Last season, Saquon Barkley put up numbers unlike any other rookie running back in the history of the league. He asserted himself into the top flight of offensive weapons in only his first year along with the likes of Alvin Kamara, Ezekiel Elliot, and Le'Veon Bell. Similar to these other backs mentioned, Barkley possesses the extremely deadly threat of dual-capability out of the backfield, providing support both in the run game and through the air. The NFL First Team All-Pro put up numbers of: 1,307 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns; 91 receptions with 721 yards and 4 touchdowns. As a rookie.

Digging into Barkley's stats a little bit more, his accomplishments and numbers become even more impressive. The 2018 Pro-Bowler wound end up leading the league in rushes of 20-plus and 40-plus yards, proving to be a dynamic threat early and often. Courteous of bleacherreport.com, Barkley also faced a box with either eight or more men inside on 22% of his snaps, an incredulous number for a first year player. Being able to perform at such a high level while facing packed boxes and concentrated defenses in only his rookie year is a sign of great things to come.

Heading into his sophomore year, #26 projects as an even deadlier threat for the Giants, mainly due to the departure of focus weapon Odell Beckham Jr. in the offseason. In 2018, Barkley fell victim to the ego and presence of OBJ, being passed up and overlooked both in the playbook and on the field all too often. Now with Beckham Jr. off to Cleveland and 124 targets needing some place to go, the Giants have no choice but to rely solely on Saquon for effective offensive production. On top of the departure of OBJ, New York is also in the middle of a quarterback dilemma with Eli Manning and newly-drafted Daniel Jones battling for the starting position. While Manning projects as the starter for next year, Jones is the Giants' future as exemplified in their sixth overall pick investment. These competing interests look to result in a quarterback carousel for the team, equaling an even heavier reliance on the ground game and Barkley.

So what is stopping #26 from galloping to the MVP Award in his sophomore season? A couple things actually. The Giants project as a below average team, looking at a season wrought with mediocrity on both sides of the ball. New York will not win many games this year, keeping them out of the national spotlight and away from postseason football. Not being towards the top of the league doesn't bode well in Barkley's favor for major accolades and recognition, as historically awards such as MVP and Offensive Player of the Year only go to players on the top one or two teams. Another factor that might keep Saquon away from the MVP is the quarterback-centered conversation around impact players. For about the last decade, the NFL has been quarterback driven, leaving other skills players in the dust when it comes to popular conversation and the handing out of awards. With major stars such as Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees still dominating the league, Barkley and other impact running backs remain on the outside looking in during award season.

While the New York Giants will see their fair share of continued struggles into the 2019/2020 season, their bright light in Saquon Barkley looks to shine even more going into his sophomore season. With concerns at quarterback and the departure of Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants' offense will depend heavily upon the Penn State product in both the running game and through the air, projecting for an even further increase upon his monstrous rookie statline. Although the league's major awards are usually handed out to quarterbacks and players on top teams, Saquon Barkley has the skillset and situation in New York in order to insert himself into the MVP conversation this upcoming season.

written and edited by Jack Kurtz