Tuesday marked an exciting day for draftniks and NFL scouts as Penn State held its pro day, meaning it was time for some more Saquon Barkley.
If you tuned into the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, then you know why that’s such a big deal (more on that here). Only, instead of seeing if Barkley could better his absurd combine numbers, he stood on the sidelines with the scouts and coaches watching his teammates perform.
Barkley didn’t do any of the testing drills that had scouts drooling at the combine. As early as this morning, he was expected to do those drills. Afterward, he spoke with Kimberly Jones of NFL Network to explain his change of heart.
At Penn State Pro Day, Saquon Barkley tells me: “I’m done running with a shirt off — I'm ready to put pads on." And when he calls me ma’am, you know he’s serious….. pic.twitter.com/WfOxltd4qy
— Kim Jones (@KimJonesSports) March 20, 2018
Part of the reason Barkley didn’t do the drills is that there were no running back coaches to put him through them. That’s certainly understandable. Another thing that’s equally salient here is that Barkley really has nothing left to prove. He’s put together reels of tape for scouts to pore over, and his combine was spectacular (but don’t tell that to his former head coach, James Franklin).
Barkley is expected to be one of the first players taken in the upcoming draft. He could fall down the board a bit as quarterback-needy teams push for a passer, but he won’t fall far if that happens.