Saquon Barkley Goes No. 2 to Giants in 2018 NFL Draft, Twitter Celebrates for NY

The New York Giants selected Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft Thursday. 

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appeared to indicate his preference for the Giants shortly before the draft:

Not surprisingly, Beckham was happy to see Barkley off the board with the second selection:

Here's how others reacted to the pick:

Barkley was widely considered to be one of the best players in this year's draft class—and for good reason. He ran for 3,843 yards and 43 touchdowns and caught 102 passes for 1,195 yards and eight touchdowns during his three seasons at Penn State.

The Nittany Lions also used Barkley as a return man in his junior year, and he averaged 28.4 yards on 15 kick returns, returning two kicks for touchdowns.

Barkley's best performance came in Penn State's 21-19 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes this past season. He carried the ball 28 times for 211 yards and a touchdown and was the team's leading receiver (12 catches for 94 yards).

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller holds the running back in high regard, comparing Barkley to an NFL legend:

A rookie has led the NFL in rushing for the past two seasons. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott had 1,631 rushing yards in 2016, and Kareem Hunt finished with 1,327 rushing yards in 2017.

There's no reason Barkley can't make it three in a row. He possesses the traits NFL teams look for in an every-down back. He's strong enough to get to the second level on inside runs and fast enough to beat defenses on the outside. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Barkley tied for first among running backs in the bench press (29 reps) and was second in the 40-yard dash (4.40 seconds).

Barkley's receiving and returning abilities make him even more versatile. His role in New York's offense won't be limited to the running game.

The former Nittany Lion may be the biggest offensive difference-maker in this year's draft. The impact Elliott had on the Cowboys in 2016 is an example of what Barkley could do with the Giants if they are willing to make him that kind of bellwether back.

Some fans will argue the Giants should have targeted a quarterback with the second overall pick. Eli Manning turned 37 in January, and New York had the opportunity to select one of the best passers in this year's draft.

But there's no question Barkley fills an obvious need. The Giants haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Ahmad Bradshaw in 2012. In the five seasons since, seven different running backs have logged at least 100 carries for New York, according to Pro Football Reference.

Having failed to truly find a consistent feature back after Tiki Barber's retirement in 2006, the Giants shouldn't have to worry about the running back position for the foreseeable future.