Saquon Barkley has been impressed by Daniel Jones.
The Giants selected the quarterback out of Duke with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, a move that was unpopular with some fans. Barkley, the team’s second-year running back, was asked about Jones during an interview Tuesday with New York station WFAN.
"He can play,” Barkley said. “You see flashes and glimpses on the field. I'm really excited to see him go out there and play live against the Jets (in the first preseason game) Thursday. You can see he's a competitor."
Barkley added: “I'm the best Connect Four player, probably, in the NFL. The first time I played Daniel I beat him with ease. We left, and we come back to camp and out of nowhere he pulls me inside and we start playing Connect Four and he gets me. He gets me two times in a row. I'm like 'oh man we've got to keep going.' We kind of kept playing until I got the win. You can see his fire and competitiveness on the field and really excited for his future."
Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns on 261 carries as a rookie for New York in 2018. He said he’s not concerned about his work load moving forward.
"There are probably a lot of people that are concerned about that. I realize that. It's not their body, it's my body," Barkley said. "I know how passionate I am about this game. I know how passionate about my team. When I say I'll do whatever it takes to help my team win games, I really mean it."
Jones is expected to begin the season behind veteran Eli Manning on the Giants’ depth chart.