Regardless of the type of season running back Saquon Barkley has in 2022, the Giants will find themselves at a crossroads regarding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft after this season.
Can they afford to devote significant financial capital to a talented player who has struggled to stay on the field every year since his second NFL campaign?
Probably not, which is why Barkley not only has to stay on the field this year but also prove that he can once again out-run people to the edge, make defenders miss, and do a better job of attacking the line of scrimmage.
It will be interesting to see how Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka decide to use running back Saquon Barkley this year. Will there be an uptick in the screen game? Will we finally see more of Barkley split out wide or even in the slot than we have?
When we look at Barkley’s NFL career, yes, injuries have been a detriment, and yes, to a degree, his frequent refusal to take what’s there yardage wide and instead look for the home run ball has been as frustrating as has his pass pro.
With an improved offensive line in front of him, a (hopefully) more creative coaching staff, and being another year removed from his ACL injury, there is optimism that Barkley can get back to being the player everyone thought he might be.
