This year’s draft class has changed immensely over the last couple of months, but one thing that has remained consistent is the value of Jeremiyah Love. The Notre Dame running back has arguably been the most dominant player in college football, and scouts know he is one of the best RB prospects of our generation. He is likely slated to go in the Top 15 and will find himself in elite company.
Just last year, we saw Ashton Jeanty, who had one of the best running back seasons college football had ever seen, and scouts raved about his profile in the NFL. Other top running back prospects include Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Leonard Fournette, and Ezekiel Elliott. Love will find himself included on lists like these, but what I want to look at is how his prospect profile compares to these other top running back prospects from years past.
Starting with Love’s profile, similar to the other top guys, you will struggle to poke holes or find flaws in Love’s game. He is well known for his vision out of the backfield, elite athleticism, and his ability to break tackles in space. With the ball in his hands, regardless of where he is, Love is always a threat to break a big play, but at the same time, he is consistent with his ability to avoid plays for negative yards.
In the pass game, Love is an elite pass blocker and reciever, making him a true every-down back. Love is known more for his power with the ball rather than his speed and quickness, but athletically, Love is more than capable of doing it all. If you’re splitting hairs, I would like to see Love be a little quicker on his feet to avoid contact rather than fight through it, and in the pass game, he could refine his route running some. But as a whole, I am nitpicking things, and Love will immediately be one of the NFL’s best backs.
Looking back at other guys, I think Love is a better NFL prospect than Ashton Jeanty and Leonard Fournette, mostly because of his ability to impact the pass game. Both Jeanty and Fournette were elite pass blockers, but subpar as receivers, whereas Love is more well-rounded in his ability to do both. Love possesses a bit less power than both backs, but he seems to have a little more burst and quickness out of the backfield. Fournette likely had more speed, but the burst and quickness of Love set him apart.
On the other hand, Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley are the best RB prospects I have ever scouted, with Barkley likely taking the top spot. Both guys were well-rounded backs who had just had a next level to them with their ability to avoid contact and make big plays. Barkley was one of the most dominant players I have ever seen in college football, and while Bijan was less dominant in college, his prospect profile was uniquely incredible.
Personally, Love’s draft stock reminds me a lot of Ezekiel Elliott, and as prospects, I would put them in a very similar conversation. Elliott was the best pass-blocking RB I have ever seen in college, and that alone made him a major threat in the pass game. In the run game, Elliott was uniquely dominating, but he has the same issue I see with Love, where sometimes he looks for contact too much rather than avoiding it with agility and burst.
This would put Love as the fourth-best running back I have scouted in the last ten years, putting him in elite company with several all-pro caliber players. He lands just behind Elliott, but above Fournette and Jeanty for the best running back prospects of the last decade.
There is never a sure thing in the draft, but you may not be able to find anyone as close to being one as Love. His ability to impact the game in every situation is something that only comes every so often in the draft, and that unique ability is what will get Love drafted even higher than most expect. Most have Love in the 10-15 range of the draft, similar to Jeanty. But also similar to Jeanty, there will likely be a team we do not expect that will fall in *no pun intended* love with him, who will make him a top 10 pick this April.
