Penn State Football: Saquon Barkley will star for Giants
In the least shocking headline ever, Saquon Barkley will dominate this year. The Penn State football running back has too many weapons around him.
Hear me out for a second. Don’t sarcastically read this headline and move on. Rookie running backs are easy to project, but it doesn’t mean they always translate well, even in year one. Looking at some recent backs, Melvin Gordon might is someone that comes to mind. His offensive line struggled to get him going his rookie year, so it’s not an exact science. For Penn State football’s Saquon Barkley this won’t be a problem.
To start off, Barkley transcends problems on the offensive line. The one-man offensive show rolled through defenses, while having little to no O-Line help at times. Sure a big-time touchdown run from 40-plus yards out inflated his numbers, but he can wear down defenses and put on Barry Sanders-esque moves. His measurables are overstated, but you can find them here for you’re own education.
Barkley does things that no other back can do. It’s what made him a top-tier pick in the draft. Even though the Giants’ offensive line struggled, Barkley can stay productive.
New York addressed this problem somewhat with the drafting of guard Will Hernandez with the 34th overall pick. Also Pat Shurmur almost got 2,000 rush yards with the majority of those yards coming from backs like Latavius Murray and Jerrick McKinnon. Imagine what creative things can happen with a talent like Barkley.
Next, the passing game will help him out. With the return of both Odell Beckham and Sterling Shepard into the starting lineup, they’ll provide balance. Along with budding tight end Evan Engram, the trio will scare defensive coordinators. Those three can take the pressure off the ground game. Also since Beckham’s arrival, Eli Manning has thrown more than a 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
It also makes Barkley a deadly player in the passing game himself. As a receiver out of the backfield, he’ll have room to navigate the open field. Beckham, Shepard and Engram command a lot of attention, so he’ll easily have more than 1,000 yards on the ground and 400 yards through the air.
Must Read: Penn State Football: Run game will be fine without Barkley in 2018
For Penn State fans, this article might be a foregone conclusion that he’ll be a star. However, it isn’t as easy as it sounds. During his career, a lot people saw him as a talent that didn’t get to breakout. In the league, he’ll fully get to showcase his skills in a system that lines him up in the backfield.