New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was projected to do big things when he hit the NFL. A standout at his position at Penn State, Barkley’s prowess on the field translated well to the NFL and it seemed he was everything we anticipated he would be.
And then Barkley got hurt. And then he struggled to return to the game at the level which he had played prior to his injury.
Then last year happened and we saw a glimpse of the player we saw in 2018. Barkley reminded us what he is capable of and showed us that he’s ready to resume his status as one of the top backs in the league.
The sports world has taken notice, too, as Touchdown Wire recently ranked Barkley as the fifth-best running back in the league.
Barkley was another back who battled with his team in the offseason regarding his value — the compromise was a weird negotiation in which the Giants gave Barkley a one-year contract worth up to $11 million as opposed to the franchise tag, which would have given Barkley $10.091 million absolutely guaranteed. In any event, head coach Brian Daboll will benefit from a back who gained 1,426 yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns on 313 carries, with 64 catches on 82 targets for 415 yards.
Barkley isn’t your typical sustaining, tackle-breaking back — he averaged 2.75 yards per carry after contact last season, and his 41 missed tackles forced ranked 17th in the NFL. But if you want explosive plays in the run game — well, he’s got those. Barkley had 21 carries of 15 or more yards last season; only Nick Chubb (23) had more of those.
Barkley is a weapon in the Giants’ arsenal that is capable of single-handedly ripping apart defensive schemes. He can take a direct snap. He’s a runner. He’s a receiver. You never know what he’s going to do next, or what Brian Daboll has up his sleeve for him.
The remaining top four backs according to Touchdown Wire are: 4. Derek Henry (TEN), 3. Josh Jacobs (LV), 2. Nick Chubb (CLE), and 1. Christian McCaffrey (SF).
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