Why Giants' usage of Saquon Barkley is most important piece of new-look offense from Brian Daboll

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – When the huddle breaks at Giants practice, there’s no telling which direction Saquon Barkley will be headed anymore. One play, he’s a running back, the next he’s a slot receiver, then he’ll split out wide or maybe go in motion from wherever he starts.

That’s been the most notable trait this spring of Brian Daboll’s offense. The Giants head coach sees Barkley as a weapon. He seems ready to line him up anywhere at any time.

And that’s really nothing like the way Barkley has been used in the NFL so far.

“I think it's helpful, not only for myself, but opening up other things for the offense,” Barkley said on Wednesday. “I haven't really moved (around) like this since college. I kind of went back and watched a little bit of my college stuff to see stuff that I was able to do there.”

And back in college, Barkley said, “I was all right.”

Yes he was. And he was quite a bit more than “all right” during his rookie season in the NFL too, when he rushed for 1,307 yards, caught 91 passes for 721 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. That was the last time he really looked like the versatile weapon he was supposed to be when the Giants took him with the second overall pick in the 2018 draft.

There are a lot of reasons for that, of course – most notably, injuries, including the torn ACL that ruined his 2020 season and had him looking like a shell of himself last year.

Now it looks like he’s finally fully healthy. He said “I can trust my knee again” and that’s led to the return of his “swagger." But that’s only part of the puzzle. All that talent he still has isn’t going to help anyone if the Giants don’t use him the right way.

Daboll and his offensive coordinator, Mike Kafka, seem to know that. They know, as Daboll said on Wednesday, that Barkley is “unique." He’s not built to be a plodding, workhorse back doing all his work from a few steps behind the quarterback, which seemed to be the way the Giants preferred to use him with Jason Garrett calling the shots the last two years. That was never going to highlight his skills and versatility.

Barkley’s moves are too good, his speed is too explosive, and he’s too elusive to send him between the tackles all the time. He is so slippery when he’s out in space, forcing a linebacker or defensive back to try to handle him one-on-one. It’s an easy mismatch to create.

And despite three injury-filled years, he’s still only 25 and still loaded with talent. Just imagine what the Giants can do with a player like him in a modern offense, and what Barkley can still do if they finally use him right.

“I feel like whenever I can get the ball in space, I feel like that's where I'm at my best,” Barkley said. “I've got the confidence now whether it’s in between the tackles, outside tackles, out wide or whatever, especially when you have confidence in your body again. I feel like I'm capable of helping the team.

“But especially in space.”

Now, the truth is it’s hard to know what to expect from Barkley this season, despite all the optimism about how he looks and feels this spring. He’s had three straight seasons basically ruined by injuries. Until he actually goes out and does it, it’s hard to count on him being the player that he was.

But the opportunity is certainly there. The Giants rebuilt the offensive line in front of him – or so they hope – and he’s working in an offense that borrows from two of the most explosive schemes in the game, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. And especially with health issues surrounding the Giants’ top receivers – Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney – it sure seems like Barkley is going to be the centerpiece of Daboll’s scheme.

That may not translate into the 261 carries and 91 catches he had as a rookie. The Giants likely don’t want to overuse him that much. But moving him around, and keeping defenses guessing about where he’s lining up could make him a lot more productive every time he does touch the ball.

“I'm very excited,” Barkley said. “I think this offense is going to put our playmakers in position to make plays, whether it's post-snap, pre-snap, just giving us looks so we can good out there and let our talent go and work.

“I feel like we have something special here.”

There are a lot of pieces that have to come together for the Giants to have something special, but outside of quarterback Daniel Jones, none may be more important than Barkley. It’s a huge year for him, in the final year of his contract as he tries to reestablish not only his value but his place among the best running backs in the game.

If he can do that, it helps everyone. It helps Jones become a better quarterback. It helps Daboll get his program off to a good start. Maybe it even helps the Giants win a few more games than anyone expects.

But it all starts with the Giants doing something that Barkley’s previous coaches didn’t always do – putting him in positions to do what he does best.