NFL Draft: Saquon Barkley views Scouting Combine as 'competitive event'

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is widely regarded as one of the top players available in the 2018 NFL Draft class.

Despite that being the case, Barkley recently told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he plans on participating in the NFL scouting combine that will take place early next month. (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk)

“To be out there with some of the best of the best and the best at your position … It’s not a competitive event but it really is if you think about it,” Barkley said on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt. “I just want to do the best I possibly can to not only challenge myself but challenge the other backs in there, too. I’m not just going to bash anybody that decides not to [participate]. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But me, I think it’s important. It helps you see where you’re at personally and against competitors who are competing for the same spot as you.”

The combine has often become the place where the top players choose to skip some of the drills to protect their stock, instead using their school's pro day to showcase their abilities on the field. Barkley doesn't appear to be too worried about any possible dip in his draft status but instead looks at it as another challenge to prove himself in front of NFL teams.

The 21-year-old is already regarded as one of the most athletically gifted players in this year's draft, and the various drills could further exemplify that notion. This is also a chance for him to sit down with perspective teams to show what kind of person he is off the field.

Barkley is coming off an impressive collegiate career at Penn State where he earned a consensus All-American honor (2017), two Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year awards, two First-Team All-Big Ten selections, and a Second-Team All-Big Ten nod. In each campaign, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards while breaking more than 1,200 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Barkley also set school records with 43 career rushing touchdowns, 1,076 rushing yards as a freshman, and the single-game record of 358 total yards.