The New York Giants have placed a significant amount of expectations ahead of rookie running back Saquon Barkley to step into immediately becoming a primary fixture in the offensive game plan.

This his seen him quickly show that he has the motivation and drive to prove that he can fulfill that massive role in his first campaign. According to Matt Lombardo of NJ.com, converted tight end to fullback Shane Smith has revealed that Barkley has been studying film of former star running back Adrian Peterson about how to run behind a fullback.

“Saquon actually got a bunch of film from Adrian Peterson about running behind a fullback,” Smith said. “Because that’s something he really wanted to learn how to do. We also have Jonathan Stewart, so he’s helping him out. He’s so good, I think he’s going to do just fine.”

During his heyday with the Minnesota Vikings, Peterson was heavily relied upon in the offense that often featured a fullback in front of him to help provide additional blocking. This is something that the NFL has shied away from using to a great degree over the last several years with the emphasis changing to using the shotgun formation to a greater degree with the passing game being more largely featured.

The decision to study Peterson should help as he was the best running back in the league for several years behind the hard and aggressive running style that helped him achieve much success that includes earning the NFL MVP award. Barkley should have a chance to establish himself as one of the top young running backs in the league as he can also impact the game significantly in the passing game out of the backfield.

These steps taken by Barkley show that he is prepared to take on the hefty workload this upcoming season in New York.