Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley mesmerizing 2018 NFL combine performance vaulted him even further up draft boards after he posted some mind-boggling numbers
08:00 ET, 28 Feb 2026
Saquon Barkley
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Saquon Barkley lit up the 2018 NFL Combine(Image: Getty Images)
Back in 2018, then Penn State running back Saquon Barkley put forth one of the NFL combine performances of a lifetime, ranking near the top of the running back leaderboards for practically every category.
Barkley entered the combine in Indianapolis, IA, as no slouch: the reigning Paul Hornung Award winner and consensus All-American was widely expected to go high in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Still, none had gone in the top two since Reggie Bush in 2006, and the 2018 class was loaded with star quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson. The New York Giants, picking second after the Cleveland Browns, ignored positional value and drafted Barkley second anyway after his combine masterclass. Now, he's widely hailed as one of the league's best backs as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Barkley's bench press tally of 28 topped his position (and was higher than Joe Thomas's, as pointed out in a social media graphic by NFL+). His 1.54 10-yard split exceeded speedster DeSean Jackson's.
Barkley's 4.40 40-yard-dash was the second-best amongst running backs, trailing Naheim Hines — 36 points lighter than Barkley — by only 0.01 second. The Penn State star's 41-inch vertical was also the best, by far, amongst backs.
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Clocking in at 6'0" and 233 pounds, Barkley also posted viral videos of himself squatting well over 600 pounds. "I try to be a versatile player. I'm very confident in myself,' he said at the combine.
"Whether the ball's on the 1-yard line or the 99-yard line, I like to think I can find a way to get into the end zone," he continued. :"I can do it all. I can go over the top of you. I can beat you with speed. I can beat you with some wiggle. I can run through you. I try to improve every day."
Saquon Barkley
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Saquon Barkley went second in the 2018 NFL Draft(Image: Getty Images)
Barkley proved his chops at the NFL level. Now 29, he's already accomplished a whole lot: the Super Bowl winner was also the 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner after topping 2,000 regular-season rushing yards.
Barkley finished the 2024 campaign, setting the record for combined regular-season and playoff rushing yards (2,504) and combined yards from scrimmage (2,857).
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He was the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winner with the Giants and has earned three Pro Bowl nods, including a First-team All-NFL birth in 2024.
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"I love him! He is a face-of-the-franchise-type guy," an AFC college scouting director told NFL.com in 2018. "Talented kid with an outstanding work ethic and a big-time game. Barkley should be a star in this league."
"Barkley is a special player. He checks off all of the boxes as a feature back," a longtime NFL running backs coach said in the same piece.