It is a well-known fact among NFL defenses that New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is as deadly as a receiver as he is carrying the football out of the backfield.
On Monday after practice, several of Barkley’s defensive teammates — inside linebacker Bobby Okereke and safety Xavier McKinney — commented on the two-time Pro Bowler’s receiving prowess.
"That guy is 1 of 1, it don't get no better than him"
– Xavier McKinney on Saquon Barkley pic.twitter.com/RX8ckm0nOI
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 14, 2023
“It doesn’t get any better than him,” McKinney said. “Wherever he’s at on the field, (if) it’s lined up in the backfield, lined up in the slot, lined up on the outside, you’ve got to match up. You’ve got to be alert.”
Okereke, signed by the Giants this offseason after four seasons in Indianapolis, played against Barkley in the past but is getting the full dose of him as a teammate every day in practice.
“Very tough, yeah,” Okereke told reporters about covering Barkley out of the backfield in passing situations. “It’s honestly great practice for me because I don’t think there’s — I mean, I think (49ers running back) Christian McCaffrey is a great route runner, but I think Saquon might be the best.”
Okereke and McCaffrey were college teammates at Stanford.
“Iron sharpens iron, so I try to give him the best that I can, and I always know I’m going to get a great look from him,” Okereke added.
What makes Saquon so tough to cover, he was asked.
“He’s got speed. He’s got shiftiness. His wiggle is really good,” Okereke explained “He’s just a dominant player.”
Barkley came out of the gate as a rookie in 2018 catching 91 passes for 721 yards. Combined with his 1,307 yards, Barkley led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 2,028.
Over the last four years, however, injuries and coaching changes have caused Barkley’s receiving numbers to dip. Last season he caught 57 passes for 338 yards.
