Saquon Barkley is the best player in this year's NFL draft. He will not be selected with the first pick, but he has the ability to dominate from Day 1, and he is probably a better all-around prospect than Ezekiel Elliott was when he was the fourth overall pick out of Ohio State two years ago.
This is a quarterback-rich draft, and teams that need young QBs are not going to pass to take a running back, no matter how talented he is.
With two weeks to go before the draft commences, it looks like three quarterbacks could be drafted with the first three picks. USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen and Wyoming's Josh Allen of Wyoming could go in any order, with Allen picking up quite a bit of steam in recent weeks.
All three are potential starting quarterbacks who could turn into stars, but history tells us that at least one of them will turn out to be a bust.
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Barkley and North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb are both more accomplished football players than the three quarterbacks, but it looks like those two will have to wait a little longer to hear their names come out of commissioner Roger Goodell's mouth.
Barkley has an excellent chance of being drafted by the Denver Broncos with the No. 5 pick. He has top skills as a running back and a receiver, and he has a chance to become a superstar at the position from his first day at training camp.
In addition to his game-breaking talent, he has the maturity of an older player, and his focus is going to be razor sharp.
At 6 feet, 233 pounds, Barkley has excellent power for the position, and he can take on much bigger tacklers and beat them physically or use his quickness to get by them. He regularly makes the right choice in that area.
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Meanwhile, Barkley's ball security is a remarkable attribute. He didn't fumble once in 2017, and he doesn't tire easily, either. His intangibles are off the charts.
Barkley is the best of this year's running backs, but there are several others who should be able to make a solid contribution. That includes LSU's Derrius Guice, who is a bit shorter than Barkley at 5-10½ but has similar power at 224 pounds.
Guice is not the receiver that Barkley is, and he has a way to go before he gets there. However, there's no doubting his athletic ability and that he should become a star. Guice is the kind of running back who can get to the corner but is also a very effective one-cut-and-go runner who can succeed on the inside.
Georgia's Sony Michel has the kind of burst to take any play the distance. He is 5-10 and 214 pounds, and there are questions about his durability since he split time at the position with teammate Nick Chubb. However, there are no questions about the way Michel attacks the position when he gets the call. He has eye-catching speed and tremendous quickness through the hole. He has the kind of instincts needed to set up opposing tacklers and make them miss – or at least fail to get a solid piece of him – when he is running in tight quarters.
Michel is a talented receiver and a willing blocker, but there are questions about his stamina. Is he going to be as effective in the latter stages of the fourth quarter as he was in the second quarter?
Guice and Michel should both get drafted in the first round.
USC's Ronald Jones II also looks like an excellent prospect who will most likely get drafted late in the first round or early in the second. Jones is 5-11 and 205 pounds, and he is somewhat thinner than most general managers and scouts would like.
However, he is one of the most productive backs in the draft, and he is hungry to carry the ball in every situation. If an opponent gets a square shot on him, he will pick himself up and ask for the ball again on the next play. He handled his receiving chores well, but that was mainly as a safety valve. It may take him a while to pick up the nuances of the NFL passing game.
Nick Chubb is not as gifted as his teammate, Michel, but he can be very effective because he packs a major league punch from his 5-10½, 227-pound frame. He is a solid runner, but don't expect him to be any kind of factor as a receiver unless he shows significant improvement in that area.
Nick Chubb is a workhorse kind of back who could carry it 20 or more times a game because of his hunger and ability to finish runs. He is also a reliable blocker who will sacrifice for his teammates.
Follow Steve on Twitter at @Profootballboy
