Giants Can Fix Saquon Barkley Problem by Drafting National Champion on Day 3

Saquon Barkley not being happy about the franchise tag makes running back a sneaky-big need for the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL draft. Barkley has yet to sign the tag and may not be a Giant beyond this season, so the team needs a succession plan, something national champion Kenny McIntosh would provide as a great value pick on Day 3.

The Georgia bulldogs star is one of two all-rounders out of the backfield who should appeal to Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, “Keaton Mitchell (East Carolina) is a big play waiting to happen and Kenny McIntosh (Georgia) was a consistent performer for a national championship team. If a running back can catch the ball out of the backfield, Brian Daboll will find a place for him.”

McIntosh more than qualifies as somebody capable of catching passes out of the backfield. He would at least offer the same receiving threat as Barkley, who led the Giants with 57 receptions in 2022.

2-Time National Champion a Good Fit for Giants

Being a pass-catcher is no problem for McIntosh, who made his share of big plays as a receiver for the Bulldogs. One of the best was this 25-yard catch and run for a touchdown against Ohio State in the playoffs back in January.

Soft hands and speed and moves after the catch helped McIntosh make 76 catches during four years at Georgia, per Sports Reference. He snagged 43 of those in 2022, proving himself an invaluable check-down option for a quarterback.

Barkley performed the same role for Daniel Jones last season, thanks in no small part to the scheme designed by Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. They moved Barkley all over formations to isolate him against obvious coverage mismatches.

The expanded role suited Barkley’s skill-set and he gained 434 yards after the catch, per Pro Football Reference. McIntosh also thrived once he got the ball into his hands in space, with PFF College crediting him with more YAC than any other college running back.

Where McIntosh and Barkley differ as receivers is when it comes to the type of passes they catch. Barkley’s yards-before-catch number last season was -96, proof he made most of his receptions behind the line of scrimmage.

McIntosh is different, with NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein crediting the player with being “able to exploit linebackers with wheel routes.” That’s what McIntosh did for this spectacular grab against Missouri from 2021.

While Zierlein acknowledges McIntosh’s “excellent hands and the potential to mismatch coverages when isolated out of the backfield,” he does question the 23-year-old’s potential as a runner.

Specifically, Zierlein is concerned McIntosh “lacks the vision to recognize and exploit opportunities quickly and the elusiveness to dart in and out of developing run lanes.”

Those are qualities Barkley possesses, and attributes the Giants’ ground game would surely miss.

Giants Need a Running Back with Workhorse Potential

Although he’s 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, McIntosh is no bell-cow back. He amassed 829 yards on the ground and averaged 5.6 yards per rush last season, but McIntosh never carried the load the way Barkley has in the past.

McIntosh looks more like a do-all, complementary back more in the mold of Barkley’s backup, Matt Breida. The latter re-signed in free agency, but is 28 and has a lengthy injury history.

Perhaps Daboll could cobble together a running game between Breida and McIntosh. That’s what he did as offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, when Daboll used a committee approach featuring Devin Singletary and Zack Moss.

What the Giants lacked under Daboll was a ground-and-pound workhorse. It’s a role Schwartz believes Mohamed Ibrahim could fill if he’s still on the board in Round 6: “Ibrahim came back from a torn ACL to have a big year in 2022 with 1,665 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. Plowing into the end zone is what this guy does best, with 53 TDs in 28 games for the Golden Gophers.”

Ibrahim wouldn’t scare anybody as a receiver, but he can take punishment and keep on producing as a runner, per PFF College:

Snagging both Ibrahim and McIntosh on Day 3 would give the Giants ample insurance behind Barkley. Late-round draftees will be eager to make a good impression and start work early, while Barkley intends to skip voluntary workouts at the start of the team’s official offseason program, according to Newsday’s Kim Jones.

Barkley needs to be happy and healthy to repeat last season’s heroics, but the Giants must have viable alternatives if resentment from being tagged starts to negatively impact Barkley’s performances.