Cam Skattebo thought he ruined chance with New York Giants during top 30 visit

USA Today

30-05-2025

Cam Skattebo thought he ruined chance with New York Giants during top 30 visit
When the New York Giants called running back Cam Skattebo to inform him that he would be selected with the 105th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, he was genuinely shocked.
Cameras caught Skattebo's emotional reaction to the announcement and as it turns out, there was more to that story than met the eye.
Skattebo did not expect the Giants to come calling and believed he had blown his chance with the team during his top 30 visit in early April.
"I never thought it was going to be New York cause I was actually late to the first meeting ever, on my 30 visit," he said on the St. Brown Podcast. "I was five minutes late to the bus pickup. I thought I was cooked there."
Had Tom Coughlin, who was notorious for clock-watching, still been the team's head coach, Skattebo very well may have been "cooked." Coughlin considered you on time if you were five minutes early, so arriving late would have been viewed as a major red flag.
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were obviously more lenient.
"Getting the call on draft night, it's like, 'Hey, you're going to be a New York Giant,'" Skattebo said. "I'm like, 'holy cow.'
"After I was drafted and they FaceTimed me, I told them I'll never be late again."
Not only did Skattebo believe he had blown his chance with the Giants, but he expected the San Francisco 49ers to call his name five picks earlier at No. 100 overall. Instead, they selected cornerback Upton Stout.
That was a blessing for the Giants, who thought they would have to choose between Skattebo and offensive lineman Marcus Mbow. They ended up with both.