ATLANTA — What the Giants speculated was true before the 2018 NFL Draft and what they believe was validated during this past season was made official Saturday night: Saquon Barkley was the best.
The dynamic and classy running back was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in an NFL Honors ceremony at the Fox Theater.
“You dream about stuff like this being a little kid and to actually accomplish this is amazing,” Barkley said.
In a Giants-themed moment, Odell Beckham Jr. — who won the same award in 2014 — made the presentation to Barkley. Beckham called him “Sa-Quads,’’ a pet name he uses to poke some fun at Barkley’s massive thighs.
Barkley was also named the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year, awarded to the league’s best running back. This is not a rookie award, and Barkley beat out Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys (the only player with more rushing yards in 2018) and Todd Gurley of the Rams, who finished third in rushing.
There was plenty of support for Baker Mayfield, the Browns quarterback and the only player taken ahead of Barkley in the draft, for the rookie award. Barkley ended up with 26 ¹/₂ votes to Mayfield’s 21 ¹/₂. Colts guard Quenton Nelson received two votes.
Mayfield turned around the fortunes of a franchise and threw a rookie-record 27 touchdown passes.
“Baker had an unbelievable season,’’ Barkley said. “What he did for Cleveland is unbelievable. He deserved — I wish we could go [co-winners], I honestly wish we could go co. But for me to win this award, it’s amazing.’’
Barkley, wearing a white tuxedo jacket, black pants and black bowtie, thanked God, his parents, his teammates, coaches and “the whole Giants organization as a whole’’ and pointed out a few Giants players in attendance, Beckham, Sterling Shepard and Grant Haley, Barkley’s former teammate at Penn State.
As Barkley waited to hear if his name would be called, in the audience sat Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Franco Harris and Curtis Martin, all Hall of Fame running backs.
“You definitely get nervous up there,” Barkley said. “Barry’s sitting behind me, Curtis Martin is sitting a row in front of me to the right, and just not only them, but all the great players, former and current, legends — a lot of those guys won awards like this. For my name to be on this list, to win this award and accomplish this, with the help of my teammates with the Giants, it’s truly amazing.”
Martin came away impressed by all things Barkley.
“I don’t know if you guys remember the movie ‘Weird Science’ where they get to literally build a woman,’’ Martin said. “I think if you were building a running back it would be Saquon Barkley. He’s like the ‘Weird Science’ of running backs. He has the speed, the strength, the build, everything, the quickness, the elusiveness. He’s everything you want in a running back.’’
Previously, Barkley won the Pro Football Writers Association’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award and the fans voted him in as the Pepsi Rookie of the Year.
There is not much Barkley did not accomplish. If anything, he exceeded the soaring expectations the Giants had for him after general manager Dave Gettleman said Barkley “was touched by the hand of God.’’
Coach Pat Shurmur has called Barkley “a generational talent.’’ He lived up to the billing by leading the NFL with 2,028 yards from scrimmage, becoming only the third rookie in league history (Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James are the two others) with at least 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Barkley was voted to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,307 yards and catching 91 passes for 721 yards. He scored 15 touchdowns: 11 rushing, four receiving. His 91 receptions are the most ever by a rookie.