LJ Martin RB BYU |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #4 ROLE: Work-Horse Back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.46 seconds (81%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #4 | |
| ROLE: Work-Horse Back | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.46 seconds (81%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
83.9 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Rushing: |
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87% |
| Break Tackles: |
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78% |
| Receiving/Hands: |
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70% |
| Pass Blocking: |
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55% |
| Run Blocking: |
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58% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#104
Position rank:
#7 (RB)
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| College Games: 33 College Snaps: 1406 | ||
ESPN RATING: 81/100
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247 RATING: 88/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Najee Harris - Alabama |
|
74% |
| Omarion Hampton - North Carolina |
|
72% |
| Brian Robinson Jr. - Alabama |
|
71% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Martin rushed for more than 6,100 yards and 60 touchdowns at Canutillo in El Paso, earning District 1-5A MVP and first-team all-state honors. A four-star recruit, he committed to Texas Tech, then flipped to Stanford, then flipped again to BYU on signing day. He grew into the Cougars' lead back over his first seasons, a big, downhill runner at six-foot-two.In 2025 Martin carried 238 times for 1,299 yards and twelve touchdowns across thirteen games, adding 36 catches for 251 yards out of the backfield. He forced 56 missed tackles and gained 893 yards after contact, running through arm tackles and contributing as a receiver, the kind of three-down workload that made him the engine of the BYU offense. The 1,299-yard, twelve-touchdown season established him as a workhorse, and the El Paso product carried a heavy load while flashing the receiving chops to stay on the field on third down.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Conference coaches voted him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for 2025.
- Led the Big 12 in rushing while handling 238 carries without losing his burst.
- Opened the year with 131 yards on eight touches against Portland State.
- Tall, square frame carries 220 pounds easily and falls forward through contact.
- Reliable outlet catcher: one drop all season and chain-moving work against Cincinnati.
- Zone-scheme natural who reads the stretch front and gets downhill in one cut.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Checkdowns and screens are the extent of his receiving menu so far.
- Protection technique sags under power; anchor and angles both need rebuilding.
- Creates few missed tackles for his size; finishes runs more than he evades them.
- Lost the handle against Texas Tech in the title game, his lone giveaway of 2025.
Scouting Report: Summary
The Big 12 named him its best offensive player, and the resume backs the vote: a conference-leading rushing total, twelve scores, and three years of steady starting work for a team that played into the postseason. Martin is a tall, big-bodied zone runner who presses the stretch front, makes one decisive cut and falls forward, and he carried 238 times in 2025 without his burst fading down the schedule. The Portland State opener, 131 yards on eight touches, set the tone for the most efficient year of his career.The projection has clear edges. He is a finisher rather than an evader, creating fewer missed tackles than his size suggests he should, and the receiving role has not developed past checkdowns, even though the hands are dependable. Pass protection is the real third-down blocker: he plays too tall into contact and power walks him back. The lone fumble, against Texas Tech in the conference title game, came at the worst possible time and will appear in every film session.
He returns to Provo for his senior year with a chance to round out the profile. As it stands, the evaluation reads early-down rotational back with a workhorse's durability and a champion's production, and the one-cut zone fit translates to half the league's run games. If the protection technique catches up, the ceiling moves a full tier; the floor, dependable volume runner, is already proven.
How other scouting services rate LJ Martin (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
109.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
8.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.