Top 4 takeaways from New York Giants preseason opener

Saquon Barkley Shows Off Big Play Potential

It was only a small sample size, but if there were any questions about Saquon Barkley’s home-run potential, he answered it on his first carry.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft broke a 39-yard run on his first touch, leading to New York’s only points of the first half. He made a beautiful jump cut in the backfield to make a tackler miss and then put on the burners as he turned upfield.

He finished the night with five carries for 43 yards. Barkley was known for his ability to rack up yards on big plays at Penn State. He gained 56.8 percent of his total rushing yards on runs of 15-plus yards in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.

Of course, New York’s humble rookie credited the offensive line and tight end Evan Engram for the big play.

"“What I saw on that first carry, the offensive line did a great job of creating space and creating a hole. I was able to have patience and [tight end] Evan [Engram] did an unbelievable job of blocking on the backside, and I was able to burst through the hole, make a guy miss and get up field.”"