New York Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley continues to prove why he’s the number two overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In the second quarter of Giants’ 35-36 loss to Dallas Cowboys, Barkley caught his 89th reception in 2018 season and set a record for most receptions for a rookie running back. The 21-year-old passed Reggie Bush, who had 88 receptions in 2006 season with the New Orleans Saints.
This record is just one more impressive achievement Saquon Barkley managed to pull off in his rookie season. He entered the game against the Cowboys being 114 short from having 2,000 yards from scrimmage and managed to surpass the mark in the third quarter. With this, he joined Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James as the only player in NFL history to have 2,000+ yards as a first-year player.
Barkley is also the first rookie since Billy Sims in 1980 to have at least 1,200+ rushing yards and 600 reception yards. It is important to note that Sims won the NFL Rookie of the Year the same year.
Saquon Barkley further managed to get his name written in the history of New York Giants as well by breaking several other franchise record. After scoring a touchdown against the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, Barkley broke the record for most rushing touchdowns by a rookie RB in Giants’ history with 11. The previous record was set by Bill Paschal, who had 10 rushing touchdowns in 1943.
Unfortunately, Barkley’s success was a bit overshadowed by the fact that the Giants had another bad season and finished the year 5-11.
