Throughout the 2022 offseason, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley put in a ton of work to try and get back to the level that he performed at during his rookie season. He has battled numerous injuries in the seasons since, sapping him of the explosiveness that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Thus far this season, that explosiveness is back. Barkley has been by far the best player on an otherwise anemic Giants offense. He has been excellent both rushing and catching the ball, leading the league with 99 touches and 570 yards from scrimmage.

Had this version of Barkley not shown up this season, it is scary to think about what the Giants’ offense would look like. He is the only player capable of moving the ball as Daniel Jones doesn’t have the playmakers to push the ball down the field in the passing game.

The Giants are remaining competitive courtesy of Barkley running the ball and strong performances from the defense. How good has Barkley been? As pointed out by StatMuse, Barkley has outrushed 21 teams by himself thus far this season.

Barkley has 84 carries for 463 yards on the season. He has nearly matched his rushing yard total from 2021 when he ran for only 593 yards on 162 carries in 13 games. His current pace is even better than what he accomplished as a rookie when he ran for 1,307 yards on 261 carries en route to winning the Offensive Player of the Year award and being named a Pro Bowler.

In the final season of his rookie deal, Saquon Barkley has picked a great time to put up the best stats of his career. He is going to look to cash in next offseason as a free agent, showing that he is among the elite running backs and offensive players in the NFL.