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RB Saquon Barkley, PHI (3 Viewers)

Pro Football Focus analyst Josh Liskiewitz ranked Penn State junior RB Saquon Barkley as the No. 1 returning player in the Big Ten.

"He boasts the second-highest returning overall grade from 2016 running backs, the second-most yards, the second-most yards after contact and posted more touchdowns and forced missed tackles than any returning back," writes Liskiewitz, who notes that Barkley has caused 146 missed tackles in just two seasons with the Nittany Lions. During the past campaign, the 5-foot-11, 222-pound Barkley rushed for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 404 yards and an additional four scores. Barkley has Heisman chops and should be in the running for a trip to New York for those festivities in 2017.
 
Source: Pro Football Focus

 
 

FOX Sports Bruce Feldman relays that he has spoken with several NFL personnel members who believe that Penn State junior RB Saquon Barkley will be a top-five pick should he declare for the 2018 NFL Draft.
Feldman heard this scuttlebutt while hanging out in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine this weekend. Barkley, one of the best returning players in the FBS, rushed for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns this past season. While projecting any player for the draft (in the top-five, at that) more than a year out is fraught with its own set of issues, there is no denying the phenomenal talent here. Barring injury, Barkley should be in the conversation.

 
 
Source: Bruce Feldman on Twitter 
Mar 5 - 4:46 PM

 
Penn State junior RB Saquon Barkley clocked a 4.33s 40-yard dash in spring testing.
A Northeast scout told MMQB: "[T]he hype is 100 percent warranted." FOX Sports Bruce Feldman reported last month that he had spoken with several NFL personnel members who believe Barkley will be a top-five pick if he declares for the 2018 NFL Draft. Barkley rushed for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns this past season. He's a prime Heisman contender.

 
 
Source: MMQB 
Apr 5 - 2:43 PM

 
If you're thinking about trading up for a RB this year, wait until next year.

One more highlight clip. No music, adds Rose Bowl, some receiving and some interviews

Video

 
Closest thing I've seen to Ladainian Tomlinson in running style and talent.  Some similarities to Portis as well.

 
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As someone who has watched every snap he's played at Penn State......I'm drooling at the idea of him on my fantasy teams next year.

I'm no scout but the kid is special.

 
I'm not going to tank my season this year.....but, I'm definitely considering not giving it my best effort. 

 
In his first 2018 mock draft, Sporting News' Eric Galko projected the Browns to select Penn State junior RB Saquon Barkley at No. 2.
"Depending on whether DeShone Kizer makes strides as a rookie, the Browns will have to decide whether to trust him for the long term or take a quarterback early in 2018," Galko writes of the choice between Barkley or a quarterback like Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen. He believes that the 5-foot-11, 222-pound Barkley could "grade as high as, if not higher than, Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott." The Penn State standout rushed for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns this past season.

 
 
Source: Sporting News 
Apr 30 - 1:23 PM

 
He's a freak. Has everything. I for sure like him more than Zeke and Fournette.

Chubb at 100% is an insane height/weight/speed specimen, but Barkley probably has a bit more bounce and agility.

It's a good year to own the 1.01 dev pick.

 
State junior RB Saquon Barkley told Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel that he would consider sitting out a potential 2017 bowl game to avoid injury.
"I would have a hard time doing it, but I’m not going to sit here and say I would never do it. I don’t know," Barkley said. While there was a minor rumble on the internet when LSU's Leonard Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey opted to sit out bowl action this winter in order to preserve their health ahead of the NFL Draft, those decisions did nothing to hurt the pair of top-10 picks when all was said and done. Barkley is a shortlist Heisman contender for the coming season and a potential top-10 pick in his own right. He racked up 1,496 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns during the past campaign.

 
 
Source: Sports Illustrated 
May 2 - 9:01 PM

 
Lamar Jackson can learn from RG3's missteps to continue rise

Excerpt:

Is PSU RB worthy of the hype?

At a time when the running back position is seemingly devalued, hype is running rampant for Penn State RB Saquon Barkley in NFL scouting circles heading into the summer.

"He's special," said an NFC scout. "He is as complete as they come at the position." 

With such lofty praise being heaped in the 5-foot-11, 223-pound junior's direction, I thought I would pop in some tape to see if Barkley deserves to be in the conversation with Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette heading into the season. Considering how each of those players came off the board at with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2016 and 2017 drafts, respectively, Barkley has to be a special player to earn that kind of respect in the scouting world.

After studying the game tape, I believe Barkley is a blue-collar runner with a unique game that mixes power with finesse. He has the speed, quickness and burst to turn the corner on any defense, yet he is a nasty downhill runner with enough thump to run through contact at the point of attack. He repeatedly breaks tackles in the hole by lowering his shoulder into the defender, and he will follow it up with a subtle wiggle to avoid the next tackler. Barkley's uncanny ability to shift from power to finesse is uncommon, which is why running back coaches will salivate over his game at the next level.

Barkley also displays impressive skills as a receiver out of the backfield. He catches the ball cleanly and runs routes like a receiver in space. He is a versatile playmaker who's capable of aligning anywhere in the formation to create a mismatch in the passing game. As the NFL continues to evolve and incorporate running backs into the aerial attack as mismatch options, Barkley's ability to catch the ball could make him a difference maker in a multifaceted system.

I believe his blocking skills could give him the edge over others at the position, too. He is a pro-ready pass protector with sound technique and the requisite physicality to challenge linebackers in the pocket. Barkley's effectiveness in pass pro is surprising to see from a young player, which is why he will earn high marks from scouts checking out his tape this summer.

From a critical standpoint, I will cite his inconsistent production as a bit of a concern. Despite gaining nearly 1,500 rushing yards (1,496 to be exact) as a sophomore, he only had five games with 100 or more yards on the season. Sure, Barkley posted a pair of 200-yard games, but elite runners are expected to post significant production each week and his disappearing acts will lead to questions about his ability to dominate at the next level. It makes it hard to compare his impact potential to Elliott's and Fournette's because they consistently topped the 100-yard mark throughout their careers.

In the end, I'm very impressed with Barkley's game and potential. He reminds me of a young Frank Gore based on his running style, versatility and durability as a RB1. Although he hasn't put the finishing touches on his collegiate resume, Barkley certainly has the talent and potential to be a dominant player at the next level.
 
"From a critical standpoint, I will cite his inconsistent production as a bit of a concern. Despite gaining nearly 1,500 rushing yards (1,496 to be exact) as a sophomore, he only had five games with 100 or more yards on the season. Sure, Barkley posted a pair of 200-yard games, but elite runners are expected to post significant production each week and his disappearing acts will lead to questions about his ability to dominate at the next level. It makes it hard to compare his impact potential to Elliott's and Fournette's because they consistently topped the 100-yard mark throughout their careers."

This comes across as pretty lame analysis.  I do have some questions as to what happened vs Michigan (15-59), Indiana (33-58) and Michigan St (12-14), but I'm not really concern about his ability to dominate when he puts up 9-68 vs Temple or only gets 99 yards (@ 8.3ypc) vs Ohio State or 92 yards (@ 5.8ypc) vs Rutgers.  This is like FF players losing their minds when Julio isn't putting up 8-150-3 each week.  "He's not dominating!!"

 
He's a freak. Has everything. I for sure like him more than Zeke and Fournette.

Chubb at 100% is an insane height/weight/speed specimen, but Barkley probably has a bit more bounce and agility.

It's a good year to own the 1.01 dev pick.
Say the Jets take him top 5 next year...you'd take him over Zeke?  Is he more talented...probably. I love Gurley's talent but man do the Rams sucks.  The difference between the three will be surrounding talent and o-line.  And he'll need to stay on the ground a bit more in the NFL or he will end up like Jhavid Best.

 
Gurley was never as elusive as Barkely. Gurley is a size/speed guy, but his moves are nothing crazy. Barkley is a shifty guy. Reminds me of Lynch.

I think the supporting cast will obviously be important, but in a vacuum I'd definitely consider Barkley a top 5 dynasty RB right now. Do you take him over Zeke, Bell, or DJ? It's hard to pass up the bird in hand, but he's one of the best I've seen in college in a while.

Best's situation was a bit freaky (never the same after that fall against Oregon State) and Barkley is way bigger than Best.

 
EBF said:
Gurley was never as elusive as Barkely. Gurley is a size/speed guy, but his moves are nothing crazy. Barkley is a shifty guy. Reminds me of Lynch.

I think the supporting cast will obviously be important, but in a vacuum I'd definitely consider Barkley a top 5 dynasty RB right now. Do you take him over Zeke, Bell, or DJ? It's hard to pass up the bird in hand, but he's one of the best I've seen in college in a while.

Best's situation was a bit freaky (never the same after that fall against Oregon State) and Barkley is way bigger than Best.
That's why we (ok, I) call him S.o.B.

Son of Beastmode

 
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Gurley was never as elusive as Barkely. Gurley is a size/speed guy, but his moves are nothing crazy. Barkley is a shifty guy. Reminds me of Lynch.

I think the supporting cast will obviously be important, but in a vacuum I'd definitely consider Barkley a top 5 dynasty RB right now. Do you take him over Zeke, Bell, or DJ? It's hard to pass up the bird in hand, but he's one of the best I've seen in college in a while.

Best's situation was a bit freaky (never the same after that fall against Oregon State) and Barkley is way bigger than Best.
I don't see any way you can take Barkley over the big three of Zeke, Bell, and DJ right now. Risk/reward doesn't make sense.

But after that, it gets really interesting and I think you can make the case for him as high as #4. I just drafted in a mixed devy/rookie draft and really went back and forth on Barkley vs. Mixon (who I love). I think the two are both massive talents, but ended up going with Barkley with character as the tie-breaker. 

 
I'm very high on Barkley but no way is he top 5 right now.  We don't even know where he'll end up, or if he avoids injury, let alone worth waiting at least a year on the return. 

 
I'm very high on Barkley but no way is he top 5 right now.  We don't even know where he'll end up, or if he avoids injury, let alone worth waiting at least a year on the return. 
I probably agree.  I like Barkley a lot but people were pretty darn high on Chubb/Freeman/Cook a year ago.  A lot can change between now and when he's on an actual team.

 
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I'm very high on Barkley but no way is he top 5 right now.  We don't even know where he'll end up, or if he avoids injury, let alone worth waiting at least a year on the return. 
I won't argue too much, but my opinion is that the top 3 have separated from the pack and 4 to 13 are kind of personal preference and in basically the same tier.

You have that huge 2nd tier of guys like Melvin Gordon, Devonta Freeman, Leonard Fournette, Todd Gurley, Jay Ajayi, Joe Mixon, Jordan Howard, Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, etc. that goes from #4 to #13. 

I personally have no problem putting Barkley into that tier already. If I was a contender and desperate for production at RB, I can see having him at the bottom of the tier. If I wasn't a contender or was a contender with good RB depth, I'd absolutely consider taking Barkley over anyone in that tier. When you look at age (20 y/o), his talent level, top notch character, no serious injuries, etc. I don't see how he's any riskier a bet long-term than anyone else in that tier...

 
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He's Eddie Lacy if Eddie Lacy decided to stop eating China food. Not a fan of the hurdling thing but looks the part.

 
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Penn State junior RB Saquon Barkley ran for just 47 yards on 10 carries, but caught four passes for 142 yards and a score in a 56-0 demolition of Georgia State on Saturday.

Somewhat surprisingly, Barkley struggled on the ground, but the 5-foot-11, 222-pound tailback was able to gash the Georgia State defense as a receiver. His touchdown was an 85-yarder from quarterback Trace McSorley that made it 7-0 Penn State, and that was all the offense they really needed. He'll likely go back to piling up the rushing yards in the Nittany Lions next game against Iowa.

 

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