#1 – Penn State RB Saquon Barkley
No surprise here, Barkley takes the top spot. The Nittany Lions 5-foot-11, 228-pound running back is considered the top prospect at his position by most draft analysts, and both Miller and Kiper have him listed as the No. 1 overall prospect regardless of position.
The G-Men are likely to use the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback, but that doesn’t mean Big Blue should dismiss the idea of taking Barkley in the first-round. Penn State’s first-team All-American running back will be an immediate game-changer at the next level, similar to Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette the past two seasons.
While the Giants offensive line is nowhere near as talented as Dallas or Jacksonville, adding Barkley to New York’s offense would give the franchise two dynamic playmakers. Big Blue already has their franchise wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr., and adding Barkley could give them a similar combination to Pittsburgh’s offense in Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.
Of course, the Giants still have to rework the offensive line, but running backs likely Barkley don’t come along often. He will be arguably the most NFL-ready prospect in the 2018 draft class should he declare and will be instant dual-threat in any backfield.
Through three seasons in the Big Ten, Barkley has amassed 3,706 rushing yards, 1,157 receiving yards, and has scored 49 touchdowns.