New York Giants 2018 NFL Draft Target: Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants didn’t have a lot go right for them in 2017, and one of those things (their running game) needs to be addressed in the 2018 NFL Draft.

As one NFL general manager said, Saquon Barkley can be described using one word, special. The New York Giants have the no. 2 overall pick, and may be wise to take him there.

Here’s what the anonymous general manager was quoted as saying by NFL.com:

"You don’t screw up the special ones when you are a talent evaluator. This guy is special. Any concerns you file on him just feels like nitpicking to fill out the report"

Players like Barkley don’t come along very often. At the NFL Combine he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.4-flat, proving his speed. He also bench pressed 225 pounds 29 times, which was better than all but five offensive linemen.

On the field, he showed he is as elusive as they come. He’s a patient runner who will wait for the hole to open, and once it does, he will burst through it. Barkley is also an excellent option out of the backfield especially when lined up man to man against a linebacker on wheel routes.

He will have to develop a little bit more power in the NFL to break tackles at the line of scrimmage. Barkley will also need to develop more as a blocker.

All that said, he’s as complete a back coming out of college that we’ve seen in a long time. He’s not just a complimentary back. Barkley is the kind of back you can build an offensive game plan around, and defenses will have to focus on in order to win.

Next: NFL Mock Draft: Unexpected first-round picks pre-FA

He’s the real deal. The combination of him, Odell Beckham, Jr., and Evan Engram could become a dangerous trio. Having them on the field will make the Giants unpredictable and hard to stop, and unpredictability leads to more and more winning, possibly even one more Super Bowl for Eli Manning.