RB — Saquon Barkley 8.16
Scout Jason Feiner
College: Penn State
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 230 lbs
40-Time: 4.40
Bench Press: 29
Arm Length: 31 3/8"
Q.A.B. 8.50 Barkley has incredible agility and balance. He has quick feet and can avoid tacklers in the open field. Barkley has an extremely strong lower body, and runs with a good base that helps him stay on his feet after contact or going airborne.
Flexibility 6.00 Barkley doesn’t always run with good pad level. His lower body strength allows him to run through would be tacklers, but he should lower his shoulder upon contact more consistently. He has shown the ability to unleash violent blows when he lowers his pad level.
C.O.D. 8.50 Barkley is extremely shifty and has excellent lateral burst. He can plant his foot and change directions with relative ease. He has an ability to avoid tacklers utilizing a jump cut and changing fields.
Explosion 9.00 Barkley is a very explosive player. He is extremely strong and has excellent vision. On inside runs he is quick to the line before taking his time to find the crease and then exploding through the whole. He has excellent burst on stretch runs, as he loves to cut up field after planting his foot.
Top End Speed 8.50 Barkley has elite home-run speed, and is capable of making defenders miss at the second and third levels without slowing. He has great lateral speed and can beat defenders to the edge. He is a big play threat each time he touches the ball. Barkley can be thought of as a 230 pound speed back.
Vision/Instincts 8.50 Barkley has excellent vision with the ability to see a tiny opening at the line. He can sense defenders closing in on him and often cuts upfield or toward the sideline with good timing. He loves stretch runs and utilizes his speed to beat defenders to the corner or to cut upfield when he sees an opening in the defense.
Cutting Ability 9.00 Barkley loves his jump cuts. He has a unique ability to avoid defenders in the open field, and often cuts and weaves through defenders to gain extra yardage.
Elusiveness 8.50 Saquon Barkley is a very elusive runner. He can avoid would be tacklers at the line of scrimmage by ducking underneathe or just out right avoiding them. He is has excellent short area quickness and can make defenders miss in the open field.
Yards After Contact 8.50 Barkley is a strong runner capable of breaking tackles or dragging defenders with him. He has the ability to break through contact. He keeps his legs turning and doesn’t often quit after contact. Barkley is a strong physical runner that can easily run through arm tackles at or beyond the line. He would rather avoid contact than run through it.
Ball Security 8.50 Barkley has great ball security often holding the ball with both arms when faced with a short yardage play. He has fumbled only four times in his three year career after carrying the ball a total of 773 times. He did not fumble once throughout the 2017–2018 season.
Hands 8.00 Barkley has soft hands, and rarely drops any passes. He can catch the ball away from his body and shows and looks the ball in before turning upfield.
Route Running 7.50 Barkley has shown the ability to run a receivers route tree. He is capable of splitting out wide or lining up in the slot. He was asked to run multiple receiver routes most running backs would not run in Penn State’s offense. He runs clean routes.
Ability In Space 8.00 Barkley is very quick and has excellent body control. He can catch the ball and turn up field in a hurry. He has the ability to run away from defenders and doesn’t often get caught from behind. He can avoid defenders and gain extra yards after avoid or breaking through defenders in the open field.
Ability to Separate 8.00 He is a mismatch against most linebackers, as he is extremely strong, quick and faster than most.
Lead Blocking 6.50 Barkley doesn’t do much lead blocking. On the plays where he did lead block, he put in great effort and occasionally pancaked the opposing player. He is a very strong player and gives great effort on each play.,
Blocking In Space 6.50 Barkley can occasionally lose his man in one-on-one situations; however, he usually takes his blocked opponent out of the play.
Pass Blocking 7.50 He is very reliable in pass protection. Barkley displays great awareness and a willingness to step in front of the rush.
Situational Awareness 7.50 He has shown great awareness and can often find the free rusher. He displays excellent instincts in locating the blitz.
Toughness 9.00 Barkley is an extremely tough runner often running through or carrying would be tacklers for extra yards. He always falls forward, and can gain tough yards through the trenches. He rarely gets hurt, and can play through full games while carrying the load for Penn State. Barkley is a three down back that has shown he can be a 25+ carry runner per game at the next level.
Production 9.00 Barkley has been very productive over his career at Penn State; however, he took his game to another level this season. He was more productive with less carries this season than the last and caught 26 more passes for an extra 230 yards this season. He is a pure three down back, and he will be plug and play starter at the next level.
Consistency/Motor 9.00 Barkley has an excellent motor, always turning his legs for extra yards on every play. He hates losing, and never quits on his teammates or himself. He can get to the sideline consistently, avoid tacklers or run through defenders to gain extra yards.
Team Player 8.50 Barkley is one of Penn State’s leaders. He relishes in responsibility and loves the opportunity to lead a team. He loves playing on special teams, and doesn’t let the limelight control him.
Instincts 8.50 Barkley has great instincts. He rarely gets tackled for a loss, and can find small creases to fit through. He always knows where the first down marker is and will reach or hurdle a defensive player for extra yards. He has great feet and can tightrope the sideline as he always knows where the line is. He never quits fighting for extra yards.
Learn/Retain 8.50 Barkley is a very smart player. He has been a leader on Penn state since his freshman campaign. He had to learn a new system coming into his junior year and thrived in it. He new who to block and where to go with the ball.
Versatility 8.50 Barkley is a three down back heading into the next level. He is an excellent runner who displays patience, power and elusiveness, while he can also run a variety of routes and catch the ball away from his body. He has shown willingness to block in pass protection and loves to participate in each phase of the game. He is an excellent return-man as he returns two kickoffs for touchdowns this past season.
Barkley has incredible agility and balance. He has exceptional short area quickness and lateral burst. He is a powerful runner with excellent vision. He does a great job of pressing the line before stopping and exploding through the hole. He can change directions in a flash and avoid contact in the open field. He possesses elite home-run speed with the ability to make defenders miss in the second and third levels without slowing. He was at his best when Penn State utilized stretch runs where he was able to plant his foot and cut up field. He is extremely versatile, with the ability to run receiver routes and play outside or in the slot. He displays natural hands and is a willing pass protector.
Barkley is a versatile runner that excels on stretch runs. He has the ability to make defenders miss at all levels of the field; however, he doesn’t run with good pad level. He runs straight up and relies on his lower body strength to power through contact. He needs to develop more flexibility and lower his shoulder upon collisions. He is a very willing blocker, but he can occasionally lose his man in one-on-one situations. He can also lose leverage and become flat footed when blocking in space.
Saquon Barkley has been an incredibly productive player throughout his career. He has incredible agility and balance, and exceptional short area quickness and lateral burst. He is a powerful runner with excellent start stop acceleration and vision. He does a great job when pressing the line utilizing patience and then exploding through the hole. He has the ability to make defenders miss at all three levels; however, he needs to lower his shoulder upon contact, and increase his flexibility in order to run with better pad level. Barkley possesses elite home-run speed and is at his best on stretch runs. When he puts his foot in the ground and drives up field he explodes to next level. His suddenness is exceptional. Barkley is a versatile player with the ability to split out wide or in the slot displaying soft hands when catching the ball. He is a willing and consistent pass blocker; however, he can become flat footed and lose his assignment in one-on-one matchups in open space. He does a nice job of protecting onto the ball not committing one fumble throughout the 2017–2018 season. He is a prototypical three down back, with the versatility to play in the run, pass and return game. He has an excellent frame built like a wall, with an extremely muscular build. He is thought of as a 230-pound speed back. Barkley has the vision, athleticism and talent to succeed in all phases of the game at the next level. He will be an immediate impact player for whichever team drafts him, and he will command 20–25 touches per game at the next level. Barkley has a chance to challenge some of the leagues most talented at the position.
Originally published at medium.com.
