2021 NFL Draft prospect profile: Gary Brightwell, RB, Arizona
What are the Giants getting in the running back out of Arizona?
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The belief surrounding running backs and the NFL Draft is that runners are a “dime a dozen,” and that teams can find effective runners later in the draft.
The New York Giants had already added a running back in free agency, but circled back to the position in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. There they selected Gary Brightwell out of Arizona with 196th pick.
Brightwell was far from heavily used at the collegiate level, carrying the ball just 245 times in 26 career games at Arizona. He didn’t even get a single carry in his lone game as a true freshman. He flashes upside picking his way through traffic and finding yards after contact, but doesn’t have the flashy highlight reel plays put on tape like other runners.