Saquon Barkley has arrived. The New York Giants rookie running did not waste much time in showing what the Cleveland Browns missed when they selected quarterback Baker Mayfield instead of the former Penn State tailback in this year’s NFL Draft.
In his very first carry in the NFL, Barkley broke tackles and zoomed out of the backfield for a 39-yard run during the first quarter of Thursday’s preseason match against the Browns.
Welcome to Saquon Barkley, NFL #Giants pic.twitter.com/aa2vM6lNBU
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) August 9, 2018
Granted that the game featured plenty of third and fourth stringers on both ends of the field, Barkley’s explosiveness can’t be understated. Plus, it also shows how capable he is in detecting gaps on the opposing defense and in utilizing his smooth footwork to get through those spaces.
Barkley is expected to bring a lot to the Giants’ offense. Last season, New York was second worst in the league in scoring offense, averaging fewer than 16 points per game in 2017. Barkley gives the Giants’ backfield a tremendous shot in the arm, something that was sorely missed a year ago when the team generated just 96.8 yards on the ground per week.
With Barkley in tow, the Giants can spread out their offense a little bit, giving Eli Manning and the team’s air attack some more breathing room to operate.
In three years at Penn State, Saquon Barkley racked up 1,195 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry.
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