Saquon Barkley is beaming with confidence over the team's future franchise quarterback, as well as the outlook for the 2019 season despite all the naysayers.

The Giants running back and 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is a believer in 2019 first-round pick Daniel Jones and said the former Duke quarterback is already making an impression at OTAs.

"Daniel Jones went crazy yesterday in practice. He had himself a day," Barkley told reporters at his youth football camp in North Caldwell, NJ on Saturday. "I believe in him. He's in the perfect position ... just to be behind Eli [Manning], a two-time Super Bowl MVP, a quarterback who does everything right, whose a captain and a leader -- when [Jones'] opportunity comes he's just gotta be ready for it."

The Giants' selection of Jones came with heavy scrutiny for using the No. 6 pick on the quarterback from Duke. Many believe the Giants could have waited until their 17th pick to nab him and go with pass rusher Josh Allen at six, or take Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Barkley said Jones just has to block out the noise.

"We love you guys and everything, love the media and Twitter and Instagram, but everybody's gonna say something," Barkley said. "Right now it's, 'Oh he's an awful pick.' But when he wins two Super Bowls everyone's gonna be like, 'Oh he was the greatest pick of all time.' That's just how life works."

While Jones is at least a year away from becoming the Giants' starter, Barkley is confident that the team is still a playoff contender behind Manning.

"Yes. I'm going to confidently say yes until we're not," Barkley said. "To the day ... we're eliminated from the playoffs and out of playoff contention I'm still going to say we're going to be a playoff team."

Barkley pointed to how the Patriots have been so great for so long because they all buy in and play together well as a team.

"Yes, I know we lost a lot of great talent. Odell ... at end of the day it's about the team," he said. "Look at the Patriots. Tom Brady gets all the praise. Tom Brady's a great player. There's not many guys around him. I'm not saying they're not great players, but they're not all superstars. The people come out and work and do all the things right, win situational football and win games. If we continue to do what we did last year ... come together as a team, I don't see why not the sky's a limit?"

Popular in the Community