NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Is Saquon Barkley worthy of being the second overall pick in April's NFL draft?
NFL-scout-turned-draft-guru Daniel Jeremiah thinks so, calling the Penn State running back "the best player in the draft," in his estimation.
"He is really, really special," the NFL Network analyst told WFAN's "The Afternoon Drive" on Wednesday. "And you can point out the fact we found running backs in the second round, third round, fourth round the last couple of years -- really good players. Talent-wise, though, I think he's pretty unique. I think he's pretty special. I just don't think guys like him come around very often."
The Giants own the No. 2 pick in the draft. The big question is whether they'll use it on Eli Manning's eventual successor or address another position.
Jeremiah said, "If they wanted to take him at No. 2, I have no problem with that." He said he believes Barkley can have an impact similar to what Todd Gurley has had on the Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, the argument against selecting a running back so high is that good ones can often be found in later rounds, including Kansas City's Kareem Hunt and New Orleans' Alvin Kamara last season -- both were third-rounders.
"If you like what Alvin Kamara did last year, Barkley can do all those same things in a 233-pound package," Jeremiah said. "I mean, he's explosive like that. He's just a bigger guy, and he's got the same type of lateral quickness."
At the NFL Combine on Wednesday, new Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said he's mostly concerned about landing a great player in the first round, regardless of the position.
He proved last year he's not afraid to take a running back high in the draft, selecting Christian McCaffrey with the eighth pick while he was still with the Carolina Panthers.
“The bottom line is, is the guy a football player?" Gettleman said. "This whole myth of devaluing running backs, I find it kind of comical. At the end of the day, if he’s a great player he’s a great player. It doesn’t matter what position it is.’’
To listen to the full interview with Jeremiah, in which he also breaks down the top quarterbacks in the draft, click on the audio player above.