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2019 NFL Draft: RB prospects for Ravens in each round

By Richard Bradshaw

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - OCTOBER 8: Damian Harris #34 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for a touchdown and stiff arms Ryan Pulley #11 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - OCTOBER 8: Damian Harris #34 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for a touchdown and stiff arms Ryan Pulley #11 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 08: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal celebrates after scoring on a seven yard touchdown run against the USC Trojans in the first quarter of an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 08: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal celebrates after scoring on a seven yard touchdown run against the USC Trojans in the first quarter of an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Round 6: Bryce Love

A talented runner like Bryce Love shouldn’t be available this late in the 2019 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, a untimely ACL tear will likely cost Love the entirety of his rookie season, meaning a team would have to be OK with shelving him for a year. If the Baltimore Ravens believe he’s worth stashing, round six is a killer deal.

Love was once a Heisman Trophy candidate, after a ridiculous 2017 season in which he rushed for over 2,100-yards and scored 19 touchdowns. Love’s speed was game-changing, and it forced defenses into awkward positions. While Love was never an elite runner, once he found a crease he exploded through it, and after that he was gone.

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One of Love’s biggest knocks during his time at Stanford was his lack of production as a receiver. While this remains a concern, right now we need to focus on his recovery. Besides, even if Love never becomes an elite receiver he remains a valuable home-run threat. Knowing that at any moment Love can break off a big-run and score touchdowns is enough to get him plenty of touches per game.

With Love, you’re essentially purchasing a lottery ticket. If you win, you just found yourself a perennial 1,000-yard rusher who will snag a couple Pro Bowl nods. If you don’t, and the odds are always tilting this way, you lose a pick on a player who you knew may not ever return to form.

If the Ravens draft Love, it had better be because they addressed the position already. Love needs a red-shirt kind of rookie season to heal properly, and Baltimore currently lacks the proper depth to sustain a successful rushing attack. After 2019, Love could very well pay back his dividends, and them some.

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