NY Giants’ top 3 MVP candidates: Can anyone best Saquon Barkley?

Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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Saquon Barkley, NY Giants
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports) /

1) RB – Saquon Barkley

Even with Golladay’s arrival, and the expectations on Jones’ shoulders, the NY Giants’ offense is going to funnel through Barkley.

Barkley’s health and durability will linger over this season as the biggest question mark facing both the organization and the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, when it comes to determining the running back’s future.

As a rookie, Barkley produced over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage, but in an offense that will likely utilize him equally as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and as a runner, he could eclipse those numbers if he’s able to avoid another significant injury, like the torn ACL that ended his season in Week 2 of the 2020 campaign.

There’s a chance that the NY Giants will only go as far as Barkley can take them in 2021, especially if the commitment both to the running game, and using the ground attack to open up the passing game in 2020 were any indication. That bodes well for Barkley being the Giants’ most prolific weapon.

Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL