Report: Saquon Barkley 'firmly in mix' for Browns No. 1 overall pick in 2018 NFL Draft
Cleveland would really consider taking a running back first overall despite its quarterback need
By
Will Brinson
•
2 min read
'Tis the season of misinformation, which means that even though the Browns are the most QB-desperate organization we have seen in a few decades, it is time to talk about Saquon Barkley going No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
That's the rumor du jour coming out of the combine, with NFL Media propagating a rumor that the Browns are willing to take a running back with the top pick. "Firmly in the Browns plans at No. 1 is Penn State running back Saquon Barkley," Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday.
Mike Garafolo added to that report, noting Barkley would be the guy at the top if the Browns were drafting today and they would then circle back and grab Baker Mayfield at No. 4.
Yep. Firmly. As in I truly believe he’s their pick at 1 as of right now. As for the QB and what they might do at 4, there is very strong buzz Cleveland likes Baker Mayfield a lot. https://t.co/WUzzqb9swA
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 4, 2018
The belief behind this current thought process/approach is that Barkley registers as the No. 1 player on the Browns boards. Cleveland is not likely alone in that regard -- many people view Barkley as the best player in the draft, independent of position.
It's not difficult to see why when you break down his incredible combine performance. Barkley compared favorably to superstars from other positions when you single out his performances in various drills.
Penn State RB Saquon Barkley at 2018 Combine:
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) March 2, 2018
- Stronger than Joe Thomas
- Quicker than DeSean Jackson
- Faster than Devin Hester
- Jumps higher than Julio Jones@PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/usgR6vJvOn
The weekend's activities in Indy featured a ton of different players providing big-time performances, and no one was more impressive than Barkley.
You can easily make an argument that the Browns, by passing on him with that No. 1 pick, are passing on a future superstar. Running backs are not positionally valuable; Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette have been taken in the top 10 in the last three drafts and have been extremely valuable to their teams. But you could argue the Rams, Cowboys and Jaguars would have been better off taking Landon Collins/David Johnson, Jalen Ramsey/Derrick Henry and Deshaun Watson/Alvin Kamara, respectively.
That's cherry picking, of course, but those are players connected with the teams in question and running backs who provided a LOT more value in terms of where they were drafted.
A running back No. 1 overall would be something unseen in several decades.
The last No. 1 overall running back was also out of Penn State, with the Bengals taking Ki-Jana Carter at the top of the 1995 NFL Draft. Post-1970 merger, there have only been six running backs to go first overall.
Year | Running Back | Team | Career Rushing Yards |
1995 | Ki-Jana Carter | Bengals | 1144 |
1986 | Bo Jackson | 2782 | |
1981 | George Rogers | 7176 | |
1980 | Billy Sims | 5106 | |
1978 | Earl Campbell | Oilers | 9407 |
1977 | Ricky Bell | Buccaneers | 3603 |
The reality is, based on history, that taking a running back first overall does not have a massive success rate. Earl Campbell was a Hall of Famer, but Carter, not so much. (The Bucs never actually got Jackson to play for them. Nice use of a first pick, guys.)
Carter and Jackson are also both cautionary tales even for teams drafting running backs in the modern era: it is a position where injury occurs and injury occurs often. The shelf life is short for running backs and if you take a back first overall, he has to be exceptional.
The problem for Cleveland? Barkley looks like he can be just that. It creates quite the conundrum for the Browns as they prepare to embark on the most important draft in recent franchise history.
