The 2018 NFL Draft is drawing near which means the rumors on who is going to take who are going to start flying fast and furious. For instance, according to the latest talk to hit the rumor mill, the New York Giants are looking to go with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick in the draft.
One personnel evaluator told ESPN that he thinks the moves the Giants have made in the offseason are pointing towards taking Barkley with the No. 2 pick:
“You can see where this is headed. Just look at all their moves this offseason. It leads to Saquon Barkley.”
It is not hard to understand why the Giants would go with Barkley. He is one of the most dynamic players in the draft. With him, they can fill a hole on their roster and in their defense that has existed for years.
But what about their quarterback of the future?
At 37, Manning is one bone-crunching hit from calling it a career. But, assuming he remains injury free, they could easily get 2-3 more good years out of him. That would give them time to see if Davis Webb is a viable option. They could also select a quarterback in the later rounds of the draft and develop him.
Beefing up the offensive line with former Patriots guard Nate Solder certainly makes it look like the Giants want to protect Manning. Giving Manning a threat like Barkley in the backfield will protect him even more.
Pass rushers will have to slow down in order to make sure they don’t lose track of the elusive Barkley. If the pass rush is slower, Manning will get hit less, and he’ll have more time to find Odell Beckham Jr. downfield. If he can’t hit OBJ, he can always dump it off to Barkley in the flats.
The move makes sense, but for now, it is just a rumor.
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