Saquon Barkley jumps through the roof at the Combine

The working theory around the National Football League is that Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley has the tools for greatness.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, “Barkley is firmly in the mix at No. 1 for the Browns“. Gesicki’s performance caught some more people by surprise.

He also led running backs in the bench press, tying Georgia’s Nick Chubb with 29 reps of 225 pounds.

There are certainly reasons to be skeptical of drafting a running back, but when a generational talent is on the board, it’s fair to invest in their potential. To put that number in perspective, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas was only able to put up 28 reps at the 2007 combine.

Dissly ran a 4.87-second 40-yard dash, which ranked as the 12th-best time among tight ends. He crushed his workout and is the clear No. 1 running back prospect.

As scouts, coaches and GM’s watched intently, Barkley put on a show in Indianapolis. Weighing in at 6ft, 233lbs, Barkley is an impressive physical specimen with rare athletic ability. Second, it means they are, like many, enamored with Barkley’s skill set. With the fourth overall pick, Cleveland has flexibility in their draft plans.

One NFL team has only handed out four ideal prospect draft grades in the last 20 years.

“The Cleveland Browns are not going to be successful until we get a quarterback”, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said in December at a press conference introducing new general manager John Dorsey. Sure, they could trade up, and they have the ammo with which to do it, but perhaps that doesn’t interest the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, owners of the second and third picks.

Adding Barkley to Cleveland’s offense would give a dynamic weapon to take the pressure off a rookie quarterback.

Additionally, people might say, “well, why would the Giants pass on a quarterback if they hold more value than a running back?” The most common theory is they package No. 21 and No. 22 together to move up, but a couple of people I trust tell me it’s more likely they move up with one of the picks and down with the other, to get more picks later.

The only top prospect who really seemed to hurt himself was USC’s Ronald Jones, who came to Indy with a shot at climbing into contention for a first-round pick.