There was plenty of speculation regarding what the New York Giants had planned to do with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They ultimately went against the grain by taking Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.

Although Barkley was one of the most electrifying players in college football last season, he solidified his status as a top draft pick with a stellar performance at the Scouting Combine. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, general manager Dave Gettleman in attributed his rare skill set to divine intervention:

“He was touched by the hand of God, frankly,” Gettleman said. “I haven't seen a guy like this in a long time, and I've been running around doing this for 30-plus years,” Gettleman said of Barkley. “He is the unanimous best player in the draft.”

Given the current landscape of the NFL's pass-heavy approach, running backs have become somewhat expendable to some teams in recent years. As a result, taking them so early in the draft is usually seen as a poor decision. However, it is clear that Gettleman believes Barkley is not the average prospect.

His rare combination of size, speed, and power was put on display at the combine when he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash, bench 225 pounds 29 times, and jumped 41 inches on the vertical. At 6-feet, 233 pounds, he is more than capable of handling a heavy workload off the bat. That said, the Giants finally got their franchise running back which is something they have not had in quite a long time.