Kenny Vaccaro: 'If God Could Make a Running Back, He'd Make Saquon Barkley'

Tennessee Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro provided high praise of New York Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley ahead of the teams' Week 15 clash Sunday.

"When you say, 'If God could make a running back,' he'd make Saquon Barkley," Vaccaro said, per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com.

The 27-year-old defensive back explained the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft can make a significant impact in the passing game in addition to his work as a rusher, and that dual-threat ability adds to the difficulty of slowing him down.

"They line him up out wide or in the slot, and he can run the slant. He can run the go. You have to trust your technique," Vaccaro said. "He's explosive and fast, but he's not running routes like a receiver. He's not Antonio Brown or DeAndre Hopkins, but he's a very good pass-catching back."

Barkley has tallied 1,753 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns across 13 games. He's eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in four consecutive appearances.

Although his individual success hasn't always translated to wins for the Giants, who own a 5-8 record and sit in last place in the NFC East, they have the potential to play spoiler down the stretch with games against playoff contenders in the Titans, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys.

Slowing Barkley down is the biggest defensive key for all three of those teams, starting Sunday with Vaccaro and the Titans, who rank fourth in the league in scoring defense.