New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley recently dubbed himself as the best player at his position going into the 2019 NFL season. It appears Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson agrees with that notion.
There has been plenty of debate regarding the best running back in the NFL. Dickerson said on UNDISPUTED that Barkley's likeness to Hall of Famer Barry Sanders sets him apart from the likes of Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley and Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
“I'd have to go with Saquon. Saquon reminds me of Barry Sanders, there's something special about him. If I took Todd Gurley or Zeke and put them in the Giants offense, they wouldn't be the same backs.”
This is certainly quite the turn from Dickerson. Just last year he had no doubts about his fellow Rams star being the best back in the league, however, it seems Barkley only needed one season to change his mind.
While Dickerson's declaration may have to do with the unknown state of Gurley's knee and Elliott's ongoing holdout from Dallas, there is no denying that a case can be made for the Giants' workhorse. Barkley finished the 2018 campaign rushing 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while tacking on 91 receptions for 721 yards and four touchdowns. Perhaps even more impressive is that he did it while serving as the central force of an otherwise lackluster Giants offense.
Expectations re now as high as ever for Barkley going into 2019. Despite his massive promise, he will need to piece together a few more spectacular seasons before surpassing the body of work Gurley and Elliott have produced thus far in their careers.