Watched some running backs...
Jadarian Pierce, Notre Dame - Pierce isn't afraid to get downhill. He seeks out contact and his balance into contact is uncanny. He can get to the sideline or run straight up the gut and make you pay. He is another guy who sets up his blocks with leverage. He can also return kicks and returns them like a running back, not a receiver. He runs through defenders on kick returns. When you watch him run, guys try to swipe at his legs a lot, but he typically tends to get that foot up and down by a constant churning of his legs and runs directly through that contact. He had an achilles injury in 2024 - so durability may be a concern (though I'm not particularly concerned at this point) and his role as a true bellcow is untested. He's just okay in pass protection. Has good hands.
If we don't take Love at 7, and let's be clear - I think he is the most special back in this group with the best overall skill set and absolute game changing ability, the next two guys in my ranking are who we NEED to come away with in this draft - even if we add a high end FA at the position. Nick Singleton and Emmett Johnson are both guys, who play slightly different than one another, but are what we need. Versatile backs who can fit multiple schemes. It was hard for me to differentiate Singleton and Johnson, to be honest. Singleton's speed to power ratio is unreal and with some improvements in his hips he could wind up being an incredible NFL back. Johnson is just so decisive and intelligent with his cuts and vision that he literally creates yards with his mind.
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