The hype has been real surrounding Saquon Barkley since the New York Giants made a bold move when they drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Prior to the draft, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman made it clear he was looking for a Hall of Fame caliber player with such an early selection. When Barkley was there for them at No. 2, the Giants couldn’t hand in the pick in fast enough.

To say the expectations are high is an understatement. Fans anticipate Barkley to have an immediate impact and many expect him to be an elite runner in the NFL during his career.

New defensive coordinator James Bettcher was with the Cardinals when they drafted David Johnson in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Johnson has taken the league by storm and become one of the best, if not the best, running backs in the league so you can bet that Bettcher knows what a good running back can do for an offense.

In fact, Bettcher even sees similarities in Barkley’s game that remind him of Johnson.

“I’d say he does. Very explosive. You can see ability in the pass game, getting in and out of breaks,” Bettcher said. “He’s gonna be a matchup nightmare for a lot of coordinators, a lot of defensive coaches in this league on how you’re gonna defend him. The run game’s one thing — he can put his foot in the ground and cut, he can make people miss, he can turn three yards probably into four and five. I’m excited to see him when we get pads on play, I really am. He’s gonna be tough to deal with.”

Being compared to Johnson is pretty high praise but Barkley should be able to thrive in an offense that includes pass catchers Odell Beckham Jr, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard.

The Giants would love to have a David Johnson type back, and Barkley could possibly be just that. With the additions to the offensive line and Beckham Jr. coming back healthy, the Giants should have an improved offense.

One thing is for sure; Giants fans are excited to see Barkly’s impact on the field and it seems as though nobody can wait for the running back to put the pads on.