What every major NFL mock draft says about Saquon Barkley and Penn State’s top prospects (4.0)
As part of a weekly staple, and with the NFL draft kicking off at 8 p.m. Thursday, we decided to take one final look at all of the most recent mock drafts to get a better idea of what the consensus says about Saquon Barkley and the top Nittany Lions.
Some of the mock drafts were published as recent as Wednesday afternoon, and many come from some of the biggest or most dependable sports sites. All were created no earlier than Monday.
Take a look at what they say about Penn State’s best — Barkley, Mike Gesicki, DaeSean Hamilton and Marcus Allen:
RB Saquon Barkley
No. 1 overall to Cleveland Browns (Seattle Times): Analysts Bob Condotta and Larry Stone put their heads together and came up with Barkley as the top pick. Condotta writes, “Browns pull something of a stunner and take Barkley first with the knowledge they can still get a QB they want at number four.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Centre Daily Times): Since new GM Dave Gettleman drafted Christian McCaffrey at No. 8 last season, it’s obvious he has no qualms about taking a running back early. He wants a Hall of Famer, and Barkley is the top prospect in this draft.
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (ESPN.com): With USC QB Sam Darnold projected to go No. 1 overall, the Giants are projected to grab Barkley next. Writes NFL Nation’s Jordan Raanan, “Barkley is legit, with 4.4 speed at 233 pounds, incredible balance and a versatile skill set that will allow him to be a force out of the backfield. It’s too much for GM Dave Gettleman to overlook.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (CBS Sports’ Will Brinson): Brinson’s mock draft follows the two listed above this one, with the Browns taking Darnold and then Barkley being selected. Brinson believes the fact Gettleman took McCaffrey means Barkley makes a lot of sense here.
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (New York Daily News): Darnold-Barkley. Writes Manish Mehta, “Dave Gettleman could make a killing by trading down, but his conservative nature (no trade-downs in five drafts with the Panthers) prompts him to take another dynamic offensive weapon.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Chicago Tribune): Another Darnold-Barkley combination. Brad Biggs writes, “The Giants hope Eli Manning has a couple seasons of high-level play in him and adding the best running back in a strong class only helps him.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (The Ringer): Yup, you guessed it: Darnold-Barkley. Writes analyst Danny Kelly, “It’d make a whole lot of sense for the Giants to invest in Eli Manning’s successor and grab Josh Rosen, (Baker) Mayfield, or (Josh) Allen, but it’s become impossible to ignore all the reports connecting Barkley to the Giants.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (SB Nation): Darnold, then Barkley. Writes analyst Adam Stites, “As much as I believe the Giants should go in a different direction, general manager Dave Gettleman just really seems locked in on the idea that Barkley is worth the No. 2 pick — running back devaluation, be damned.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Detroit Free Press): Notice a trend? Darnold-Barkley here. Analyst Dave Birkett writes, “... Giants’ switch to a 3-4 defense means they can look at a different type of rusher than Bradley Chubb.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (SEC Country): Another Darnold-Barkley projection. Writes analyst Connor Riley, “If the Giants want to stick with Eli Manning, Barkley will help extend his career.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Big Lead): Darnold ... Barkley. Writes analyst Jason McIntyre: “ If they can’t deliver a playoff berth with two of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive players, adios, Eli.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Denver Post): Yeah, it’s Darnold-Barkley. Analyst Gabe Harrison writes, “The best overall player available in the draft, Eli Manning and the Giants’ passing attack could use a quality back to keep defenses honest.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Draft Tek): Darnold. Barkley.
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Bleacher Report): Analyst Chris Simms changed it up slightly with Allen going No. 1 overall, followed by Barkley. He writes, “New York needs to add a player who can help it win now, and that’s exactly what Barkley is.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Walter Football): Like BR, analyst Walter Cherepinsky has Allen going No. 1 followed by Penn State’s back. He writes, “If Gettleman was willing to take a runner who can’t shoulder a complete workload like McCaffrey at No. 8 overall, he’ll certainly be open to take Barkley with the second-overall choice.”
No. 2 overall to New York Giants (Sporting News): Here we have another Allen-Barkley prediction. Analyst Vinnie Iyer believes the Giants GM will explore trade options but “if he’s looking for his gold-jacket type player who also fills a big need, he should have the Giants run to the podium for Barkley.”
No. 4 overall to Cleveland Browns (NFL.com’s Peter Schrager): In this mock draft, the Giants take N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb at No. 2, two spots ahead of Barkley. Schrager writes, “ In an hour, the Browns get their franchise quarterback and running back. Here’s to hoping it works out better than Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden did a few years back.”
No. 4 overall to Cleveland Browns (NFL.com’s Rhett Lewis): This mock draft has Darnold, Chubb, Rosen — and then Barkley. Writes Lewis, “Carlos Hyde can be Ray Griffen, but Barkley will be Darnell Jefferson, and suddenly, this ‘program’ has some juice.”
No. 5 overall to Denver Broncos (Boston Globe): Analyst Ben Volin has Chubb going No. 2 overall and then three quarterbacks getting selected before Barkley. He writes, “(T)hey choose to beef up their run game and add weapons around Case Keenum. And they don’t come any better than Barkley, the best pure talent in the draft.”
No. 6 overall to Indianapolis Colts (For The Win): Analyst Steven Ruiz has four quarterbacks and Chubb being taken ahead of Barkley. He writes, “A healthy Andrew Luck combined with Barkley could give the Colts a playoff-caliber offense.”
No. 6 overall to Indianapolis Colts (Land of 10): The unique part of this mock draft is that analyst Scott Dochterman has Ohio State CB Denzel Ward going at No. 5, right before Barkley.
No. 7 overall to Tampa Bay Buccaneers (CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco): Prisco has four quarterbacks drafted consecutively, followed by Chubb and Georgia LB Roquan Smith. Then comes Barkley. He writes, “They have a major hole at running back, so they land the best runner in the draft – even with defensive needs.”
TE Mike Gesicki
No. 27 overall to New Orleans Saints (Centre Daily Times): The Saints’ tight ends combined for less than 500 receiving yards last year, and Drew Brees could certainly use another playmaker.
No. 32 overall to Philadelphia Eagles (For The Win): Gesicki has been compared to the Eagles’ Zach Ertz, so the addition would be sure to make Carson Wentz happy. Writes analyst Steven Ruiz, “Gesicki would be a nice replacement for Trey Burton, who is now in Chicago.”
No. 32 overall to Philadelphia Eagles (Chicago Tribune): Brad Biggs writes, “Philadelphia, which lacks second- and third-round picks, could be looking to trade down. If not, adding a tight end to pair with Zach Ertz after the departure of Trey Burton and Brent Celek.”
No. 32 overall to Philadelphia Eagles (Land of 10): The Saints are clearly interested in a tight end, but analyst Scott Dochterman has South Carolina TE Hayden Hurst going to New Orleans. That leaves Gesicki available for the Eagles to scoop up.
No. 52 overall to Baltimore Ravens (NFL.com’s Peter Schrager): The need is there, as Maxx Williams and Co. are clearly not the answer in Baltimore. The Ravens need a playmaker, and Gesicki is just what the GM ordered.
No. 52 overall to Baltimore Ravens (Draft Tek): The Ravens especially need a pass-catching tight end, and no other TE has the explosiveness of Gesicki.
No. 68 overall (third round) to Houston Texans (Walter Football): Bill O’Brien could use another, uh, fighter — and he might even crack a smile if Gesicki fell this far. Analyst Walter Cherepinsky writes, “The Texans have been searching for a consistent threat at tight end since Owen Daniels departed.”
WR DaeSean Hamilton
No. 69 overall (third round) to New York Giants (Centre Daily Times): Hamilton said in March that the Giants are among the teams showing the most interest, and the Giants hosted him earlier this month. Last season’s injury parade showed that New York could certainly use another wideout, and Hamilton’s route-running is hard to pass up.
No. 78 overall (third round) to Kansas City Chiefs (Walter Football): There’s not an immediate need here. But, analyst Walter Cherepinsky writes, “The Chiefs signed Sammy Watkins this offseason, but I think they could stand to add one more receiver in the middle of the 2018 NFL Draft, as Watkins isn’t the most durable player in the league.”
No. 142 overall (fifth round) to Washington Redskins (Land of 10): The Redskins’ receivers were incredibly inconsistent last year, and they could use some extra competition. Hamilton provides tremendous value here ... but a fifth-round projection seems pretty darn low.
No. 152 overall (fifth round) to Arizona Cardinals (Draft Tek): This mock draft has OL Brendan Mahon being selected 52 picks ahead of Hamilton ... so take this for what it’s worth.
S Marcus Allen
No. 75 overall (third round) to Oakland Raiders (NFL.com’s Peter Schrager): The Raiders may not have an immediate need at safety, but they could draft him as a long-term project or as a special-teams player.
No. 80 overall (third round) to Houston Texans (Land of 10): He’s one of the defensive backs whose name has been floated with the Texans in either the third or fourth rounds. He plays well in the box and fits well with Romeo Crennel’s scheme.
No. 92 overall (third round) to Pittsburgh Steelers (Centre Daily Times): His style of play fits with the Steelers, and he recently visited Pittsburgh. The interest is clearly there; it’s just a question of whether Pittsburgh will pull the trigger this early.
No. 159 overall (fifth round) to Oakland Raiders (Walter Football): Reggie Nelson is not the long-term answer at safety, and Allen has the potential to eventually contend.
No. 171 overall (fifth round) to Dallas Cowboys (Draft Tek): Safety isn’t an immediate need, but this late in the draft, it’s all about value. And a versatile Allen provides plenty of that.
This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 6:00 PM with the headline "What every major NFL mock draft says about Saquon Barkley and Penn State’s top prospects (4.0)."