Saquon Barkley

Poll: Who Will Browns Take At No. 1 Overall?

April 26th, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

In one of the wilder lead-ups to a draft in many years, the Browns have been connected to several players with their No. 1 overall pick. The quarterback-desperate franchise is almost certain to announce its expected Tyrod Taylor successor tonight, but the buildup to that moment has been a process featuring many twists and turns.

Having bypassed Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson the past two years, the Browns have now been linked to three quarterbacks at No. 1. The latest could be one of the most unique first-overall picks in memory.

The Browns are now strongly connected to Baker Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy winner and a player who did not appear in the top half of the first round of Todd McShay’s first offseason mock draft. But John Dorsey brought on former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan as a consultant before the draft, and the longtime scouting guru has been an outspoken proponent of the polarizing Oklahoma-developed quarterback. The news the Browns will take Mayfield at No. 1 emerged this week, and that rumor is rapidly gaining steam.

However, the Browns’ previous debate was believed to be a two-horse race between Sam Darnold and Josh Allen. Dorsey has a history of selecting big-armed passers or being affiliated with organizations which have done so, most recently pulling the trigger on Patrick Mahomes in his final draft as Chiefs GM. Viewed as a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect, Allen would represent that kind of bold choice. A report earlier this week indicated Cleveland was down to the Wyoming prodigy or the fast-rising Mayfield.

Darnold has gone from a player viewed as arguably the best combination of production and upside to one that may fall out of the top two and be there for the Jets at No. 3. The Jets scheduled a Darnold visit once they began to sense the USC product falling to them was a legitimate possibility.

The Browns have also been linked to Saquon Barkley at No. 1. While Barkley is viewed as the top running back and possibly the No. 1 overall player in this prospect pool, it’s hard to believe the Browns would again bypass their chance at landing a possible franchise quarterback.

They have not been closely tied to Josh Rosen during this pre-draft stretch, and the latest on a trade-down occurrence is that line of thinking could transpire with the Browns’ No. 4 pick rather than their No. 1 choice.

So, which passer will be bound for northeast Ohio? Is the Mayfield surge legitimate or a massive smokescreen operation? Does Allen’s upside, the unearthing of several tweets from his high school days notwithstanding, warrant this kind of an investment? Or should the Browns take the player they’ve been most connected to in Darnold with the top pick? How about a trade-down scenario? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

Community Tailgate: Giants’ Barkley Fit

April 22nd, 2018 at 8:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the draft four days away, the prospect of Saquon Barkley becoming the first running back to go off the board in the top two since Reggie Bush has steadily increased. The Giants/Barkley noise has intensified.

The Giants hold their highest pick since 1981, when they chose Lawrence Taylor at No. 2, and have a quarterback who is set to play his age-37 season in 2018. With all but one QB likely to be available to Big Blue at No. 2, it could be argued — as some in the organization appear to have done — the Giants should not forgo a chance to add a possible Eli Manning successor only to draft this year’s best running back prospect. They have not held a top-five selection since the Manning trade 14 years ago, so it can’t be considered a lock they’ll have this opportunity again soon.

New York also has needs on its offensive line, at cornerback and on its front seven, putting a trade-down decision in play. A Bradley Chubb pick would go about meeting need and value if he is the No. 2 choice, but Barkley may well be the No. 1 prospect on the Giants’ board. And Dave Gettleman, who held key decision-making positions when the Giants used a No. 7 pick on Ron Dayne (2000) and a No. 32 choice on David Wilson (2012), does not look to believe running backs aren’t the commodities they used to be. (At least, he’s not saying so publicly.)

The Giants also need a better answer in the backfield. Jonathan Stewart is nearing the end of his career, and Paul Perkins and Wayne Gallman may be backup types. As a player who’s been rated by some high-profile draft experts as being a better prospect than Ezekiel Elliott, Barkley would surely take care of that and join an offense that would have Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram (and if Dez Bryant gets his way, Dez Bryant) at the skill spots. The Penn State superstar being in that mix could change the equation for the Giants, who ranked 26th in rushing offense and scored just 15.4 points per game (31st in the league) last season. Elliott sure made an impact for the Cowboys as a rookie, but he had a much better offensive line in front of him.

The Jaguars invested a No. 4 overall pick in Leonard Fournette a year ago. He’s Jacksonville’s unquestioned starter going forward, but the Jags saw third-rounders Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt have superior rookie seasons. Devonta Freeman was just a fourth-round pick, and Jordan Howard went in the 2016 fifth round. Le’Veon Bell, a second-rounder, is gunning for a No. 1 receiver-level contract And this running back class is viewed as another strong group, and intriguing ball-carriers will be available on Day 2.

ESPN’s Todd McShay was definitive in his stance that Barkley will be a Giant, and the franchise’s interest in him appears to be genuine. PFR readers overwhelmingly believe that’s what will happen. The Giants had one of the 2000s’ best backfield options in Tiki Barber, but they won a Super Bowl the year after he retired and won another four years later when they ranked last in rushing. This franchise has deployed successful backs since Barber, in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, but Big Blue has shown it hasn’t necessarily needed a top-tier back to thrive in the recent past.

So, should the Giants use their top offseason resource to draft Barkley? Is he worth the team bypassing a possible long-term quarterback option when the running back position has seen its value take numerous hits this century? Or would the Giants be reaching if they took a quarterback who might not play until 2020 over a well-reviewed running back who could have an Elliott-esque effect on their offense this season? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

Saquon Barkley Visited Buccanneers

April 22nd, 2018 at 9:17am CST by Rory Parks

The Buccaneers, who hold the No. 7 overall selection in this week’s draft, are one of the most RB-needy teams in the NFL, and they would love nothing more than to see Penn State’s Saquon Barkley — widely-regarded as the most complete and dynamic running back to enter the league in a long time — fall to them. And Tampa Bay did its due diligence on the Nittany Lion standout, as GM Jason Licht revealed several days ago that the team brought Barkley in for an official visit (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).

However, it seems unlikely that Barkley will still be on the board when Tampa Bay is on the clock, unless Licht & Co. decide to trade up. Indeed, there has been plenty of buzz connecting Barkley to the Giants — who have the No. 2 overall selection — in recent weeks, and he may not make it past Cleveland’s No. 4 overall pick. Even the Broncos and Colts, who have the Nos. 5 and 6 overall picks, respectively, could feel that Barkley’s upside is too great to pass up (Indianapolis is also known to have hosted Barkley during the pre-draft season).

And, despite Barkley’s tremendous track record of collegiate success and his potential at the next level, it’s doubtful Tampa Bay would surrender a significant amount of draft capital to move up for a RB. In fact, as Florida Football Insiders posits, it is much more likely that the Bucs trade down.

The Bucs would like to continue improving their pass rush, and this year’s draft boasts a prospect that, like Barkley, has plenty of GMs salivating: NC State’s Bradley Chubb. But Chubb, like Bradley, is expected to be off the board before the Bucs pick, and there are a number of second-tier pass rushers (and running backs) who offer plenty of ability and who could be had later in the first round. Of course, Tampa Bay also needs secondary help, and if it doesn’t get a trade-down offer it likes, the team may simply choose one of the top DB prospects in the 2018 class, like Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Latest On Giants’ No. 2 Pick

April 20th, 2018 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Round 1 looms in six days, Saquon Barkley has surged to the center of the Giants’ radar screen. While that interest is real, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, this shouldn’t be viewed as a surefire pick.

There are some at Giants headquarters who think passing on a possible franchise quarterback “would be nuts,” per Vacchiano, who adds Sam Darnold likely remains the quarterback Big Blue would target (if he’s available). The Giants do not appear to be interested in Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen, and Vacchiano adds the team doesn’t seem to be as sure about this quarterback class as the one 14 years ago that produced their current starter.

Josh Rosen‘s stock may have taken a slight hit compared to where he was at the end of his final UCLA season, but one source informed Vacchiano he should not be ruled out of a New York selection. He was believed by some to be the favorite here early in the pre-draft process. A report earlier this month indicated the Giants were down on Rosen, but we are in peak smokescreen time.

Barkley is likely the No. 1 player on the Giants’ board, Vacchiano notes, adding that the team appears to prefer him to Bradley Chubb and may just view the Penn State sensation as an too much of a talent to pass up, regardless of positional value. ESPN’s Todd McShay has heard immense Barkley praise coming out of New York lately, and PFR readers’ early consensus is Barkley will be Big Apple-bound.

While the Giants are high on Chubb and Quenton Nelson, Vacchiano writes these two are likelier fits if they trade down, pointing to the Notre Dame guard in particular in a trade-down scenario. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported Nelson was a top-three player on New York’s board and a target if the team trades down. If the Giants were to move down and target Chubb, they probably wouldn’t be able to drop too far. Any trade-down move, though, may be less likely than the franchise just picking its preferred prospect.

“Why would we (trade down) and pass on either the best quarterback or best player on our board?” one Giants source told Vacchiano.

This is the highest pick the Giants have held since 1981, when they landed Lawrence Taylor, and Dave Gettleman has repeatedly said he would like a “gold jacket” player with his first pick as GM.

NFL Draft Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Jackson

April 20th, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Is the stock of Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick slipping? That’s the sense Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter) gets. Mortensen, personally, feels that Fitzpatrick is one of the three or four best overall talents in this year’s draft and one “proven evaluator not picking in the top 10” tells Mort that Fitzpatrick, Bradley Chubb, Quenton Nelson, and Saquon Barkley made up this year’s top four.

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:

Several NFL sources tell Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that they really like Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and Raanan expects there to be five QBs off the board in the top 20. Jackson is one of the more fascinating players in this year’s draft as some evaluators have written him off as an NFL QB, despite his tremendous athleticism.
On Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported that LSU stars Arden Key and Derrius Guice could slip in the draft due to off-field concerns. Within the same piece, Pelissero touches on UCF cornerback Mike Hughes and Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway. Hughes left the UNC football program two years ago when he was accused of sexual assault, but he maintains his innocence and teams believe his version of events, Pelissero hears. Callaway, meanwhile, has a host of red flags that figure to tank his stock. Callaway was cleared of a sexual assault allegation, but he argued in his Title IX hearing that he was too “stoned” to have intercourse, which is troubling considering a past citation for marijuana. He was also charged with two third-degree felonies for his role in a credit card scam. Callaway might be one of the the most talented WRs in this year’s class, but he could fall late in the draft due to all of his issues. It also doesn’t help that Callaway didn’t impress at his pro day.

Poll: Who Will Be First Non-QB Selected?

April 19th, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Quarterbacks are dominating this year’s draft discussion even more than the NFL’s marquee position’s prospects usually do. With the possibility of four signal-callers going in the top five, it opens the door for a wide variety of scenarios.

But with this many passers projected to go high, teams that either do not need a quarterback (this would include the Browns at No. 4, if they keep their pick) — or franchises on the fence about selecting one in the top five (see: Giants, Broncos) — could find themselves in position to land an impact talent that may not have been available to them in another year.

There doesn’t seem to be a consensus about the top non-QB in this draft, either. Players like Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb and Quenton Nelson are high on draft boards. Denzel Ward may be as well, with Roquan Smith having visited teams holding top-10 picks. So, who goes first?

Chubb and Barkley have made the most noise here, with the latest coming out of the Big Apple aligning the Giants with the Penn State running back. Viewed as a superior talent when compared to recent No. 4 overall choices Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette, Barkley has been connected to the Giants at No. 2 and the Browns at No. 4. Although the Browns are not expected to bypass a quarterback at No. 1, Barkley’s name is the one mentioned as a possibility for Cleveland at No. 1 that isn’t a QB. And there may or may not be an issue with a Barkley-to-Cleveland scenario.

Viable running backs are obviously easier to obtain in later rounds than pass-rushing talent, and Chubb has visited the Giants and drawn praise from Hue Jackson as a possible No. 4 overall selection. James Bettcher doesn’t see a problem fitting the N.C. State defensive end into his 3-4 scheme at outside linebacker, and edge rushers are much more valuable commodities than running backs.

Nelson is reportedly a top-three player on the Giants’ board, and Dave Gettleman has not made it a secret he wants an offensive line metamorphosis to take place under his watch. Nelson’s been tabbed a prospect on the Zack Martin tier. Should a quarterback rush occur ahead of them, the Broncos are also in need of a guard. Buzz about a Broncos/Nelson union has emerged, with Ward — the latest high-end cornerback Ohio State has developed — on that level as of late as well.

The Notre Dame-trained blocker being the first non-passer selected would be a massive change of direction. This century, only one team — the 2015 Redskins — took a guard in the top five. And Brandon Scherff was viewed as a tackle prospect at the time. Ward would also represent a major upset as the first position player taken as well, but former Buckeyes teammate Joey Bosa didn’t receive a ton of buzz to go No. 3 to the Chargers two years ago. And this program has produced some high-caliber corners in recent years, as Bradley Roby and Marshon Lattimore have shown.

Who will even make this pick? The Giants have visited with each of the top quarterbacks and have been mentioned as Sam Darnold fans for a while, so it’s not certain they’ll be making this pick. If the Browns take Josh Allen at No. 1 and trade their No. 4 pick to the Bills, the Broncos could be thrust into this role at No. 5.

So, which one of these prospects will hear his name called first? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!

New York Notes: Barkley, Darnold, Dez

April 19th, 2018 at 6:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

No running back has gone in the top two of a draft since Reggie Bush 12 years ago, but the Giants may be leaning toward using their top offseason investment on a ball-carrier that’s been labeled as one of the highest-ceiling backs to emerge in many years.

“I’ve heard really strongly that there are important people in that building who believe in Saquon Barkley the player, that that’s what they want to be,” ESPN’s Todd McShay said, via Tom Rock of Newsday. “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. … It just feels to me like it’s inevitable that Saquon Barkley is going to be a New York Giant.”

The Giants brought Barkley in for a visit, and their coaching staff is sold on the Penn State standout. The Giants have been linked to Sam Darnold at No. 2, if he’s there, for a while. But Barkley’s name has come up in recent days as well. While the Alvin Kamara/Kareem Hunt offensive rookie of the year debate showed how top-end backs can be acquired later in the draft, but McShay added Barkley “is different” than the type of back that can be acquired in later rounds. In Dave Gettleman‘s previous draft as a Giants exec, the Giants used their No. 32 overall pick on David Wilson in 2012, and an injury shortened his career to just two seasons. The team’s previous such investment came in 2000, when the then-Ernie Accorsi-led Giants took Ron Dayne at No. 7. Gettleman was in his second year as Big Blue’s pro personnel director at that point.

Here’s the latest from the Big Apple teams:

If Josh Allen goes No. 1 overall to the Browns, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News isn’t sold that on the Giants wanting Darnold at No. 2. Instead, he envisions a scenario in which the Giants trade down with the Bills to acquire the No. 12 and No. 22 picks plus one of the Bills’ second rounders (Nos. 53 or 56). There is apparently a split in the front office over the team’s evaluation of Darnold, though it should be noted that GM Gettleman never traded down in the first round while in Carolina. In this scenario, Mehta believes the Jets will select Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield at No. 3 over Josh Rosen.
Could the release of Brandon Marshall lead the Giants to Dez Bryant? When asked about the possibility of signing the former Cowboys star, Gettleman didn’t close the door. “I have interest in everybody,” Gettleman said (via Danny Abriano of SNY.tv). “We do our film work. You never know.” The Giants may lead the pack in terms of teams Bryant wants to land with, having made it clear he wants revenge against the Cowboys.
While this could go without saying, Newsday’s Calvin Watkins notes CEO Christopher Johnson and other Jets brass are concerned about Robby Anderson‘s behavior. The talented wideout saw a felony charge against him dropped, but the arrest earlier this year — one of many traffic-related issues he’s dealt with over the past several years — still has a misdemeanor charge standing.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

NFL Draft Rumors: Bengals, Ragnow, Browns

April 19th, 2018 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

It increasingly sounds like Arkansas center/guard Frank Ragnow has a good chance to be drafted in Round 1, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com hears. The Bengals got a last minute meeting in with Ragnow and it’s possible that they could consider him with the No. 21 overall pick. Pelissero wonders if we could be in for a run on interior linemen towards the back of the first round, with guys like Ragnow, Iowa center James Daniels, Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn and Ohio State center Billy Price (despite his partially torn pec) coming off of the board sooner than expected.

“Those guys are just safe. They’re steady. The bust factor is very low on those guys,” an AFC executive said. “Maybe they’re not the sexiest picks, but worst-case scenario, you’re going to end up with a solid player who can step in and contribute pretty early.”

Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz:

Most people believe the Browns are zeroed in on a quarterback, but GM John Dorsey isn’t publicly ruling out Penn State running back Saquon Barkley at No. 1 overall (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Of course, draft season is full of smokescreens, so we shouldn’t necessarily take Dorsey’s comments at face value. In all likelihood, the Browns will be selecting their QB of the future with the top pick while considering other players at No. 4.
Draft visits are officially over, but the Seahawks are still doing their homework. On Thursday night, they’ll dine with Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea, Rapoport tweets. The Seahawks pick at No. 18, so they may have to trade up if they want him. It will be interesting to see if they go in that direction since they have opted to trade down in recent drafts.

Agent Denies Steering Saquon Barkley Away From Browns

April 18th, 2018 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

Saquon Barkley‘s handlers at Roc Nation do not want the Browns to draft him at No. 1 or No. 4, according to Ben Baskin of Sports Illustrated. However, Barkley’s agent Kim Miale says that’s simply not true.

“I can say on behalf of our entire team that we would be thrilled for Saquon to go to whichever team drafts him,” Miale wrote to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We know he will be a resounding success for any team fortunate enough to select him.”

Of course, this could wind up being a non-issue with the Browns. Cleveland is widely expected to take a quarterback – probably Sam Darnold – with the No. 1 overall pick. If Darnold goes at No. 1, there is increasing chatter that the Giants will pounce on Barkley at No. 2, which would satisfy Roc Nation’s goal of putting him in the No. 1 media market, according to SI’s report. However, in the event that the Giants do not take Barkley and the Jets take a QB at No. 3, as expected, this is a story to keep an eye on.

For what it’s worth, Basking hears that Barkley would in fact be “happy” to play for any team that selects him. Meanwhile, Roc Nation may have to do a bit of damage control as they also represent Browns head coach Hue Jackson.

Latest On Giants At No. 2

April 15th, 2018 at 12:19pm CST by Micah Powell

With the Browns likely to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick of the upcoming draft, the Giants are generating a lot of discussion, as they could go in any number of directions with their No. 2 overall selection. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, the team is looking increasingly unlikely to take a signal-caller with that pick.

Though the MMQB’s Albert Breer notes general manager Dave Gettleman likes Sam Darnold and the coaches like Josh Allen, Schwartz cites a national scout who pegs Saquon Barkley as the pick.

“I thought all along this is the guy Dave wants,” the scout said. “And he might get him, if Cleveland is dumb enough not to take him at No. 1.”

The Penn State back is considered by the Giants to be a better player than the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott, who was the No. 4 overall pick in 2016. Schwartz says Barkley’s lack of off-the-field concerns and his ability to contribute in the passing game make him a solid selection at No. 2.

However, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com says he has been hearing more and more whispers that the Giants could trade the No. 2 selection (Twitter link). The Bills are one team that other writers believe could be the Giants’ trading partner in that scenario, as Buffalo could grab its quarterback of the future and New York could add a significant amount of draft capital while still being in position to select a top-flight player in the first round. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, meanwhile, hears that all options are on the table for Big Blue’s top pick, including a trade, a QB, Barkley, Bradley Chubb, and even Quenton Nelson (Twitter link).

Schwartz does name Chubb as a potential candidate for the Giants’ No. 2 pick, and Gettleman’s history would lend credence to that theory, as the former Panthers GM took defensive linemen with his first two picks with that franchise.

But Schwartz, unlike Miller, does not believe Nelson will be in play if the Giants keep their pick. Though he is a top-three player on their board, Schwartz hears that Nelson will only be considered in a trade-down scenario.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

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