No running back has gone in the top two of a draft since Reggie Bush 12 years ago, but the Giants may be leaning toward using their top offseason investment on a ball-carrier that’s been labeled as one of the highest-ceiling backs to emerge in many years.
“I’ve heard really strongly that there are important people in that building who believe in Saquon Barkley the player, that that’s what they want to be,” ESPN’s Todd McShay said, via Tom Rock of Newsday. “The Giants want to be a run-first, physical football team and Saquon can basically be the face of that franchise moving forward several years. … It just feels to me like it’s inevitable that Saquon Barkley is going to be a New York Giant.”
The Giants brought Barkley in for a visit, and their coaching staff is sold on the Penn State standout. The Giants have been linked to Sam Darnold at No. 2, if he’s there, for a while. But Barkley’s name has come up in recent days as well. While the Alvin Kamara/Kareem Hunt offensive rookie of the year debate showed how top-end backs can be acquired later in the draft, but McShay added Barkley “is different” than the type of back that can be acquired in later rounds. In Dave Gettleman‘s previous draft as a Giants exec, the Giants used their No. 32 overall pick on David Wilson in 2012, and an injury shortened his career to just two seasons. The team’s previous such investment came in 2000, when the then-Ernie Accorsi-led Giants took Ron Dayne at No. 7. Gettleman was in his second year as Big Blue’s pro personnel director at that point.
Here’s the latest from the Big Apple teams:
- If Josh Allen goes No. 1 overall to the Browns, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News isn’t sold that on the Giants wanting Darnold at No. 2. Instead, he envisions a scenario in which the Giants trade down with the Bills to acquire the No. 12 and No. 22 picks plus one of the Bills’ second rounders (Nos. 53 or 56). There is apparently a split in the front office over the team’s evaluation of Darnold, though it should be noted that GM Gettleman never traded down in the first round while in Carolina. In this scenario, Mehta believes the Jets will select Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield at No. 3 over Josh Rosen.
- Could the release of Brandon Marshall lead the Giants to Dez Bryant? When asked about the possibility of signing the former Cowboys star, Gettleman didn’t close the door. “I have interest in everybody,” Gettleman said (via Danny Abriano of SNY.tv). “We do our film work. You never know.” The Giants may lead the pack in terms of teams Bryant wants to land with, having made it clear he wants revenge against the Cowboys.
- While this could go without saying, Newsday’s Calvin Watkins notes CEO Christopher Johnson and other Jets brass are concerned about Robby Anderson‘s behavior. The talented wideout saw a felony charge against him dropped, but the arrest earlier this year — one of many traffic-related issues he’s dealt with over the past several years — still has a misdemeanor charge standing.
Zach Links contributed to this report.
Giants need to take Barkley because he will be a major factor to winning now. He will also prolong Eli’s career by 2-3 years by giving him a solid running game and another option for short dump off passes with the opportunity to gain big chunks of yards. Plus if the giants get a bounce back season from there defense the addition of Barkley could result in a lot of wins immediately
I agree. I really hope it happens
It will also make transition to new QB for life after Eli easier if he turns out to e a force.
The Browns are stupid if they don’t take Barkley number 1
Come on Friday. Pizza night. Can’t wait.
Agree. Take him and let the qbs go. If there’s anyone left trade back in. Take Barkley first and Chubbs/Nelson fourth. Someone makes a deal trade down. All makes too much sense for Cleveland.
If you have the 1st and 4th pick and you have won 1 game in the last 2 seasons you NEED to take a QB with one of those picks. I think you are crazy!! How does it make sense to not take a QB when you don’t have one(Tyrod Taylor is not the future) and this could be the best QB class in years
Forget about Barkley going first overall to Cleveland. They still have nightmares about the Trent Richardson disaster. Darnold is the lock at #1.
Said it before, will say it again. Barkley will be one of the top two picks. Works for either team.
I would bet you on that. Barkley could easily fall out of top two. NYG could trade down to a team that moved up for a QB.
The problem still remains, the Giants did little to upgrade their OL. Solder was a good add, but they lost a few decent players and haven’t replaced them.
They really need Ereck Flowers to become the guy they thought he could be when they made him a first rounder.
Mehta thinks the Giants could trade down with the Bills to 12 and only get back a first and a second? Does he realize that the Jets has to give three seconds just to get from 6 to 3? Personally if I was Gettleman I wouldn’t even consider it without both seconds and next year’s first, and even then I probably wouldn’t do it because the drop off in talent between 2 and 12 is just too big.
He said they will give up both first (12 and 22)and a second
I thought the article said that Mehta said that they would get both of the bills first rounders and then a second rounder
If the Giants aren’t sold on Darnold, why wouldn’t they just take Barkley? Mehta’s reasoning that the Giants will trade with Buffalo if they aren’t sold on Darnold is flaw. Just take Barkley. No need to trade with the Bills.
Put 8 men in the box make Eli beat you. He won’t.
Maybe Eli won’t but good luck stopping Odell with 8 men in the box…… that’s just asking him to break a long TD run
Is that the guy who gets beat up by kicker net and cries and get on field due to injuries?
It is the guy who is going to be the highest paid WR of all time. And leads the NFL in total TD catches and TD catches of over 40 yards since he entered the league. So in my book he can do whatever he wants with the kicking net and he could even pretend to be a dog and pee on the field. He’s the most explosive player in the league. Add Barkley to that offense and he will be even better