Since taking former Penn State standout running back Saquon Barkley, there has been nothing but praise toward the New York Giants centerpiece in the backfield. This has set the bar quite high in terms of expectations from him in his rookie campaign given what he put on display during his collegiate career.

Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson is the latest to chime in stating on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he believes Barkley possesses “home-run hitting ability” that makes him a game-changing talent:

“Saquon has home-running hitting ability,” Tomlinson said. “He really can change the dynamics of a game at any point, whether it’s through the pass game or rushing the football. And the thing that I always look at when I see these guys coming out of college, and it just tells me a lot about what type of back they may be, (is) will they be able to handle the work load? And just their body frame.”

Barkley has demonstrated to be a unique talent that has the ability to impact the game greatly out of the backfield as a legitimate threat both as a runner and receiver. This saw him rack up nearly up nearly 1,300 rushing yards along with hauling in 54 catches for 632 yards along with two kickoff return touchdowns.

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The Giants will likely shape their game plan around featuring Barkley greatly in the offense to help provide some much-needed balance that has been lacking for the last several years. This could go a long way in helping New York make a significant stride forward while allowing for quarterback Eli Manning to bounce-back after a disastrous 2017 campaign.

There will be plenty of opportunities ahead of Barkley in the 2018 campaign to showcase his explosive ability that could quickly lead to him become recognized as a rising star in the NFL.