New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has felt his share of hard hits in his two years in the NFL. Yet no one has hit him harder than J.J. Watt as he recalls:
“J.J. Watt, my rookie year. He got me pretty good (laughs),” said Barkley in a chat with Justin Melo of DraftWire. “It was within the first few weeks of my rookie season. It was definitely a “welcome to the NFL” moment for me. I remember it well.”
Watt had delivered plenty of skull-bashing tackles in his time, but to leave one memorable enough for the stout Penn State back is quite noteworthy.
The Giants running back was highly praised coming out of Penn State as a well-rounded back, yet the quarterback frenzy has been palpable in the NFL, with nine quarterbacks taken No. 1 in the last 11 years.
The 23-year-old was the second overall pick in 2018 and the only running back to be drafted in the top of the board, while four QBs flooded the top-10.
Other players like Ezekiel Elliot and Christian McCaffrey have been smart top-10 selections, but Barkley thinks teams should pick based on need, regardless of what conventional wisdom might influence.
“I think it all comes down to the team and what they’re looking for at that time. If they’re in need of a top running back, then it definitely makes sense to draft one early,” said Barkley. “That goes for any position, really. It could be a quarterback, an offensive tackle or a guard. I don’t think it should depend on your position.”
Watt was the 11th overall pick in 2011, but he's returned top-3 results for the Houston Texans, along with a never-forget memory for Barkley on his welcome-to-the-league moment.
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