2018 NFL Draft Rumors: Saquon Barkley to Giants Feels Inevitable Per Todd McShay

The rumor that running back Saquon Barkley will be selected by the New York Giants with the No. 2 overall pick at this year's NFL draft is picking up steam.

ESPN insider Todd McShay said Wednesday that "it feels inevitable" that Barkley will be a Giant after the NFL draft, per Tom Rock of Newsday, adding that Barkley is "a franchise-changing player."

McShay continued:

"The Giants want to be a run-first, physical football team and Saquon can basically be the face of that franchise moving forward several years. He can be the back that they've had in years past. If you spend 10 minutes with Saquon you understand that he's going to be the face of a franchise. He's so likeable, so easy to get along with, a great genuine young man who loves the game and is going to give you everything he's got every week."

McShay also noted that Barkley only makes sense for the Giants if the team is committed to being a balanced offense.

"That's a big component in all of this: What is your emphasis?" he said. "If you are trying to throw the ball around and go 60-40, 70-30 pass to run, then I don't know that it makes sense. But if the Giants want to be a run-first team and that's what I'm told the emphasis is, then Barkley makes all the sense in the world."

The Giants averaged just 96.8 rushing yards per game in 2017, 26th in the NFL. Adding a dynamic running back like Barkley would help. The addition of left tackle Nate Solder in free agency will help too. 

The Giants wouldn't abandon the passing game if they added Barkley, of course, not with playmakers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Evan Engram. Plus, Barkley himself is an elite receiver out of the backfield, catching 102 passes for 1,195 yards and eight touchdowns in his three college seasons.

And the thought of adding Barkley to an offense with a number of playmakers is intriguing. The Giants are only one season removed from a playoff berth, and a number of running backs selected in the top 10 in recent years—Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette all come to mind—have transformed their respective offenses and led to recent playoff appearances.

Building an offense around Barkley makes sense for a team like the Giants. It would take pressure off veteran quarterback Eli Manning and force defenses to respect the run game, opening up opportunities for players like Beckham in the pass game.