2018 NFL Redraft: Lamar Jackson saves the Cleveland Browns
By Samuel Teets
2. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley, RB (Same Pick)
The Giants don’t regret passing on several quarterbacks to draft Penn State’s former Heisman candidate. As a rookie, Barkley produced one of the best seasons by a running back in the past decade, racking up a league-leading 2,028 yards from scrimmage. He also punched in 15 touchdowns.
In his second season, Barkley battled injuries and offensive inconsistencies. New York transitioned from Eli Manning to rookie Daniel Jones, which caused some setbacks in the offense’s flow. In his 13 appearances, Barkley still averaged 77.2 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry, but his receiving totals took a big hit.
My only criticism of Barkley two years into his career is his need to improve in pass protection. Otherwise, he’s one of the best athletes in the entire league and should become a perennial Pro Bowler once Jones settles in as the team’s quarterback. Barkley amassed 3,469 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
There are several other prospects from 2018 who arguably have higher ceilings than Barkley. Derwin James, Darius Leonard, and Quenton Nelson all earned First-Team All-Pro selections as rookies. However, Barkley is a crucial piece of New York’s offensive rebuild, and I believe he’s a top-three running back in the NFL.
The Giants don’t regret passing on taking a quarterback. While the organization got a lot of grief from the media and fans for selecting Jones in 2019, if the Duke product can fix his fumbling issue, he’s arguably better than every quarterback except for Lamar Jackson from the 2018 draft.