Saquon Barkley wasn’t the only rookie from Penn State in the NFL in 2018.
It only seemed that way. For good reason.
Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft by the New York Giants, not only was the shining star among Nittany Lion rookies.
He was a star of The League — credit both his big runs and his clever VISA credit card commercials (watch here) — and offensive rookie of the year performance.
Barkley capped his first year by playing on the Pro Bowl on Sunday. He was the No. 2 rusher in the NFL, with 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns, trailing only Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott (1,434).
He added 91 catches (the most-ever for a rookie) for 721 yards, with four TDs, and finished 2018 with 2,028 yards from scrimmage — joining Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James as the only rookies to do so.
Barkley was one of 11 players who left Penn State after the 2017 season who landed on NFL rosters in 2018. And that’s out of a group of 15 who were either drafted (six total) or signed as free agents (nine).
NO. 2 AFTER NO. 26?
After Barkley, which Penn State rookie had the best season in the NFL in 2018?
Other than Saquon, only three Nittany Lion rookies earned starts last season. Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (Denver), a fourth-round pick, may have had the best overall rookie campaign after Barkley. He finished 2018 strong for the Broncos, grabbing 25 passes for 182 yards in Denver’s final four games of the season. He made five starts and finished with 30 receptions and two touchdowns.
Cornerback Grant Haley, an undrafted free agent by the Giants, earned nine starts, while tight end Mike Gesicki (Miami), a second-round draft selection, had seven. Linebacker Jason Cabinda, also a free agent, appeared in 10 games for the Oakland Raiders, all in a reserve role.
Barkley led the way at the bank, too. He earned $21.25 million in 2018, counting a signing bonus and his first year’s salary. That’s more than twice what his 10 fellow PSU rookies pulled down collectively last season — a total of $10.26 million. (Numbers don’t count endorsements and are according to spotrac.com and overthecap.com.)
Gesicki, at $3.3 million counting his signing bonus and first-year salary, was second, followed by Hamilton ($1.16 million) and Troy Apke ($1.12 million) of the Washington Redskins.
Nittany Lions who signed free agent contracts but didn’t stick were defensive linemen Tyrell Chavis (Giants) and Parker Cothren (Pittsburgh), kicker Tyler Davis (Buffalo) and linebacker Brandon Smith (Buffalo).
2018 IN REVIEW
Here’s a look at the Penn State rookies, in alphabetical order, and how they fared in 2018:
MARCUS ALLEN, S, Pittsburgh Steelers; selected in fifth round, 148th overall — Hampered by hamstring issues in mini-camp, OTAs and into summer camp. Appeared in two games, the first on Dec. 3 vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. Two tackles on the season.
TROY APKE, S, Washington Redskins; fourth round, 109th overall — Strong preseason, with a pick against the New York Jets and six tackles against the New England Patriots. Appeared in only two regular-season games, including the season-opener, and spent the second-half of the season on injured reserve, with a hamstring issue.
SAQUON BARKLEY, RB, New York Giants; first round, second overall — 261 rushes for 1,307 yards, 91 receptions for 721 yards, 15 TDs. Offensive rookie of the year. Pro Bowl. Great commercials.
SAAED BLACKNALL, WR, Oakland Raiders, free agent — Spent bulk of the regular season on the practice squad. Active for one game.
JASON CABINDA, LB, Oakland Raiders, free agent — Appeared in 10 consecutive games, from Week 8 to Week 17. Total of 21 tackles, 14 solo. Four solo tackles vs Cincinnati and four overall vs. Baltimore.
CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL, CB, New Orleans Saints, sixth round by Arizona, 182nd overall — Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, but was waived Sept. 1. Signed to the Saints’ practice squad in mid-October.
CURTIS COTHRAN, DL, Minnesota Vikings; free agent — Cut at the end of summer camp, then added to the practice squad for seven weeks. On expanded offseason roster.
MIKE GESICKI, TE, Miami Dolphins; second round, 42nd overall — Played in all 16 games, starting seven. Had 22 receptions for 202 yards, with catches in 12 different contests. Had a season-high four receptions against Bill O’Brien’s Houston Texans, as well as three each against Detroit, Cincinnati and Carolina.
GRANT HALEY, CB, New York Giants, free agent — Played in the Giants’ last 10 games, starting nine of them. Had 29 tackles, including a stellar seven solo tackles against Chicago.
DaeSEAN HAMILTON, WR, Denver Broncos; fourth round, 113th overall — Listed first at WR on the offseason depth chart. Had 30 receptions for 243 yards and two TDs. Final four games of 2018: vs. San Francisco (7-47-1), Cleveland (7-46), Oakland (6-40-1) and the Chargers (5-49).
BRENDAN MAHON, G, Carolina Panthers; free agent — Appeared in two games at guard.
