Victor Cruz: Giants Should Take Saquon Barkley with No. 2 Pick in 2018 NFL Draft

Former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said Monday that the team should select Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Cruz called the decision to take Barkley "easy as pie."

New York could be in the market for a quarterback at No. 2, but Cruz added that the Giants should keep veteran signal-caller Eli Manning as the starter for "as long as he wants."

With regard to Manning going out on his own terms, Cruz said, "He's earned it."

Cruz and Manning were teammates for seven seasons, and they won a Super Bowl together at the conclusion of the 2011 campaign.

Manning also led New York to a Super Bowl win before Cruz entered the league.

Even if the Giants don't take a quarterback at No. 2, they have to start planning for life after Manning since he is 37 years old and can become a free agent after the 2019 season.

The Cleveland Browns are likely to take a quarterback at No. 1 overall since the New York Jets traded up to No. 3 with the clear intention to select a quarterback.

That means Barkley will likely be there for the Giants at No. 2. Among the quarterbacks who could be available to them are USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Wyoming's Josh Allen.

Barkley is widely considered the best overall talent in the draft, and he would significantly boost a Giants rushing attack that ranked 26th in the NFL last season.

In his most recent NFL mock draft, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller predicted that the Giants will take NC State pass-rusher Bradley Chubb at No. 2 with Barkley falling to the Browns at No. 4.