One of the few things New York Giants fans can hang their hats on is they have one of the best players in the NFL in running back Saquon Barkley.
That is, if you’re not going by the website Pro Football Focus. They somehow omitted Barkley’s name on their latest list of “50 best players entering the 2020 season.”
The list has quite a few omissions. Ezekiel Elliott, for one.
I can see Barkley, whose 2019 season was marred by a high ankle sprain, being left off, but Elliott was second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage. Derrick Henry, the NFL’s rushing leader last season and an ascending player, is also absent.
The only two running backs on the list are Christian McCaffrey (No. 10) and Nick Chubb (No. 27), two deserving players. But where is Aaron Jones, who tied McCaffrey in touchdowns with 19 last season?
Barkley played in just 13 games last year. He was knocked out early in the Giants’ Week 3 victory over Tampa Bay and did not return to the lineup until Week 7, but was clearly not at the peak of his powers. He did not register another 100-yard rushing game until Week 14.
Barkley still managed to amass 1,003 rushing yards on the year along with 52 receptions for 438 yards (1,441 total yards, 11th best in the NFL) with eight total touchdowns.
We can see him dropping from the league’s radar, but he’s healthy now and any list of top players should not omit him nor Elliott, who is simply one of the best offensive performers in the NFL.
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