Despite many rumors and reports, Saquon Barkley is still a member of the New York Giants and the running back is very excited about the future now that Evan Neal is here.
With the seventh pick overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants selected the Alabama offensive tackle and Barkley can’t wait to line up behind Neal’s 6-foot-7, 337-pound frame.
Saquon Barkley walked into the Giants’ locker room one day this spring. Some people were near his locker. One of them stood out.
“Oh my God, who is that?” Barkley said.
It was Evan Neal.
“I’m glad he’s on our team,” Barkley said here tonight. Story: https://t.co/HeoeOkdwID pic.twitter.com/LGgbPdA25D
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) May 3, 2022
“Evan Neal, he’s a physical specimen,” Barkley said Tuesday, via the New York Daily News. “He came for the draft top-30 visit. All the draft people kinda were by my locker. He was there and I was like, oh my God, who is that?
“I saw him and was like I would not be mad if we would pick him up. I didn’t know he was gonna drop that far (to No. 7 overall), but great. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Neal will join a revamped Giants offensive line that includes 2020 first-round selection Andrew Thomas and new signees Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano.
Barkley’s gonna need to put up some strong numbers this season if he wants to remain on the Giants roster in the future. But it sounds like he sees the new and improved line as a great foot forward in making that happen.
“They’re great talents,” he said. “I’m excited especially selfishly as a running back, when you get a 6-7, 350-pound lineman helping you out — but not just myself, the quarterback, too, and our offense in general.”