![]()
on April 1, 2026, 14:45:08, in reply to "What if Love falls and is available at 25. Should the Bears take him?"
Previous Message
This is quite unlikely but would make for an interesting choice
Previous Message
Similar to QBs, this is another class with a sure fire #1 overall prospect and then a bunch of also-rans with the major difference being that I think Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame is the absolute goods. I have him as the #2 overall prospect in the class and I like him better than Ashton Jeanty at this time last year, which is high praise.
Jeanty had the advantage on contact balance, between the tackles toughness, and making a 0-yard run a 4-yard run (something he had to do a lot in Vegas this year). I like Love better in pretty much all other aspects. Love is a true home run hitter with the same speed and burst as Jahmyr Gibbs. Love also has the rare trait of someone with that speed- he's got patience and vision. Put him in an outside zone scheme and he will be dominant. And, most importantly in the modern NFL, he is a legitimate weapon in the pass game. He's got great hands and already understands nuance in route running. I think he's a 1200-1500 all-purpose yard player as a rookie with upside of 1750-2000 APY at his peak.
The rest of the pack is significantly worse than recent years but there are still some good options- it'll be more about what flavor fits your team.
If you like Kyle Monangai style RBs, Jonah Coleman from Washington is your guy. 5'8" 220# and runs like every snap is personal to him and takes care of the ball like it's his property (1 fumble in his college career). He's an ok receiver and has a bit of burst and pop but won't be a major breakaway threat. I think he's a great fit in an inside zone scheme for a team that already has a speed/receiving back. I'd hate to see him in Detroit, for example.
Jadarian Price is Love's teammate from ND, and I think he's a bit like a "we have Jeremiyah Love at home" choice. He's a bit smaller than Love and not as fast, though he does show good burst when he gets into the open. He's got good vision, contact balance, and toughness to drive for extra yards which really was evident as ND's primary kick returner (that included 2 returned for TD). I think he could be a Kenneth Gainwell type of player that immediately offers value in the return game and as a change of pace RB.
Mike Washington from Arkansas feels a bit like snake oil to me. He's big (6'1" 223#) and ran a 4.33 40 and was really good at the Senior Bowl but something about him just feels off. This combination of size and speed means he should have been dominant. He broke 1000 yards in the difficult SEC but I worry if he's outside of a "see hole, hit hole" system if he can hack it and has a major problem hanging on to the ball. He feels very Isaac Guerendo. And, hey, put him on the 9ers and he may have a week where he goes for 150 and 2 TDs.
Emmett Johnson from Nebraska is the anti-Washington. He doesn't have great size (5'10" 202#), he didn't run a great 40 (4.56) but he's super productive. I love his short area quickness and agility. He's one that seems to never quite get hit square by defenders, doing just enough to make them miss center mass to keep his legs driving or to fall forward for an extra yard. He's also got good hands and can instantly contribute in the passing game.
Demond Claiborne from Wake Forest is your smaller (5'10" 188#) back with great speed (4.37) that will get picked in round 5 by someone like Baltimore and be a fantasy dynasty darling for a week on the waiver wire in preseason because he has one big breakaway run.
Penn State has two draftable RBs. Nick Singleton is built in a lab (6'0" 219#, runs a 4.39 40, broke Saquon's program record at the squat), yet he consistently got supplanted by Kaytron Allen (5'11" 216#, 4.55) for handoffs when it mattered. I think Allen is just... fine. He could be a solid #2 or #3 between the tackles RB that takes the dirty work. Singleton will get chance after chance in the NFL because people will bet on unlocking that physical talent.
56