Man, get this: New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, that dude with the insane downhill physicality and high-energy personality fans adore, almost ended up backing up Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco! Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh just spilled the beans on Wednesday, dropping a bombshell about the 2025 NFL Draft that’s got everyone talking.
Shanahan’s Secret Crush on Skattebo
Saleh, who was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator in 2025 during his second stint there, praised Skattebo’s skill set to reporters while talking about his team’s upcoming Giants matchup. Then he just casually threw out this nugget: “I know going into the [2025 NFL] Draft, we were actually about to draft him in San Francisco,” Saleh said. He followed up with, “Kyle [Shanahan] loved him, and he ended up getting taken right before we were picking.” Apparently, the Niners went with C.J. West instead, who Saleh also called “a pretty good player.” But still, imagine Shanahan, a guy legendary for evaluating running backs, having Skattebo on his radar that hard. The Giants snatched Skattebo with the No. 105 pick, and you gotta wonder what could have been.
Skattebo’s Impact and the Lingering “What If”
Seriously, think about the potential of pairing McCaffrey and Skattebo in the same backfield. That could’ve been one of the league’s premier duos, maybe even the best since the Detroit Lions picked Jahmyr Gibbs in 2023 to team up with David Montgomery. Skattebo has already shown what he can do for the Giants, rushing for 527 yards and six touchdowns in his first 10 career games. Last season was rough with a gruesome ankle injury that kept him to just eight games, but he came back STRONG in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, racking up 81 yards and a touchdown to power the Giants to victory. He fits exactly the identity John Harbaugh wants for the Giants, and he’s totally embraced the Big Apple vibe.
So, while both the Giants and 49ers are definitely in good hands at the position right now, Kyle Shanahan’s strong interest only cements his rep as an elite evaluator. That McCaffrey and Skattebo backfield, though? That’s going to be a fascinating “what-if” for a long, long time. What a wild twist of fate for Skattebo and the NFC!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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