Philadelphia Eagles: NFC East race becomes more interesting with Saquon Barkley

Thanks to the New York Giants selecting Saquon Barkley at No. 2 in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles will have to see the Penn State star twice a year.

While the Philadelphia Eagles continue to wait for their pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, all eyes will be on what the other three teams in the NFC East will be up to in the first round, including the New York Giants. After finishing as one of the biggest disappointments from the 2017 season by winning just three games, the Giants ended up with the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, and as a result, the team was able to land the top prospect at running back in Saquon Barkley.

Originally, there was some speculation that the former Penn State star would end up going as the top overall pick to the Cleveland Browns, but the team decided to address their need at quarterback instead by selecting Baker Mayfield. So with the opportunity to bring a dynamic playmaker on board that will make an immediate impact as a rookie, it’s easy to understand why the Giants felt that Barkley was too good to pass on at No. 2.

As for what this means for the Eagles, well let’s just say Barkley will certainly keep them busy when it comes to the NFC East since the Super Bowl champions face the Giants twice each season. It was one thing for Philadelphia worrying about Ezekiel Elliott as the top running back in the division, but the addition of Barkley could end up causing just as many problems when facing New York after seeing how many ways he can be used on offense along with special teams.

The Giants may have been one of the biggest disappointments from a year ago, but all signs point to this team turning things around in 2018, and the odds of it happening just hit a whole new level with the addition of Barkley. All of a sudden, winning the NFC East for the second year in a row just became a lot more difficult for the Eagles when looking at all of the hype surrounding Barkley entering his first NFL season.

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Then again, there’s a reason why Philadelphia will be entering the 2018 season as defending champions, as Jim Schwartz will make sure his guys on defense will be ready to go when it comes to stopping Barkley and anyone else standing in the team’s way. All of a sudden, Barkley just made the NFC East race even more interesting, and here’s to hoping the Eagles will be ready for the rookie once Week 6 arrives.