Speed, agility and power—Penn State running back Saquon Barkley offers them all. The third year runner dominated all season for the Nittany Lions and is highly expected to declare early for the 2018 NFL Draft. Scouts are unsure where Barkley could go as he’s been projected to go as high as No. 1 overall or could go behind a slew of talented signal callers who may also declare early. Position aside, Barkley is the draft’s top prospect. Running backs aren’t as high as a priority as they used to be but Barkley could be different. Should he go first overall? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate this question.
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley (26) breaks free for a 92-yard touchdown run against Washington during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Riley: Barkley is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson and he’ll dominate once he hits the professional scene. That quality alone should have him going first overall. He’s a game changer. The acceleration, the hands and the power are reminiscent of Bo Jackson, and those type of players don’t just pop up on scouting reports every year. The Cleveland Browns will once again draft first overall and the pressure will be on them to take a signal caller as the quarterback position has eluded them for decades now. Regardless, Barkley is the top talent and could turn the Browns into an actual, watchable unit should he don the brown and orange next season.
Green: Running backs have increasingly become a dime a dozen considering the rate at which they get injured and how many talented runners a team can find late in drafts. I love Barkley as a talent, but running back simply isn’t the priority it used to be. And when you factor in it’s Cleveland drafting, they’ll be hard pressed to select a signal caller regardless of how talented Barkley is. Make no mistake: I think Barkley is the best talent in the draft but he’s not what the Browns need.
Riley: The best clubs draft talent over need, and considering the Browns are trying their hardest to change things around, they may need to seriously consider Barkley at No. 1. Running backs are aplenty but there’s definitely a difference in guys like Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell, Arizona’s David Johnson and Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott and the rest of the field. Those type of runners are franchise stars and make their teams’ quarterbacks take a backseat. Barkley might not be exactly what Cleveland wants but he’s precisely what they need to start turning things around.
Green: If Cleveland drafts anything else beside a quarterback fans could potentially revolt. They’ve spent too many years trying to stack up on skill players and use later picks to draft signal callers and that plan has exploded in their faces more times than not. If this was any other team like Tampa Bay or even the New York Giants, I’d be all in favor of Barkley as those teams have reputable quarterbacks already in place. However, that’s not the case, and Barkley could find himself slipping down the board as the run on signal callers will be top priority as usual.
