NFL
NFL Execs Buzzing Over Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price as Late First-Round Sleeper
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 22 Syracuse at Notre Dame by Icon Sportswire | Getty Images
Trying to peg where Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love lands in the top 10 picks of the draft has become something of a cottage industry this spring among NFL coaches and executives, and it’s obscured the fact that he isn’t the only player at that position meriting first-round consideration.
In fact, he isn’t even the only Notre Dame running back earning first-round consideration.
Multiple personnel executives have told me they would not be surprised in the least if Jadarian Price is selected on the first night of the draft as well. While he has been overshadowed by Love in the media, scouts love his toughness and productivity and believe he can be even more of a weapon in the passing game at the NFL level than he was in college.
“He catches everything that comes his way,” one personnel executive told SportsBoom.us.
“He doesn’t drop anything.”
Had the Denver Broncos not dealt their first-round pick to Miami in the Jaylen Waddle trade, one general manager said he thought that was a natural landing spot for Price.
“I heard (Broncos head coach) Sean (Payton) loves him,” he said, and it stands to reason that wherever you goes in the NFL he won’t be stuck behind a running back as talented on all three downs as Love, his college teammate.
What’s the Range For Price To Be Selected?
The Browns are one of the teams rival front offices believe could swing a multitude of trades, but as of now they hold the 24th selection. That, in the estimation of personnel execs, is about the high point for Price.
And should the Seattle Seahawks hold on to the 32nd overall pick, the final of the first night of the draft, and the cornerback position be picked clean, several evaluators believe they would look at Price as a perfect replacement for Kenneth Walker, who left in free agency after helping them win a Super Bowl.
The over/under for first-round running backs is set at 1.5. Going over pays +450 (DraftKings), but stood at +550 a week ago. As the draft comes closer it may continue to drop.
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La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.