Pick 2 - New York Giants via NJY
Jeremiyah Love | RB | Notre Dame
Explosive, one-cut runner with elite acceleration and instant burst. Hits creases with urgency and can erase pursuit angles in the open field. True home-run threat who stresses defenses horizontally and vertically. Still refining vision between the tackles, but the speed profile is game-changing.
Let’s begin here with his performance against Pitt, which I was covering. Jeremiyah Love showed instantly why he is considered the best running back in college football. With patience, sharp vision, and a devastating spin move, he sliced through the Panthers defense on a touchdown run that made it 7-0 with 8:16 left in the first quarter. The Heisman hopeful finished with 158 rushing yards on 23 carries and added two catches for 20 yards for good measure.
Thick hips and legs, and he knows how to use them in pass protection. Watch him against Texas A&M’s Taurean York in the second quarter. He delivers one hell of a blow to York, then stares him down afterward. That is a mental way to block, not just an assignment. He gets after it. Plays with leverage and provides pop in his blocking.
Terrific with the ball in his hands. He provides all the cliché qualities of an upper-tier prospect at his position. Effortlessly seizes the gap, finds the hole, can maneuver through traffic, spin, remain balanced, and churn his legs for tough yards. I would be surprised if he does not become a contributor quickly at the next level.
He dazzled everyone with his athleticism during the drills at the NFL Combine, and it is not out of the question for him to go as high as No. 2 to the Jets. He is a clear-cut elite talent at running back. Even the receivers in this class are strong, but not elite like Love. His 4.36 forty was another block in the solid foundation of his overall game.
