Henry will turn 33 in January, and this season he’s currently averaging a career-low four yards per carry.

It seems age and wear and tear might be taking a toll on the 6-foot-2, 252-pound back. So unless Harbaugh pushes for a reunion, it’s unlikely the team will give up significant draft capital for an aging player.

Omarion Hampton

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers took Omarion Hampton with the 22 nd overall pick. A year and a half later, he’s been relegated to a three-headed timeshare with Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal.

The Chargers are the only winless team in the league and will be going through a rebuild. Depending on how the Giants view Hampton, who averaged 4.4 yards per game last year as a rookie, they may consider acquiring him. Hampton’s lone 100-yard performance came against New York in Week 3 of 2025 when he gained 128 yards on 12 carries and scored a touchdown.

Few have mentioned this trade scenario, but it could happen because it would benefit both John Harbaugh and his brother Jim Harbaugh. John needs an explosive back that can help the Giants win their first division title since 2011. Jim needs draft capital to revamp the roster in the offseason. If the two brothers believe this will help their teams, this trade will happen.