Saquon Barkley is one of the most popular prospects heading into the 2018 NFL Draft this evening. He has seen his name in mock drafts as high as No. 1 overall and as low as the late teens. At this point in time, however, many believe that he will end up going in the top-five.
Looking at his potential suitors, the New York Giants could make sense with the No. 3 overall pick and the Cleveland Browns could consider him at No. 4 as well. Indianapolis might consider a running back in the first round at No. 6, but they have bigger needs. Finally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a perfect landing spot.
According to the latest CBS Sports mock draft, the Buccaneers will take Barkley with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. It would be a huge pickup for the Buccaneers, who finally moved on from Doug Martin this offseason.
Bringing in a talent like Barkley would be exactly what the doctor ordered for Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay offense. Winston has been unable to live up to the hype over the last couple of years, but a legitimate running game would help open up Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson for big plays.
https://twitter.com/Ben_Baskin/status/986606382974578688
Last season with the Penn State Nittany Lions, Barkley ended up carrying the football 217 times for 1,271 yards and 18 touchdowns. He caught 54 passes for 632 yards and three touchdowns as well.
Standing in at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, Barkley has the body to be a workhorse NFL running back. That is exactly the kind of dynamic that the Buccaneers’ offense needs. Pairing Barkley with Winston long-term would make for one of the most dangerous young quarterback-running back duos.
It will be interesting to see where Barkley ends up landing when everything is said and done. He has the potential to become a superstar at the next level and whoever drafts him will be very happy with their decision.
NFL.com currently has Barkley compared to former NFL superstar Barry Sanders . That kind of a comparison shows exactly why so many teams are so interested in Barkley. He may not last until the No. 7 pick, but if he does the Buccaneers shouldn’t even consider passing on him.
Expect to see Barkley go very early in the draft. Whether he goes No. 2 or No. 7, he is going to be an NFL star in the very near future.
