Buffalo Bills

Bryce Love, Stanford: Scouting Report

Published

4 years ago

March 4, 2019

Bryce Love demonstrating breakaway speed versus the Oregon Ducks. (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images.)

Biography:
Name: Bryce Love
Height: 5’8-7/8″
Weight: 200 lbs.
College: Stanford University
Position: Running Back
Hand Size: 9 1/8″
Arm Length: 29 3/8″
Year: Senior
Date of Birth: July 8, 1997 (age: 21)
Major: Human Biology

Combine Stats:
40-Yard Dash: DNP
Bench Press: 18
Vertical Jump: DNP
Broad Jump: DNP
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP

College Stats:
Games Played: 49
Rushing Attempts: 569
Rushing Yards: 3,865
Yards per Carry: 6.8
Rushing TDs: 30
Receptions: 49
Receiving Yards: 465
Yards per Reception: 9.5
Receiving TDs: 2

Strengths:
– Vision at the first level is excellent, and finds first hole well. Follows
blockers when needed.
– Acceleration is impressive. Reaches top-speed nearly immediately.
– Unfortunate that he did not participate in the 40 yard dash due to his
injury, but reasonable to assume he runs around a 4.4. Breakaway speed
is legitimate.
– Can make multiple cuts in succession, especially when in the backfield.
– Receiving can be a plus due to his speed in space.
– When blocking is in front of him, sets up second-level of defenders well, and then utilizes his speed to catch them at bad angles.
– Exceptional production his junior season.
– Has strong athletic genes. Both his father and uncle played college
football.
– Great off-tackler runner. A player that works best in space.

Weaknesses:
– High-cut runner despite being short. Affects balance when running.
– Balance is average because of running style. Will withstand contact
from secondary but go down quickly to bigger defenders. This will be a
concern against stronger NFL defenders.
– His size is a bit of a concern. Upper body strength is strong, but
lower body strength is average to below-average.
– Lower body strength brings up a concern about is ability through
contact.
– Vision in the second level is average. Relies on speed too often and leads to runs not going for as many yards as they should have.
– Multiple instances of catching the football with his body, but still a
capable receiver.
– Did not participate in blocking downs often. Huge question mark, as this is a necessary skill at the NFL level.
– Benefitted greatly from a superb offensive line at Stanford. When
blocking is not there, did not show ability to make something out of
nothing.
– Biggest red-flag is his injury history. A torn ACL at the end of his senior
season, as well as other injuries through the season marred production. May be more of a change-of-pace, third-down back because of inability to handle large workload.

Overall: Bryce Love’s greatest asset is his speed and ability to follow his
blockers. Once he finds the hole, he accelerates quickly and makes great use of speed, often catching defenders at bad angles. Cuts in the open
field tend to be not fluid, but is very capable of making the first
defender miss. His vision in the open field is questionable, as he gets too
confident is his ability to run past defenders. Sets up second-level of
defenders fantastically, and exposes them with blazing speed. Benefitted greatly from great run-blocking at Stanford. Cannot run through big
defenders due to size, but will break arm tackles. A bit of a frenetic
running style, but cuts in the backfield are quick enough to make
defenders miss. Not used frequently on blocking downs. Injuries his
senior year are concerning, but can be mitigated by use in a running
back committee. Draft range is very dependent on the status of the ACL
injury. Most likely not a primary back, but can make a running back
group a strength due to breakaway ability.

NFL Comparison: Marlon Mack

NFL Draft Projection: Fourth Round