Saquon Barkley had his first child just 2 days before the NFL draft

Former Penn State running back and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the New York Giants had one of the most important nights of his life before another important night even began. On Tuesday evening, just two days before the NFL draft in Arlington, Barkley welcomed his first child into the world with his girlfriend, Anna:

Barkley and his girlfriend announced that they were expecting last month:

Barkley’s girlfriend Anna Congdon posted to Instagram in March that the couple was expecting their first child. Barkley said he was excited to be a father to Jada Clare Barkley, who is 20.5-inches tall and 8.4-pounds. She was born at 5:13 p.m, according to a tweet by Penn State football player Amani Oruwariye.

“I’m looking forward to being a role model and setting an example for my kid,” the running back told the Centre Daily Times in March. “That’s the most important thing I’m focused on right now: Being a better father and a better player every single day.”

Barkley, expected to be taken in the top-10 of the draft on Thursday night, checks in as Dan Kadar’s No. 1 overall player in this year’s draft class:

Sometimes a player is so highly regarded for so long that as the draft approaches they get picked apart. In the 2018 draft, that player is Barkley. Is he the fastest? No. Is he the most powerful? No. But Barkley is the best combination of power, speed and elusiveness in this year’s draft. Barkley is a powerful runner, who runs with excellent balance and pad level. In the open field he knows how to use his agility to make defenders miss, and he has the strength to power through tackles. As a pro he’ll have to get a little bit stronger and better catching the ball, but he grades out similarly to Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette.

Between welcoming his baby girl and getting selected No. 2 overall by the Giants, these last two days will likely have to be the absolute best of his entire life.