Ranking the top local Bay Area prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft

There may not be a prospect in this 2019 NFL Draft class who has seen his stock plummet more than Bryce Love. After a breakout 2017 campaign in which the talented running back finished with an incredible 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns, Love put together a dud of a 2018 season marred by injuries and inconsistent play.

Now, just a week out of the draft, the former Heisman candidate finds himself as a likely mid-to-late round draft prospect who may have to fight to make an NFL roster.

Love is an exhilarating prospect who possesses top-flight speed with the potential to break a long run for a touchdown on any given carry. He is as dynamically quick as he is elusive, part of the reason for his stellar 8.1 yards per carry average in 2017.

However, it’s hard to ignore all of the red flags.

Love has yet to put together a fully healthy campaign in either of the years he was asked to be a feature back. Moreover, the Stanford football product suffered a torn ACL in the team’s final regular season game of 2018 putting the cap on a disastrous season for the former Heisman finalist.

His slight frame and upright running ability make him very susceptible to injuries, concerns unlikely to go away at the next level. Love would be best served as part of a backfield rotation where he wouldn’t be asked to tally 10+ touches in a game.

Some team will take a chance on him given his elite athletic traits, but don’t expect him to be a bell-cow back in the NFL. Still, provided he garners some playing time as a professional, expect to see a few highlight runs from Love once he finds his way on to the field.