Saquon Barkley Defends Daniel Jones on Twitter and Blasts Media's Negative Portrayal of Him

There's been a negative narrative surrounding the New York Giants and Daniel Jones since the team took the Duke quarterback with the sixth overall pick in April's NFL Draft.

Well, star running back and 2018 first-round pick Saquon Barkley took to Twitter to try to turn the tide.

Video of Jones' first play at training camp on Thursday shows him throwing a pass over the head of a receiver towards the sideline. Many saw the video and assumed Jones simply threw an off-target pass. But Barkley's Twitter analysis painted a different picture.

Barkley credited Jones with being smart enough to throw the ball away rather than force a pass and risk an interception. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year's praise of Jones is consistent with the reports of how impressive Jones was during this summer's OTAs.

After Jones was drafted, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman indicated that Jones could potentially sit for three years before starting full-time. However, head coach Pat Shurmur has left the door open for Jones actually starting in Week 1 over franchise legend Eli Manning.

While that remains unlikely, it's still notable that reports regarding Jones are mainly positive since he's been in action in OTAs and training camp. While his first day of camp may have been a struggle, reports indicate that Jones has rebounded with an effective second day on Friday.

With the trade of Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland in March, Barkley is no doubt the biggest star on the Giants roster. For the Giants organization and its fans, it must be refreshing to see a top playmaker supporting his quarterback rather than trashing him.