Penn State Football: Comparing Saquon Barkley to recent 1st-round RBs

How does Penn State football’s Saquon Barkley compare to recent first-round running back selections?

Saquon Barkley has been an absolute force of nature since arriving at State College in 2015.

As a true freshman, Barkley set the Penn State rookie rushing record (1,076 yards on 182 carries) and even won the Big Ten Rookie of the Year.

In his sophomore season Saquon was even better, providing 1,989 yards of total offense (1,496 yards rushing and 402 yards receiving) and 18 touchdowns for the Lions in 2016. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and the Big Ten Running Back of the Year; not bad for the 11th-ranked running back in the 2015 recruiting class.

Many national pundits are tabbing 2017 as the year Saquon Barkley becomes a superstar. His name has graced numerous breakout player lists, a slew of Heisman watch lists, and is even an early highlight of many 2018 mock drafts. While Barkley could have a down season, or suffer an injury that impedes his apparent success, it seems more likely that Saquon Barkley will be a first round pick in the forthcoming NFL draft.

Since 2012, there have been eight running backs taken in the first round of the NFL draft, three in 2012, two in 2015, one in 2016 and two in 2017. Even though the running back position has been devalued by many NFL talent evaluates, there is still incredible talent to be found in the first round. While it’s impossible to predict exactly how Barkley’s pro career will turn out, we can see how he compares to other recent first round picks to further evaluate his draft stock and pro potential.

When evaluating the combine numbers of the running backs drafted in the first round since 2012 it’s easy to diagnose what team’s are looking for in a lead back.

After compiling the stats from each player’s ESPN profile, it’s easy to notice some trends across the board.