Saquon Barkley has long been a virtual lock to be selected early in the first round of the NFL Draft, but he has now worked his way into the top overall pick discussion with his performance at the Scouting Combine.
Barkley posted insane numbers in the bench press, vertical and 40-yard dash over the weekend, and one NFL coach was so impressed he said he would inflict pain on himself just for an opportunity to draft the former Penn State star.
An NFL coach told @mikefreemanNFL he "would punch myself in the nuts many, many, many times" to be able to draft Saquon Barkley.
Honestly, that's believable https://t.co/NoCIGuCPXt
— SB Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) March 5, 2018
If you thought that was good, Barkley’s former college coach James Franklin had an all-time reaction to the almost disturbingly high praise:
I would do more than that to have him back for another year but this is the right thing for Saquon & his family, he is ready & #WeAre Proud! https://t.co/UzzqqVvRPd
— James Franklin (@coachjfranklin) March 5, 2018
A lot of people think taking a running back early in the first round is a waste, but Barkley is considered an even better NFL prospect at this point than Ezekiel Elliott was. When you read how highly some teams think of him, there’s no question he made the right choice by foregoing his senior season.
