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Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

LJ Martin

RB · BYU · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #95·7 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
September edition · September 11, 20263 min readReport role: RB · BYU

Master scouting report

Martin projects as a regular rotational back with the size, footwork and contact balance to work through congestion. He adjusts around traffic and keeps runs alive without needing open-field speed to win. Passing-down contributions broaden the role, but his protection and receiving work need to become dependable enough for unrestricted third-down usage.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01Experience and production

Martin led BYU in rushing as a true freshman, finishing with 518 yards in 2023, and reached 1,305 yards in 2025 on his way to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year recognition. The current roster lists him at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. That progression gives the volume-back discussion a real college foundation. It also makes it important to evaluate the kind of production an NFL team would receive. A runner can be valuable by repeatedly improving ordinary carries, even when the defining trait is not a long touchdown that outruns the entire secondary.

02Vision and footwork

Martin has a useful jump cut and lateral agility for a larger back. He presses defenders away from the intended gap, then redirects through a narrow opening. That footwork lets him improve the contact angle rather than relying on a direct collision on every carry.

03Contact balance and leg drive

Martin stays balanced through arm tackles, but lower-body drive is less dependable against a square defender. His height can lead to upright running. Keeping the pads down and feet active would make the contact finish more consistent without changing his useful evasive footwork.

04Receiving and protection

Martin has receiving ability and useful power in protection, giving him a plausible third-down foundation. The receiving threat is still developing and block execution varies. He is better projected as an outlet and protection candidate than an established matchup receiver or complete pressure answer.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • Short-area adjustments and vision give a larger runner useful answers in congested lanes.

  • His BYU progression supports a serious evaluation for regular rushing responsibility.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • Upright running and uneven leg drive can limit how effectively his size finishes the play.

  • Receiving and protection still need to become consistently reliable across a broader assignment.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

Martin fits a backfield that values patient interior running, with gap and duo concepts offering a sensible foundation. Give him opportunities on passing downs while testing recognition, catch reliability and the ability to sustain a block. The objective is an offense that can retain its runner when the call changes at the line. Better pad level and a more consistent lower-body finish would also help him keep carries productive when the defense successfully closes the first lane.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Martin projects as a regular NFL rushing contributor with the ability to earn a broad workload. Vision, short-area adjustments and contact balance fit patient interior work, including gap and duo concepts. Upright pads and inconsistent leg drive limit pure power finishing. More reliable receiving and protection would turn his supporting potential into dependable third-down value.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Uses BYU official records and published summer evaluations. The report preserves disagreement about contact strength and third-down completeness; it makes no health or career-workload forecast.

New Draftanomics synthesis reviewed September 11, 2026. This edition adds coverage; it does not replace an earlier master report.

View the 4 referenced sources
Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for overview
  1. House assessment

    Martin projects as a regular rotational back with the size, footwork and contact balance to work through congestion. He adjusts around traffic and keeps runs alive without needing open-field speed to win. Passing-down contributions broaden the role, but his protection and receiving work need to become dependable enough for unrestricted third-down usage.

Sources for experience and production
  1. Reported fact

    Martin led BYU in rushing as a true freshman, finishing with 518 yards in 2023, and reached 1,305 yards in 2025 on his way to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year recognition.

  2. Reported fact

    The current roster lists him at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds.

  3. House assessment

    That progression gives the volume-back discussion a real college foundation.

  4. House assessment

    It also makes it important to evaluate the kind of production an NFL team would receive.

  5. Reported fact

    A runner can be valuable by repeatedly improving ordinary carries, even when the defining trait is not a long touchdown that outruns the entire secondary.

Sources for vision and footwork
  1. House assessment

    Martin has a useful jump cut and lateral agility for a larger back. He presses defenders away from the intended gap, then redirects through a narrow opening. That footwork lets him improve the contact angle rather than relying on a direct collision on every carry.

Sources for contact balance and leg drive
  1. House assessment

    Martin stays balanced through arm tackles, but lower-body drive is less dependable against a square defender. His height can lead to upright running. Keeping the pads down and feet active would make the contact finish more consistent without changing his useful evasive footwork.

Sources for receiving and protection
  1. House assessment

    Martin has receiving ability and useful power in protection, giving him a plausible third-down foundation. The receiving threat is still developing and block execution varies. He is better projected as an outlet and protection candidate than an established matchup receiver or complete pressure answer.

Sources for strengths
  1. House assessment

    Short-area adjustments and vision give a larger runner useful answers in congested lanes.

Sources for strengths
  1. House assessment

    His BYU progression supports a serious evaluation for regular rushing responsibility.

Sources for concerns
  1. House assessment

    Upright running and uneven leg drive can limit how effectively his size finishes the play.

Sources for concerns
  1. House assessment

    Receiving and protection still need to become consistently reliable across a broader assignment.

Sources for nfl role and scheme fit
  1. House assessment

    Martin fits a backfield that values patient interior running, with gap and duo concepts offering a sensible foundation.

  2. House assessment

    Give him opportunities on passing downs while testing recognition, catch reliability and the ability to sustain a block.

  3. House assessment

    The objective is an offense that can retain its runner when the call changes at the line.

  4. House assessment

    Better pad level and a more consistent lower-body finish would also help him keep carries productive when the defense successfully closes the first lane.

Sources for bottom line
  1. House assessment

    Martin projects as a regular NFL rushing contributor with the ability to earn a broad workload. Vision, short-area adjustments and contact balance fit patient interior work, including gap and duo concepts. Upright pads and inconsistent leg drive limit pure power finishing. More reliable receiving and protection would turn his supporting potential into dependable third-down value.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#95
Position rank
RB10
Contributing sources
7
Movement since prior snapshot
Up 28

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

Receiving
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Receptions1036
Receiving yards98255
Yards per reception9.87.1
Receiving TD20
Long3326
Rushing
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Carries138236
Rushing yards7231305
Yards per carry5.25.5
Rushing TD712
Long3949

Seasons of evidence: 2. Games played, snap counts, and usage shares are not in the retained data. An em dash means the value is not in the dataset, not zero.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains 2 seasons of receiving, rushing production (2024–2025).
  • Receiving yards increased in each observed season (98 → 255).
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 7 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #95.
  • The aggregate public rank rose 28 spots between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Official roster

Listed height
6'2"
Listed weight
225 lb

BYU Athletics · checked September 11, 2026. Listed roster measurements; no verified combine or pro-day testing is included.

Retained profile · August 29, 2026
Listed height
6'2"
Listed weight
225 lb
Class
Senior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
BYU
Former school
Not in dataset
Hometown
El Paso, TX
Jersey
#4
Recruiting stars
3-star
Recruiting rank
#491 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.