Stanford Football: Top prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft

2. RB Bryce Love

Coming into the season, you would have assumed Bryce Love would be atop this list. Had you asked just about anyone back in September, they would have gladly agreed with you while emphatically shaking their heads in approval. Now, not so much.

As it turns out, Love may have been better off taking his talents to the NFL in 2018.

Instead, he decided to return to Stanford for one more year, and the decision bit him squarely in the derriere. Since rejoining the Cardinal for his senior season, Love has watched his stock sink like a rock thrown into a dark, dreary pond. No longer is he seen as the human highlight reel — his legacy as an otherworldly talent has faded, and fast.

Still, you have to believe those abilities exist within him. Realistically, he just needs to get healthy. Injuries have hampered him throughout the 2018 campaign, and defenses loading the box to slow him down hasn’t helped either. Coming in second in Heisman voting certainly puts a rather large target on your back.

Despite all of that, it’s easy to imagine a future in which Love is keeping NFL defensive coordinators up at night. His speed is nearly unparalleled, and his ability to turn any touch into six points is elite. One quick look at his 2017 film and NFL scouts will be reminded of just how dynamic of a talent he is.

Projection: 2nd-3rd round