When the New York Giants drafted UCLA running back Paul Perkins in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, he had just racked up very productive back-to-back seasons as the Bruins’ feature back. He joined a backfield in New York as the fourth option behind Rashad Jennings, Bobby Rainey and Orleans Darkwa.
Perkins was used frequently as a rookie, carrying the football 112 times for 456 yards and gaining 162 more yards on 15 receptions. In May 2017, then-head coach Ben McAdoo named Perkins the lead back, a position Perkins would lose as he could not stay healthy.
When Perkins arrived at the Giants’ spring workouts with his arm in a sling due to a torn pectoral muscle last May, the team waived him with an NFI (non-football injury) designation. He was then placed on the NFI list and missed the entire season.
Last July, running backs coach Craig Johnson spoke about Perkins and the role he was taking with the young running backs on the roster.
“What he is trying to do is he is trying to help some of the younger players out there. He understands the offense inside and out. He is a very sharp guy. He understands the process,” Johnson said. “What he’ll do is he’ll go up and give them little bits of information. Hey, you might want to step a little more with your right foot or left hand on your pass protection. These are really things that he has seen so I have told him, you understand the big picture and your job is to go over there and If I’m over there talking to one player, you might be over there talking to another player and saying what’s your route
“I’ve allowed him to do that and that helps me. That’s someone I trust a lot and who knows the system.”
That seems so long ago. Since then, Perkins has been kind of an afterthought. Saquon Barkley and Wayne Gallman have taken over the two main backfield roles and fullback Eli Penny has also carved himself a niche in the offense.
Perkins is still on the Giants’ roster but his status is unknown. There’s no longer a need for him to mentor Barkley and Gallman. He has to earn a spot on the roster based on merit. It won’t be easy for him. If he comes back and can regain the form he showed in his rookie year, he will stick on the roster, but he’s not expected to play a major role in 2019.
Perkins is entering the final year of his rookie contract and barring something unforeseen, will be headed for unrestricted free agency come 2020.
