A change of scenery wasn’t enough for CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco to anoint running back Saquon Barkley entering the 2024 season.
After arguably the greatest single-season performance from a running back in NFL history, Prisco’s outlook on the Philadelphia Eagles’ superstar changed significantly.
In his annual list of the NFL’s top 100 players, Prisco moved Barkley from “NR” — as in, not ranked — to No. 3 overall behind only Patrick Mahomes and Myles Garrett.
“Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory,” wrote Prisco, who’s been doing a version of this column for CBS since the early 2000s. “He can do so many things for the Eagles offense, which is why he is a real MVP candidate heading into this season.”
Barkley was one of two players in the top 15 to rise from the “not ranked” designation. The other? Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata (No. 13), who enjoyed a breakout 2024 season and is Prisco’s top-ranked left tackle. Philly’s right tackle, Lane Johnson, cracked the top 12 after being ranked No. 52 overall last year. (See the full list of Eagles rankings below.)
Barkley’s arrival in Philadelphia last offseason was viewed as a substantial upgrade over D'Andre Swift. Still, there was reason to temper expectations at the start. The Eagles, for starters, were coming off a dismal finish to the 2023 season and were onboarding a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. Barkley was also entering his age 27 season and was coming off a down year by his standards, finishing with just 962 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per attempt in the Giants’ dumpster-fire offense.
The vibes are obviously different now, with Barkley representing the reigning Super Bowl champions as the highest-paid running back in NFL history at over $20 million per season. He’ll try to provide an encore at age 28, coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him handle a career-high 436 carries including the playoffs.
All told, the Eagles have 10 total players on Prisco’s top 100 list for 2025, including some potential slights in wide receiver A.J. Brown (No. 31) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (No. 52). Here’s the full list:
- RB Saquon Barkley — No. 3
- RT Lane Johnson — No. 12
- LT Jordan Mailata — No. 13
- DT Jalen Carter — No. 17
- WR A.J. Brown — No. 31
- LB Zack Baun — No. 40
- QB Jalen Hurts — No. 52
- CB Quinyon Mitchell — No. 69
- LG Landon Dickerson — No. 72
- DB Cooper DeJean — No. 85
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