New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Not The Only Young Leader On Offense

The New York Giants have been surrounded by controversy in the media recently. A lot of the controversy stems from the Giants’ quarterback position. Eli Manning is 38 years old, meaning the Giants need to find their next franchise quarterback sooner than later.

However, Eli’s age is not the only reason that fans and analysts want to see the Giants find a new quarterback. Many have been placing the blame of last season’s 5-11 finish on Eli Manning. Many members of the New York Giants have been coming out and defending their quarterback, like head coach Pat Shurmur and superstar running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley spoke out and defended Eli Manning and was instantly praised as a leader. Being Barkley is heading into his second NFL season, it is great to see him be such a vocal leader this early in his career. However, Saquon Barkley is not the only young leader on the New York Giants’ offense.

Will Hernandez Is Proving To Be A Leader

Saquon Barkley was the Giants’ 1st round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. Their 2nd round selection was the powerful left guard Will Hernandez out of Texas El-Paso.

Will Hernandez was a tremendous acquisition for the Giants. Hernandez was arguably the best player on the Giants’ offensive line in his rookie season. In 2018, Hernandez finished with the 2nd highest rookie grade at his position according to Pro Football Focus with an overall grade of 65.8.

After Saquon Barkley’s public defense for his quarterback, Will Hernandez decided to do the same via Instagram:

It is clear that the Giants have not given up on Eli Manning just yet, even if the media has. Not the team brass, the coaches, or the players. Eli Manning still has respect from his team and has their full support. It is good to see the young Giants players show respect to a Giants legend like Manning.

Showing public support for a heavily scrutinized teammate is step one to becoming a team leader. Will Hernandez and Saquon Barkley will probably both wear captain’s patches one day. The lasting impact from these players as performers and captains will be a true testament to how good Dave Gettleman’s 2018 NFL Draft truly was.