There was plenty of speculation regarding what the New York Giants planned to do with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They decided to go against the grain by taking Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.
The Giants have done nothing but sing Barkley's praises since the draft. However, it appears that the decision was not as clear-cut as they made it out to be.
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, New York had given the same draft grade to NC State defensive end Saquon Barkley:
To state the Giants are smitten with Barkley is an understatement. To say they graded him top in this draft class is inaccurate. When the evaluation process was complete, the Giants assigned the same grade to Barkley and Chubb. On the draft board, though, Barkley was stacked ahead of Chubb.
While the news may have come as a bit of a revelation considering how excited the Giants are with their choice, it certainly makes sense. Where Barkley was touted as the best offensive player in the draft, Chubb was rated as the best defensive player.
It goes without saying that in today's NFL, pass-rushers have become the second-most valuable commodity for teams behind quarterbacks. Meanwhile, running backs are starting to become somewhat expendable due to the pass-heavy nature of the league. That said, the move to take Barkley over Chubb may seem like a bit of a bold one for New York. However, there are those that believe the former to be the exception to the rule.
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