New York Giants select QB Lamar Jackson in ESPN’s 2018 re-draft

In one of the most controversial draft picks in franchise history, the New York Giants selected running back Saquon Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL draft.

Barkley got off to stellar start with Big Blue, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, immediately after that, Barkley was hit with the injury bug prior to bouncing back in 2022.

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To this day, the debate continues over taking a running back as high as the Giants took Barkley.

ESPN recently released a re-draft of that 2018 draft and instead of taking Barkley, the Giants select quarterback Lamar Jackson.

A debate raged before the 2018 draft about whether the Giants should draft a quarterback. Ultimately, they did not, opting to take Barkley to boost their offense. But I made the easy choice to instead take the 2019 unanimous NFL MVP in Jackson. He is the most electric quarterback in the game — he leads the league in quarterback rush yards since 2018 (4,435) — and would have been unstoppable in current coach Brian Daboll’s offense.

Of course, when the Giants took Barkley, Eli Manning was still under center and they were still trying to win with their current roster — they were just a year removed from an 11-5 record under Ben McAdoo.

Like Barkley, Jackson also had a contract dispute this offseason which was resolved shortly after the Baltimore Ravens signed former Giant Odell Beckham Jr.

Jackson, of course, was selected 32nd overall that year with 28 teams passing on the future MVP, including the Ravens at 25th overall.

Meanwhile, in this re-draft scenario, Barkley falls to pick 15 and is then taken by the Arizona Cardinals.