New York Giants' Joe Schoen praises Jeremiyah Love: 'Not just a running back'
New York Giants GM Joe Schoen admits that they view running back differently this year, but claims Jeremiyah Love is much more than that anyway.
The New York Giants didn't value running backs very highly two offseasons ago when they let Saquon Barkley walk down the New Jersey Turnpike to the hated Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory, while the Giants chose to rebuild their roster. The Giants felt Barkley was more of a finishing piece than a building block.
General manager Joe Schoen believes the roster is built up enough to start thinking more highly of running backs in the 2026 NFL draft. The Giants hold the fifth overall pick in next week's draft and could be faced with the prospect of selecting Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, an explosive player who has been compared to Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson of Atlanta. "He's an offensive weapon.
He's not just a running back," Schoen told reporters in his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday afternoon. "He can play on third-down. You can split him out.
He can catch the ball. Certainly an offensive weapon. " What's changed in two years to make Schoen more comfortable in investing in a running back so high now?