CBS Sports released their “Top 100 players in the NFL” list earlier this week, stressing that it should not be confused with Pete Prisco’s list of a similar name, and only one member of the New York Giants made the cut.
To no one’s surprise, that player was sophomore running back Saquon Barkley, who took the league by storm in 2018, ultimately closing out the season with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
21. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
Our top-ranked running back, Barkley is a truly rare player archetype. Last season, Barkley became just the seventh player in NFL history to run for at least 1,000 yards and catch at least 90 passes in the same season — and the first to do so as a rookie. His 2,028 yards from scrimmage led the NFL. He’s not the most efficient back on an every-snap basis, but he makes up for it with an incredible volume of explosive plays, and an improved offensive line should help with the efficiency.
Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated over Barkley’s 21st ranking — he did lead all running backs, who were clearly undervalued on this list, and beat out other players like Jalen Ramsey, Matt Ryan and Zack Martin.
Barkley, of course, will not be satisfied with sitting at No. 21 overall, but the good news is that it will only added that much more motivation for the young back in 2019.
After a rookie season in which he surpassed 2,000 yards from scrimmage, Barkley is expected to take on a larger offensive role for the Giants and should find more success behind a vastly improved offensive line.
