If there was one player who has unexpectedly made himself known to the NFL word – it is Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants. The 25-year-old running back has surely made a fan in former league star turned analyst, Shannon Sharpe.
While discussing the mammoth Week 1 for Saquon Barkley, Sharpe emphasized upon the prowess of the young lad. Moreover, the latter often detailed upon how important it is for Barkley to stay healthy if he wants to rank amongst the best of his age group and maybe even beyond.
Shannon Sharpe quoted on Undisputed, “So, Skip if he (Saquon Barkley) can run for power, we had him in here and we saw the size of his leg, we saw the breakaway speed that he displayed. (He) caught 91 passes as a rookie 0 shows that he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s a home run getter.
Can Saquon Barkley be the next big running back in NFL?
Saquon Barkley rushed for a staggering 164 yards on 18 carries and even added 6 receptions for 30 yards, with a game-winning 2-point conversion in his team’s win over Tennesse Titans 21-20. These spoken off yards were the most Saquon had rushed for since late in the 2019 season. On the same note, Sharpe initially emphasized how this RB had 1,300 rushing yards, averaged over five yards per carry, had 2,000 yards from scrimmage and even caught 91 passes.
Sharpe added, “The only question was, ‘Can he stay healthy?’ He’s a guy that can get you 13-14 odd yards. He can absolutely be one of the best backs in football. Saquon Barkley can be amongst the best (after giving Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry’s reference), if he is healthy. This kid is legit, I just hope this kid can stay healthy. Because that’s just the concern anyone will have with this kid.”
Barkley’s heroics were evident in the third quarter when the Ginats were down by 13. He found the gap and ran down the side-line for a 68-yard rush to get New York Giants into elite scoring position. Will we witness the legendary of this 25-year-old continuing in Week 2 when his team lock horns against the Carolina Panthers? Time will tell.
