The New York Giants learned the hard way with Saquon Barkley that using a top-5 pick on a running back during a rebuild is a dangerous game.
Such a move is nonsensical at best and a total waste of a selection at worst.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman likely isn’t exactly helping Giants fans stay grounded in reality. Speaking with Colin Cowherd on Monday, Freeman called running back Jeremiyah Love one of the greatest players he’s ever been around.
Love finished third in Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 6.9 yards per carry. He also recorded 27 catches for 280 yards and three scores.
“Some of his most impressive runs aren’t the ones you’re going to see on TV,” Freeman said. “They’re the ones you see on film that he made a four-yard gain that should have been a two-yard loss.”
History doesn’t favor John Harbaugh and the Giants drafting Jeremiyah Love
We don’t blame Giants fans for getting excited about the possibility of taking Love at No. 5. He carved through defenses at Notre Dame, and he absolutely has earned the hype he’s generated.
Just don’t expect him to wear a Giants uniform in 2026.
Here’s a good trivia question: How many times did the Ravens use a first-round pick on a running back during John Harbaugh’s 18 seasons in Baltimore?
If you guessed any number larger than zero, you lose.
In fact, the Ravens usually only selected running backs in the later rounds. Baltimore used a top-100 pick on a running back just three times in that stretch: Ray Rice (No. 55, 2008), Bernard Pierce (No. 84, 2012), and J.K. Dobbins (No. 55, 2020).
Harbaugh understood the value of using premium first-round picks on offensive linemen and defensive playmakers. Baltimore instead typically added running backs through free agency, whether it was Justin Forsett or Derrick Henry.
There is no reason for Harbaugh to break that trend, even as Freeman tries making the case for Love.
“Great players like Jeremiyah Love make coaches look really good,” Freeman told Cowherd. “He is a unicorn.”
The Giants don’t need an offensive unicorn, though. They need offensive line help and Day 1 defensive starters.
Ohio State’s Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs have been linked to the Giants for months, and for good reason. Both offer the immediate impact needed to become the next face of the Giants’ defense.
Love’s talent is undeniable, but he doesn’t fit the winning blueprint Harbaugh spent nearly two decades building in Baltimore — and with how often the Ravens made the postseason, why change what works?
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