Saquon Barkley joins rare company, selected in 2018 NFL draft's top 5

Saquon Barkley — widely considered by many as the top prospect in this year's NFL draft — wasn't the first player to hear his name called Thursday night in Dallas. But the former Penn State running back was pretty darn close.

Barkley was selected No. 2 overall by the New York Giants.

Barkley is Penn State's first top-10 pick since Levi Brown in 2007 and first top-10 running back since Curtis Enis in 1998. He's the fifth ball-carrier to be selected in the top-10 overall since 2012, joining Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey.

"I could make the case that this kid Barkley is the best of those guys," NFL Network expert Mike Mayock said in February. "Saquon Barkley is a transformational back."

Barkley being off the board so early was expected. So was going to the Giants. The majority of mock drafts had the Coplay native finding a new home in New York or with the Cleveland Browns.

Wherever Barkley was drafted, though, many NFL experts didn't think it mattered. He was labeled as a "generational talent" before Thursday night, and NFL.com's scouting report stated the two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year had "a chance to become an early All-Pro no matter which team" selected him.

Barkley — who wowed in Happy Valley with 5,538 all-purpose yards and 53 touchdowns over a three-year career — will have an opportunity to do the same with the Giants in 2018, joining an offense that boasts world-class wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning.

But before officially joining New York, Barkley basked in the moment.

After hugging everyone in his draft party — from his family to Penn State head coach James Franklin — Barkley smiled wide, walked to AT&T Stadium's main stage, greeted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and took pictures holding up a blue Giants jersey.

It was the experience Barkley waited for since he was a child, one met with thunderous applause.

"That's a moment that you think about for the rest of your life," Barkley said at Penn State's Pro Day on March 20. "No one can take that from you."

And no one ever will.

This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 8:23 PM with the headline "Saquon Barkley joins rare company, selected in 2018 NFL draft's top 5."