Nov 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez
Ahead of training camp, ESPN conducted a survey with league executives, scouts, and coaches to figure out the top 10 players at 11 different positions in the NFL. To nobody's surprise, Saquon Barkley was at the top of the running back rankings, which were released Monday.
Anyone that watched the NFL last season could see Barkley was not only one of the best running backs in the league, but he was one of the best players, period.
During his first season with the Eagles — after the New York Giants let him go in free agency — Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards. He was 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season record, which he opted not to try and break by sitting out the Eagles' Week 18 bout versus the Giants to stay healthy for the playoffs.
Barkley's decision worked out. He ended up setting the record for most total rushing yards in a season with 2,504, breaking Terrell Davis' record of 2,476. Barkley is now reaping the benefits of his performance from last season.
"It was almost like this was expected — he was always expected to be this," an NFL personnel director told ESPN. "You can call it confirmation bias. Everybody thought he was a great player [at Penn State] and he proved what people thought he would be. It just took some peaks and valleys. And he was in a bad offense [in New York]."
Behind Barkley in the rankings was Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Joe Mixon and Alvin Kamara.
Barkley and Henry's performances have helped bucked the recent trend of not paying running backs because of potential wear and tear. Barkley was rewarded with a two-year, $41.2 million extension this offseason, while Henry had two-year, $30 million payday as well.
Time will tell if Barkley sees a sharp drop in production this season. It's unlikely he'll put up the same video-game-like numbers in his second year in Philly, but Barkley having another big season is certainly possible. The Eagles have the infrastructure for Barkley to succeed in place.
The Eagles' offensive line is still the best in the league. Jalen Hurts isn't going anywhere and neither are A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith. At times, Barkley did have to rescue the Eagles' offense because the passing game was inconsistent, but they also showed they can turn it on when they need to.
Barkley is 28 years old and won't turn 29 until February. If last season showed us something, it's that he's capable of anything. As long as he stays healthy, he'll be one of the best running backs in the NFL. Right now, he's at the very top.
