In his playing days with the Giants, Brandon Jacobs at times went right or left but most often preferred to take it directly up the middle.

It was the way he ran the ball and the manner in which he conducted most of his business.

You knew what you were getting from the bruising Jacobs. And so, when he asked about the state of the position he used to play, Jacobs was predictably straight-forward in his assessment.

“Nobody wants to pay running backs,’’ Jacobs told The Post this week as he scanned the practice fields, where the Giants were conducting a minicamp workout.

“I want all running backs to get what they think they’re worth.

“We’re going through something here with Saquon at the moment.’’

Yes, the Giants are going through something here with Saquon Barkley, who is learning the hard way that the NFL is not into paying big money for running backs.

Barkley has not signed the franchise tag tender of $10.1 million the Giants slapped on him and, as a result, was not eligible to participate in the team’s offseason workout program.

The Giants pulled their previous offer (at the bye week this past season) of $12.5 million per year and also pulled their offer of $13 million annually after the 2022 season but never closed down negotiations with Barkley’s camp.

Barkley said last week at a youth football camp he hosted that he was upset those offers leaked out.

“Those reports that come out and try to make me look greedy, that’s not even close to being the truth,’’ Barkley said.

The Giants and Barkley have until July 17 to agree to a new contract, or else Barkley must sign the tag and play for $10.1 million in 2023 — or not sign the tag and sit out.

Jacobs knows what Barkley is going through — sort of.

In February 2009, the Giants applied the franchise tag ($6.6 million at the time) on Jacobs, who was 26 years old and coming off career highs in rushing (1,089 yards) and rushing touchdowns (15).

Nevertheless, the tone of this action was different from what Barkley is currently experiencing. Jacobs’ tag was viewed as a placeholder while a new deal was worked out.

With Barkley, that scenario is not nearly as clear.

“They franchised me with the intent to do a deal and we got a deal done,’’ Jacobs said. “They did it to keep me off the market. I wanted to be here so it really didn’t bother me and it was going to be more than they were offering me per year anyway. I didn’t mind it. I showed up, I did everything I needed to do.

“There was nowhere else I could go and work out so I needed to come here and do that.’’

Those proceedings lacked any contentiousness.

In fact, when the Giants announced they had put the tag on Jacobs, their press release actually included quotes from Jacobs saying he understood what was going down.

Twelve days after the Giants put the tag on Jacobs they signed him to a four-year deal worth $25 million.

The situation with Barkley has not unraveled but it is not nearly as touchy-feely as it was when Jacobs was tagged.

Jacobs, 40, said he spoke often with Barkley earlier in Barkley’s career and the two connected again last season.

“I came up here, we talked about his contract being up, I said don’t let it distract him, stay focused on the rest of the season and try not to pay attention to what other people are making,’’ Jacobs said.

Jacobs, at 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds, was a linebacker-sized running back.

He never backed down, as far as assessing his own drive and talent, but admitted, “I wasn’t Saquon, though.’’

Barkley ran for a career-high 1,312 yards in 2022.

“I see a dynamic, generational talent even still at this age he is, I still see that guy,’’ Jacobs said. “I still see him being super explosive, making stuff happen. I’d say he’s devalued because he feels he’s devalued.

“I think the dollar amount they’re offering is great — $13 million a year. I think he wants most of that money front-loaded in his contract, he wants most of it guaranteed. I think that’s the problem we’re dealing with now. I can’t say he’s wrong.”