Previewing the NY Giants’ running back position group
The Incumbent Starter: Saquon Barkley
Saquon Barkley is one of the league’s great young superstars. He is one of the most recognizable names in the entire NFL. Not many guys can make the crazy cuts and jumps with his unmatched blend of power and speed and vision.
We don’t need to regurgitate the impressive list of accomplishments this man has accomplished by age 23. He has several more accolades and awards to come hopefully in the near future.
Saquon will look to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore season. He has been aggressively rehabbing his ankle and he said his ankle feels fully healed now.
Expect Saquon to be utilized in several ways. He will be used to run between the tackles, he will run to the outside and hopefully be used in the slot and the outside to utilize his excellent receiving skills.
The Giants have somewhat neglected what made Barkley so dominant while he was at Penn State. Shotgun draws, read options, and creativity made him so successful in the Nittany Lions’ offense. The Giants now have a mobile enough quarterback to justify making these concepts staples of the offense.
At Penn State, Saquon was used in so many ways, specifically in the team’s passing game. Barkley thrives at running wheels, screens, slants, and even deep routes to open up the entire field and wreck defenses. He is a talented, crisp route runner with the speed and soft hands to make a play when the ball does come his way. Saquon in space is one of the biggest mismatches in all of football.
Jason Garrett must find creative, innovative ways to use Barkley as a weapon for the team’s offense. He can open up so much more for the offense than how he was used in the last two seasons.
Most importantly, he must remain an important part of the game in both the first and second half of games. Give him the ball early and often and watch great things happen. Saquon should have a bounceback season assuming he stays healthy.
It would be a disappointment if he didn’t pick up 1,500 or more all-purpose yards while reaching the century mark on the ground again. Saquon is an excellent red-zone option and he should return back to double-digit touchdown numbers for 2020.