Giants running backs measuring up after Saquon Barkley exit

It was never a question of the quality of the player, the integrity of the individual or the specialness of the athlete.On all three counts, Saquon Barkley was a sure thing.There was always a question of the importance of the position, commensurate with a lofty draft slot.

As a prospect, Barkley was top-rate, no debate.There was always going to be a debate if using the No.

2 overall pick on a running back — even one as highly touted as Barkley — was going to be worth the draft equity.“It don’t matter where you’re drafted,’’ rookie running back Tyrone Tracy told The Post.“If you’re on the football field, you’re expected to produce at a high level.

First round, second round, seventh round, undrafted, there’s a lot of people who were undrafted playing in the NFL who are starting.It doesn’t matter where you’re drafted, it’s more so about what you do with your opportunities when they come.’’The Giants hope Tracy’s theory is proven correct.

So far? We’ll see.The Giants on Sunday, for the first time, meet the former face of their franchise when they square off with the Eagles at MetLife Stadium.After six years, they moved on from Barkley knowing they needed to replace the production of one starting running back by using two players.

They signed a capable veteran, 27-year old Devin Singletary, selected Tracy in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and still had Eric Gray, a 2023 fifth-round pick, on the roster.Singletary (221 rushing yards, 37th in the league) and Tracy (208 yards, 40th in the league) have combined for 429 rushing yards.Barkley has been a one-man show for the Eagles, with 482 rushing yards (fourth in the league).

Barkley has been far more efficient — an average of 5.3 yards per attempt — compared with the Singletary/Tracy combo (4.1 yards per attempt).Barkley, 27, has not made a big impact as a receiver, with 14 catches for only 92 yards and one extremely costly dropped pass down the stretch in a Week 2 loss to...