The New York Giants haven’t had a running back like Saquon Barkley since the days of Tiki Barber, and even then it’s not even comparable. Barkley brings strengths in every aspect of the game – blocking, running, and catching. His ball security is also impeccable, which was something Barber struggled with early on in his career.
For the Giants, Barkley will be a godsend for quarterback Eli Manning, and will keep the hounds off of Odell Beckham Jr. in the pass game. Defenses will be forced to play close to the line of scrimmage in anticipation of the wheel route. Additionally, the Penn State star has the ability to swing out into a wide receiver spot, which will confuse the defense to no end.
How will the New York Giants use Saquon Barkley?
With the starlet running back holding a bountiful number of skills in his waistband, the Giants will be able to utilize him all over the field. Just check out this clip from Thursday’s training camp practice.
Having a back that can swing out wide from the shotgun formation will open up the field considerably – especially when facing off against a linebacker. Even Olivier Vernon, who has dominated at the outside linebacker position after making the transition from defense end, has been smoked by Barkley time and time again.
Similar to Saquon Barkley’s time at #PennState, shows here that he can be a threat out wide. #Giants #NFL pic.twitter.com/4agIMDVD5v
— Matt Lombardo ? (@MattLombardoNFL) August 2, 2018
So, we can establish several points now that we’ve seen the different looks head coach Pat Shurmur has thrown Barkley’s way:
1.) He can catch seamlessly
2.) He can lay a tough block on a linebacker or blitzing safety
3.) He can avoid tacklers close to the line of scrimmage
One of the most daunting attributes that Barkley possesses is his ability to move laterally. While he may not rely on patience to find holes in the defense, his speed and agility make up for it ten-fold. In college, he often bounced the ball to the outside in an attempt to beat the edge and pick up extra yardage. Don’t expect that to stop in the NFL. Of course, the coaches will advise him to shoot through holes rather than run towards the boundaries, his speed and power will allow him to win those battles consistently.
The bottom line, he’s a revolution back that will take the Giants’ offense to the next level.