Few would argue that Saquon Barkley was one of the brightest stars among NFL newcomers in 2018.

Now the question is this: What does he have in store for an encore?

When a rookie running back rushes for 1,307 yards, a 5.0-yard average per carry with 11 TDs and produces 2,028 yards from scrimmage (the third-most by a rookie in NFL history) and he does it behind a struggling offensive line, it leaves you to wonder how much better he can be in his second season behind a better offensive line.

When the Giants running back, the second-overall pick in the 2018 draft, was asked after practice Friday what a “proper’’ sophomore encore would be to his high-level production as a freshman, Barkley said, “I consider a proper encore would be just doing whatever I can to help my team to get in position to compete in the playoffs, and compete for a championship.’’

Good answer.

Actually, the perfect answer.

The Giants, after all, finished last season with a 5-11 record, residing in the NFC East basement for the second consecutive season.

The Giants improved by two games from 2017 to ’18 — even with the production of the rare-talent Barkley, and that’s not enough.

Twenty-four miles to the west of East Rutherford, in Florham Park, the Jets are expecting their second-year quarterback, Sam Darnold, to turn them into not just a winner, but a championship contender. And soon.

The Giants, of course, passed on Darnold as their successor to Eli Manning and instead selected Barkley. Whether it’s fair or not — and it certainly isn’t to Barkley — he’s going to be a part of that comparison for the rest of his career.

And you know what: There isn’t a better, more polished athlete around to handle those comparisons, whether they’re favorable to him or not.

Barkley does and says all the right things. Don’t expect that to change.

Not that Barkley was a wallflower as a rookie, but everyone around the Giants senses him asserting himself as one of the leaders of the team now. The outsized ego and presence of receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is gone, now searching for attention in Cleveland. Manning, the veteran quarterback entering his 16th season, is still here.

But no matter. Barkley has been seen as more vocal in practices this summer, but always staying in his lane, never overstepping and always striking the right balance.

“I’ve definitely asserted myself in more of a leadership role,’’ Barkley said. “That’s the beauty of sports, and especially the beauty of football: You don’t just need one leader. It’s not like when I’m saying I’m asserting myself into that role that I’m the leader of the New York Giants. There’s multiple of us, we all lead in different ways.

“I’m trying to find my way to lead, and a way that I believe is going to help the team.’’

You cannot state it any better than Barkley did right there, and this was not lip service.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said the most obvious difference in Barkley 2.0 is “there’s just a little bit more confidence in what he can expect to see from his teammates, coaches and the way we function.’’

“He’s a Year 2 guy, and usually, for talented people that work hard at what they do, you can see an improvement between Year 1 and Year 2. Sometimes it’s their biggest improvement.’’

When Shurmur was asked if it would be difficult for Barkley — who set the bar so high so quickly — to better what he did last season as an encore, he said: “Maybe for some guys that will rest on their laurels, but I don’t see that in Saquon. He’s a guy that’s just trying to get better every day.’’

And so he is.

Future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson told USA Today in a story published Friday that Barkley is “the best back to come into the NFL since I came into the NFL,” adding, “As far as potential and going forward, I think he will end up being the best back to play the game.”

Those are powerful words from a running back who’s eighth on the all-time career rushing list with more than 13,000 yards.

“Obviously, the production was really good,’’ offensive coordinator Mike Shula said Friday of Barkley’s rookie year.

“Selfishly, we want to have the same production, but in different ways. Some of those yards last year were maybe because we were behind. We want to have that production when we have the lead, or the games are close, that’s where we want to be each and every week.’’

Winning.

And it’s difficult not to believe Barkley will be a big part of leading the way.