Saquon Barkley is the face of the Giants now

A few minutes into the Giants’ first practice of training camp, Saquon Barkley was doing a simple footwork drill when the crowd in the bleachers in East Rutherford, N.J., started chanting, “MVP … MVP.”

Barkley acknowledged the chants with a wave and went back to work, preparing himself to build on his fabulous rookie season.

“That’s a first,” Barkley said of the MVP chants. “I’m just grateful for the fans to show support and I’m grateful to be back on the field.”

The Giants are Barkley’s team now. Odell Beckham Jr. is in Cleveland, and quarterback Eli Manning is on his way out. Barkley is the face of the franchise ready to push his team with his legs, heart and leadership in 2019. And he isn’t afraid to entertain the notion of being the league’s real MVP.

“I think anything is possible,” he said.

Barkley proved the Giants weren’t wrong in using the No. 2-overall pick in the 2018 draft to take the running back out of Penn State when critics suggested they should have taken a quarterback. He scored on a 68-yard touchdown run in the Giants’ opening game against the Jaguars and never stopped running or scoring.

He was named the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and voted a spot in the Pro Bowl after earning 1,307 yards rushing and 721 yards receiving. He totaled 15 touchdowns.

More impressive was the confidence, leadership and maturity he displayed in the locker room, holding himself and his teammates accountable. He has the savvy of a seasoned veteran and the desire of a winner.

“I think he’s got a generational spirit,” Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said Thursday. “It shows up on game day, it shows up in the locker room, it shows up behind the scenes. He leads by example, but he’s also willing to say things that are important to him. If he keeps the mindset of trying to learn and get better, then he’ll continue to have a great career.”

Barkley offers none of the drama that Beckham seemed to court. He was controversy-free as a rookie, making it all about his performance on the field. His voice in the locker room was consistent and always all about the team.

“He’s a gifted athlete and when the pads came you saw his ability,” said tight end Evan Engram, who is entering his third season. “But the thing that stuck out to me was his natural leadership. That’s what got me really excited and it pushed me, as well. He’s going to take it to a whole different level coming into Year 2.”

You can see it already. The first few times he touched the ball Thursday, Barkley didn’t stop running the 70 or so yards until he reached the end zone. Later his passion for competition became evident when he began discussing whether he or Sterling Shepard got the best of their workouts in California. He sees that as something the entire team can use.

“We didn’t have that competitive nature last year,” Barkley said “We have that this year.”

All eyes were on rookie quarterback Daniel Jones on Thursday, but it’s Barkley who will carry the Giants in 2019. The coaching staff will have to monitor his workload to keep him as healthy and fresh as possible. Barkley ran the ball 261 times last season and caught 91 passes. Expect his workload to be about the same this year.

“We’ll see what it takes to win football games,” Shurmur said. “I think we all agree that it makes sense for him to touch the ball. As we go along, we also need to spread the ball around too.”

There will always be some who will argue the Giants should have taken Sam Darnold with their first-round pick in 2018. But that’s a deluded opinion after Barkley posted the kind of numbers he did as a rookie. He is the face of the franchise now. And that’s just fine with the Giants.

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