Browns fans throw shade at New York Giants Saquon Barkley

The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants selected first and second in the 2018 NFL Draft.

In some quarters, it was thought Cleveland’s pick would influence the New York Giants. That turned out not to be the case, as quarterback Baker Mayfield was scooped up by the Browns. That left an unexpected decision to be made by Big Blue.

Would the team draft prohibitive fan favorite running back Saquon Barkley (Penn State) or quarterback Sam Darnold (USC)?

The G-Men wasted little time turning in their card with Barkley’s name etched on it. And with the New York Jets in the No. 3 draft position, they happily took Darnold with the next pick. Usually, there’s a competition between the top two draft picks for NFL supremacy, yet surprisingly Mayfield hasn’t gotten a tremendous amount of national attention.

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Maybe it’s a case of “been there, done that” for media members who have seen countless Browns draft picks become busts, including Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

According to Pro Football Reference, Mayfield has been solid, completing nearly 62 percent of his passes. In addition, he’s on pace to throw for more than 4,000 yards this season. Mayfield also has more touchdowns (13) than interceptions (7), a good barometer of rookie QB performance.

Even New York Giants fans have to admit, that much of the publicity for the 2018 NFL Draft class has gone Saquon Barkley’s way. And as expected, the quarterback class has struggled to get its footing, so far this season.

Ironically, the two most impressive rookies, aside from Barkley, maybe linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (Dallas) and tackle Mike McGlinchey (San Francisco).

Plus there’s a new contender in the rookie-of-the-year race – running back Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns.

2018 NFL Draft Class Debate

It used to be the case that fans would have to wait at least five years to determine the success or failure of a draft pick or draft class. That timetable has sped up completely, to the point where we can justifiably evaluate the Class of 2016.

After some initial concerns, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff has assuaged all fears. In fact, the top five selections all seem to be very solid. In fact, the first slippage can be found at, you guessed it, No. 10 overall with former New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple.

In terms of evaluating the entire draft, the best selection, considering draft slot and production, is at No. 47 with wide receiver Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints.

Can Nick Chubb (No. 35) be that player in the 2018 NFL Draft?

As you can see, right now Chubb wins the statistical battle versus the former Penn State star. With the endless praise heaped upon Barkley since the draft, it’s fair to make comparisons, but not right now.

Let’s wait until the season is over to see where both guys stand.

Is Barkley’s criticism fair?

Belatedly, we are seeing analysts be critical of Barkley’s running style. And for the Barkley supporters out there, it’s fair criticism. The New York Giants offensive line has borne the brunt of criticism all season, but they had their best game in the 27-23 against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.

ESPN analyst Booger McFarland made the same point about Barkley that Geoff Schwartz did in this tweet, about his constant desire to bounce the play to the outside. It is a recurring theme. The point being that if the offensive line can absorb some bullets, so can the No. 2 overall pick.

Sometimes God-given talent has difficulty breaking bad habits. These players have had success at every lower level due to their ability alone. That’s why many quarterbacks wash out of the NFL earlier than they should. Instead of refining the talent, coaches just let the player play and produce against inferior athletes.

In fact, Barkley’s former college coach, James Franklin, seemingly got into the act this week.

There should be little doubt that this statement was aimed directly at Barkley. Perhaps, the Penn State community is somewhat upset that Barkley somehow became a one-man team over the past year. No player, not even Saquon Barkley, can produce without a supporting cast,

Of course he has an opportunity to become a damn good football player for the New York Giants. But as former great New York Giants coach Bill Parcells once said, “let’s not put him into Canton on roller skates.”

As we saw with the Le’Veon Bell situation playing out as it did with the Pittsburgh Steelers, no one player is irreplaceable, even if you are touched by the “Hand of God.” Replacement running back Jame Conner has been every bit as good as Bell, at a fraction of the cost. With the amount of money being paid to Barkley out of the gate, the G-Men have yet to see adequate bang for their buck.