New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has already been named to two “under 25” lists this year — the first coming via Pro Football Focus and the second courtesy of CBS Sports.
That trend continued on Thursday as Marc Sessler of NFL Network released his “NFL All-Under-25 Team,” which predictably featured Barkley right out of the gate.
Running back: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (22 as of Sept. 5). What more could you ask from a rookie? The Offensive Rookie of the Year had nine big-play snaps of 40-plus yards — five more than any other back. The second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft also finished second among runners with 91 catches and rolled through his rookie season as the central focus of New York’s offense. Like Elliott before him, Barkley has fully delivered on his lofty draft pedigree. It’s worth noting that Todd Gurley — knee concerns aside — turns 25 on Aug. 3, before the opener.
This time however, Barkley wasn’t alone. Unlike the PFF and CBS Sports lists where the running back was the only Giant represented, sophomore guard Will Hernandez got the nod on NFL.com’s list.
Offensive guards: Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts (23 as of Sept. 5) and Will Hernandez, New York Giants (24 as of Sept. 5). The Colts keep giving, with the presence of Nelson, who graded out as PFF’s fourth-best run-blocking guard and anchored an Indy line that properly protected Andrew Luck for the first time in Earth’s history. A nasty football lifer, Nelson would make any gridiron list around — forget the age requirement. Hernandez, meanwhile, brought a dose of stability to a Giants front lost at sea. Both Andrus Peat and Joe Thuney — a couple of blue-hairs — are 25-plus.
Both Barkley and Hernandez are deserving members of this list, but the fact that defensive lineman B.J. Hill continues to be overlooked is a travesty.
