Saquon Barkley on Daniel Jones: ‘I believe in him’
By Bryan Perez
New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley is already a big-time fan of rookie QB Daniel Jones.
Second-year running back Saquon Barkley has quickly become the biggest superstar in New York sports following the departure of Odell Beckham, Jr. this offseason. And with that title comes a new role as the face of the Giants.
Barkley was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 after finishing the season with 1,307 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He added 721 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver, too.
Ironically, when general manager Dave Gettleman selected Barkley with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, he was criticized for not drafting Sam Darnold or one of the other highly-rated quarterbacks in that class. One year later, he’s being criticized for selecting Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall.
Barkley is taking a more reasonable approach to the pick.
“Right now it’s, ‘Oh he’s an awful pick.’ But when he wins two Super Bowls everyone’s gonna be like, ‘Oh he was the greatest pick of all time.’ That’s just how life works,” Barkley said Saturday via SNY.
When he wins two Super Bowls? Those are some pretty high expectations.
“I believe in him,” Barkley said.
It’s highly unlikely we’ll see much of Jones in 2019, barring an absolute meltdown from Eli Manning. Instead, the former Duke Bluedevil will have a rare opportunity to sit and learn how to be a pro’s pro behind Manning, an actual two-time Super Bowl champ and a player who most would agree goes about his business the right way.
Jones entered the 2019 draft process as a prospect many assumed would be a first-round pick because of the hunger for starting-quality quarterbacks in the league. Few, however, had him rated ahead of Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins or even Missouri’s Drew Lock.
Haskins was selected 15th overall by the Redskins and Lock fell to the Broncos in the second round.
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Jones’ draft slot has created expectations that are probably unfair. Every throw, every rep, every decision will be under the massive New York media microscope and it’s critical he gets off to a hot start in the preseason.
Until then, it helps that he has a big fan in Barkley, whose opinion carries a lot of weight in the Big Apple.