Former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs still feels that Saquon Barkley is the best running back in the NFL, regardless of his injury status and drop-off in production.
Not sure if Jacobs has been watching the games this season or not. I’m assuming he is and is just being supportive. It’s clear Barkley is still dealing with the after effects of the high ankle sprain he sustained in Week 3 and has not been the same player since his return in Week 7.
Barkley, who gained a league-high 2,028 total yards from scrimmage in 2018 (1,307 rushing, 721 receiving) appears to be a shell of what he was last season, averring just 57.6 yards per game as opposed to the 81.7 last season.
Even if Barkley were healthy, he would be hard-pressed to match either Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey, Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette of Jacksonville or Cleveland’s Nick Chubb this season.
Barkley does not have the same elusiveness or explosiveness this season he had as a rookie. That could be injury-related but the NFL is unforgiving. Defenses don’t care why you’re not doing it any longer. They just know that you’re not doing any longer.
