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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, 20264 min readReport role: RB · BYU

Master scouting report

LJ Martin is most appealing as a runner who can keep a play alive without needing it to become a race. He has the size to invite a power-back projection, but his footwork and ability to adjust around congestion are equally important to how he wins. The NFL case is built around useful decisions, contact balance and enough passing-down contribution to support a regular workload. The unresolved part is how complete that third-down role becomes and how consistently his finish matches the physical impression created by his frame.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01A productive progression at BYU

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.

02A bigger back with room to adjust

Matthew Brown credits Martin's jump cut and lateral agility, particularly when an early lane closes. PFN is also positive about his ability to press a defender away from a gap and redirect through a narrow opening. That combination is more useful than treating him as a runner who simply chooses a shoulder and lowers it. An offense can ask him to read the block, influence pursuit and then commit. The best version of that sequence preserves momentum through the decision, so the contact arrives after he has improved the angle.

03The finish is not one simple trait

Harbaugh likes Martin's contact balance and ability to work through arm tackles. Matthew Brown is more guarded about the strength of his lower-body drive and notes that his height can leave him running upright. Those observations can coexist. Staying balanced through a glancing tackle is different from moving a defender who meets the runner squarely. Draftanomics would value the first without assuming the second is automatic. Keeping his pads and feet organized through contact should help him turn his size into a more dependable finish, rather than just a reason to seek the collision.

04The part of the role still being settled

The passing-down reports are encouraging but not unanimous. Harbaugh is particularly positive about Martin as a receiver and sees useful power in protection. Matthew Brown also sees a promising third-down foundation. PFN is more moderate about the receiving threat and wants greater blocking consistency. That difference affects how a team should project the workload. Martin should get the chance to earn a broad role, but the assessment needs to distinguish catching the available outlet from becoming a matchup advantage, and willingness to block from reliably solving the pressure.

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.

  • The full receiving and protection projection remains less settled than the most favorable report suggests.

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 has a credible path to a substantial NFL role through decisions, footwork and functional size. His best development would make the third-down work and contact finish as trustworthy as the running instincts that already give the projection substance.

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 the evaluation
  1. House assessment

    LJ Martin is most appealing as a runner who can keep a play alive without needing it to become a race.

  2. House assessment

    He has the size to invite a power-back projection, but his footwork and ability to adjust around congestion are equally important to how he wins.

  3. House assessment

    The NFL case is built around useful decisions, contact balance and enough passing-down contribution to support a regular workload.

  4. House assessment

    The unresolved part is how complete that third-down role becomes and how consistently his finish matches the physical impression created by his frame.

Sources for a productive progression at byu
  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 a bigger back with room to adjust
  1. House assessment

    Matthew Brown credits Martin's jump cut and lateral agility, particularly when an early lane closes.

  2. House assessment

    PFN is also positive about his ability to press a defender away from a gap and redirect through a narrow opening.

  3. House assessment

    That combination is more useful than treating him as a runner who simply chooses a shoulder and lowers it.

  4. House assessment

    An offense can ask him to read the block, influence pursuit and then commit.

  5. House assessment

    The best version of that sequence preserves momentum through the decision, so the contact arrives after he has improved the angle.

Sources for the finish is not one simple trait
  1. House assessment

    Harbaugh likes Martin's contact balance and ability to work through arm tackles.

  2. House assessment

    Matthew Brown is more guarded about the strength of his lower-body drive and notes that his height can leave him running upright.

  3. House assessment

    Those observations can coexist.

  4. House assessment

    Staying balanced through a glancing tackle is different from moving a defender who meets the runner squarely.

  5. House assessment

    Draftanomics would value the first without assuming the second is automatic.

  6. House assessment

    Keeping his pads and feet organized through contact should help him turn his size into a more dependable finish, rather than just a reason to seek the collision.

Sources for the part of the role still being settled
  1. House assessment

    The passing-down reports are encouraging but not unanimous.

  2. House assessment

    Harbaugh is particularly positive about Martin as a receiver and sees useful power in protection.

  3. House assessment

    Matthew Brown also sees a promising third-down foundation.

  4. House assessment

    PFN is more moderate about the receiving threat and wants greater blocking consistency.

  5. House assessment

    That difference affects how a team should project the workload.

  6. House assessment

    Martin should get the chance to earn a broad role, but the assessment needs to distinguish catching the available outlet from becoming a matchup advantage, and willingness to block from reliably solving the pressure.

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

    The full receiving and protection projection remains less settled than the most favorable report suggests.

Sources for nfl role and development
  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 has a credible path to a substantial NFL role through decisions, footwork and functional size.

  2. House assessment

    His best development would make the third-down work and contact finish as trustworthy as the running instincts that already give the projection substance.

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.