Saints' Payton: Barkley is best RB prospect I've seen in 25 years

The football world's collective crush on running back Saquon Barkley reached a fever pitch after the former Penn State standout destroyed the NFL combine and cemented his place among the draft's top players.

Barkley was showered with praise from all corners, including from New Orleans Saints head coach and offensive mastermind Sean Payton.

"He's the best running back prospect I've seen in 25 years," Payton told Peter King of the MMQB.

It's certainly high praise from Payton, considering the likes of Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Reggie Bush, and Ezekiel Elliott were all drafted in that time frame as elite running back prospects.

However, no runner has gone No. 1 overall since Ki-Jana Carter in 1995 - a feat Barkley is reportedly in contention for with the Cleveland Browns holding the top pick