Giants Draft: Why Jeremiyah Love is a Risky Gamble at No. 5

The New York Giants are just a few weeks away from having the responsibility of picking a player with the No. 5 overall pick in the draft.

It's a big decision for the Giants, who hope not to be picking this high in the draft for a very long time. The team can add a true franchise star to the mix, and NFL Draft On SI analyst Justin Mello believes that player is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

"After a few teases, Love comes off the board at No. 5 overall to the New York Giants. John Harbaugh intends to support sophomore quarterback Jaxson Dart," Melo wrote.

"He didn't draft Cam Skattebo or Tyrone Tracy Jr. Placing Love in an offense coached by Matt Nagy (and quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan) is the best way to keep Dart healthy while preventing him from feeling like he needs to place the entire unit on his shoulders.”

Why Jeremiyah Love Would Help Giants

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love speaks to members of the media. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Love is viewed as the best-skilled player in the draft, and any team he goes to will be lucky to have him. Love has an explosiveness that will make him one of the league's top running backs as soon as he enters the NFL, so the Giants would be getting an excellent player if he were to be selected.

During his final season at Notre Dame, Love ran the ball 199 times for 1,372 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He also had 27 catches for 280 yards and three touchdowns.

In his final two seasons at Notre Dame, Love combined for 40 offensive touchdowns. The hope is that he can carry that into the league and score for a team on Sundays, and that could be the Giants, who could benefit from adding a running back.

The Giants have Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy already in the mix, but Love would jump both of them in the depth chart and start right away for New York. Skattebo and Tracy would be strong backups in case Love were to be injured.

Does this scenario make sense?

NY Giants RB Cam Skattebo | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

You don't draft a running back with the number five overall pick just to have him be part of a committee. If the Giants take Love, it means that they are confident in him being the star of the offense.

It may not be the best investment, considering the fact that Skattebo was just taken last year with the fourth-round pick, but the team has expressed a strong endorsement going in Harbaugh's direction, so it likely doesn't matter if Skattebo was chosen with a high pick a year ago.

Skattebo’s injury last season does put some skepticism towards his future, but it remains to be seen if he could just pick things up right where he left off last season when he was healthy. If that were the case, the need for Love would be somewhat diminished.

The Giants might be better off taking a linebacker like Sonny Styles to pair with Tremaine Edmunds or taking a cornerback like Mansoor Delane from LSU. Those two positions are a much higher need for the Giants, so it would make more sense if either of those players were the pick over Love.

The Giants were making progress last season, and while the firing of head coach Brian Daboll suggests the team needs a complete reset, that doesn't mean you have to throw away everything positive from the previous regime.

The Giants should consider taking a defensive prospect over Love because it will be safer, and it will give Skattebo another chance to claim the title of the bellcow running back in the offense.

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