I fully buy into that. I've only got 2 first round grades on WR's and if Tyson's medicals push him into Day 2, then that leaves just Tate.
For example, as a weapon in the passing game there is an entire world of difference between Love and Lemon. If I'm just viewing prospects as receiving options for Jayden. I've still got Love over Lemon. Some of these runningbacks are so much more valuable than the "RB isn't a premium position label". You get outsized talent for a fraction of the cost. That's hyper efficient cap usage.
Let me give some examples of seasons and we can judge their impact to the offense as a whole.
- 116 receptions, 1005 yards, 4 TD's, Success Rate 59.9%
- 102 receptions, 924 yards, 7 TD's, Success Rate 57.4%
- 95 receptions, 1042 yards, 3 TD's, Success Rate 44%
- 85 receptions, 1013 yards, 4 TD's, Success Rate 68.6%
- 64 receptions, 910 yards, 6 TD's, Success rate 58%
- 79 receptions, 820 yards, 4 TD's, Success Rate 56.3%
- 74 receptions, 1017 yards, 7 TD's, Success Rate 54%
- 58 receptions, 847 yards, 5 TD's, Success Rate 53.7%
- 111 receptions, 1165 yards, 3 TD's, Success Rate 58.4%
- 71 receptions, 1117 yards, 6 TD's, Success Rate 49.2%
Answer Key:
- RB - McCaffrey (2019)
- RB - McCaffrey (2025)
- WR - Garrett Wilson (2023)
- WR - Stefon Diggs (2025)
- WR - Jaylen Waddle (2025)
- RB - Bijan Robinson (2025)
- WR - Courtland Sutton (2025)
- WR - Parker Washington (2025)
- WR - Wes Welker (2008)
- WR - Nico Collins (2025)
Let's pretend all those RB seasons cost a premium cap hit for the RB position, and all those WR seasons cost a premium cap hit of WR2. You'd take the RB seasons. They cost less, with comparable production, but then add in all the rushing yards, and touchdowns, and you get someone who vastly outperforms the dollar amount with on-field production.
I get the concept of premium WR2 > premium RB ... unless the RB is a weapon in the passing game.
Love as a prospect, profiles as an RB who can hit that. Who you can dial up a lot of plays in the passing game for and give him 70 catches on 100 targets. If his success rate on catches is north of 50%, then you have an offense that's really hard to stop. Not all RB prospects who profile as a great pass game weapon wind up as such. Saquon Barkley did, but he never quite had that success in the NFL. Bijan Robinson did not quite, but then he developed it. McCaffrey did, and he became dominant at it. We should not underestimate Love's potential to be a real chain mover on passes thrown to him.