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Free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant took some time away from tweeting about his former team, and instead heaped praise on one of the NFL’s newest stars. During an impressive first half from New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley in Week 6, Bryant took to Twitter to show some love.
And the longtime Dallas Cowboys pass-catcher did so by comparing Barkley to legendary NFL running back Barry Sanders.
The Barkley-Sanders comparison has certainly been tossed out before, but most are quick to pump the brakes on it. Apparently, Bryant isn’t one of those people. While Barkley has looked exceptional in the Thursday Night Football matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, the same can’t be said about the rest of the team.
At halftime, the Giants trailed 24-6 and Barkley was one of the lone bright spots. He’s totaled 71 rushing yards on nine carries while catching four passes for 78 yards.
Barkley’s Impressive Rookie Season Thus Far
Whenever you pick a running back in the top-five of the NFL draft, there’s plenty of risk involved. The transition from college to playing at the NFL level is incredibly tough for the position. Fortunately, Barkley’s ability to do it all has helped ease the growing pains.
Through the first five games (slightly more now), the Giants rookie has managed to dominate as a pass-catcher whenever he’s unable to get the ground game going. He’s also scored five touchdowns through those first five games as well. It seems Barkley’s transition is going smoothly to this point, aside from his team’s struggles.
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