Giants 2023 UFA Primer: RB Saquon Barkley
Feature (Series) - January 31, 2023
Just like when he takes off through the gaps for a 30-yard touchdown run, the rookie contract of running back Saquon Barkley has flashed before our eyes.
A native of the Bronx who moved to Pennsylvania for his high school and collegiate days, Barkley was selected second overall by the Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft, the first slew of draft picks made by then-general manager Dave Gettleman.
Hailing from Penn State University, the 25-year-old would play three seasons on the Nittany Lions football team, scouring 671 carries for 3,843 yards and 43 touchdowns on the ground and 102 receptions for 1,195 yards and eight touchdowns out wide. His talents would earn him two Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year recognitions and multiple All-Big Ten team nods.
The initial embrace by the New York faithful on draft night wouldn’t be as welcoming to Barkley. Many pundits and fans watching thought the Giants reached significantly for a running back at the No. 2 pick, especially for a position with its concerns with durability in recent history.
Gettleman thought Barkley was an incredible talent too worthy of passing up, even to the point of describing him as “touched by the hand of God” and a future Hall of Famer.