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Saquon Barkley dominates bench press at NFL Combine

By Matt Verderame

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes the football against the Washington Huskies during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes the football against the Washington Huskies during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Penn State running back Saquon Barkley showed off his impressive strength on Thursday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The talk of the NFL Draft has been the quarterbacks. Everyone wants to know about Josh Allen’s arm, Josh Rosen’s makeup, Sam Darnold’s charisma and Lamar Jackson’s athleticism. However, Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley shouldn’t be lost in the shuffle.

The potential top-five pick was on display in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday afternoon, and he put on a show. The All-America put up 29 repetitions of 225 pounds, showcasing strength to go with his blazing speed.

The top running back on almost every board, Barkley could be helped with a strong showing over the weekend. Last year, Dalvin Cook was universally viewed as a first-round pick until he performed poorly at Lucas Oil Stadium. If Barkley can run well in the 40-yard dash and time solidly in the 3-cone and shuttle runs, he should be cemented as a top selection.

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As for the other top running backs, Barkley was well ahead of the group. Derrius Guice of LSU was only able to get through 15 reps, while Sony Michel put up 22. Barkley was tied atop the leaderboard with Georgia’s Nick Chubb, who was a first-round prospect a year ago before sustaining a torn ACL.

Barkley burst onto the scene in 2015 as a freshman, rushing for 1,076 yards. The following season, Barkley rushed for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding another 402 receiving yards. Finally, in 2017, the 230-pounder totaled 1,271 rushing yards on 5.9 yards per attempt.