RENTON, Wash. — I’m not sure how many people out of 100 in a random Seattle coffee shop would recognize Julian Love’s face in a picture. Also don’t know that there would be much recognition for the Seahawks safety if you showed his mug to fans in stadiums besides Lumen Field or MetLife Stadium, where he used to play with the New York Giants.

But if you had to pick Seattle’s most consistently impactful player this season, Love may very well be the choice. Prominent? Not particularly. Productive? Oh, yeah.

Fox analyst (and former Seahawk) Greg Olsen mentioned this Sunday during Sunday’s broadcast between the Seahawks and the 49ers. Julian may not get the national acclaim that other back-end players in the NFL get, but he is prized by the organizations he suits up for. The analytics folks over at Pro Football Focus echo that enthusiasm, grading the 26-year-old as the 15th-best safety in football.

It isn’t because of gaudy stats (Love’s two interceptions have him tied with 29 other players for 19th in the league). It’s not because of blinding speed, either (his 4.50 40-yard time is modest for a defensive back).

He’s just like Iceman from “Top Gun” — no mistakes, always in the right place.

“You hope to get some recognition, but I’ve kind of conditioned myself — just how my career has gone so far — to really not sweat it, understand that my game is kind of an underrated game,” Love said. “Me and my wife always joke — if you know, you know. If you’ve been around me, played against me, played with me, I think you kind of understand my style.”

Defining that style is a blend of physical consistency and mental acuity that has helped keep the Seahawks defense from unraveling this season. Love’s two interceptions — one against Denver and one against Atlanta — both helped the Seahawks (5-5) to victory. In Sunday’s 20-17 win over the 49ers, he essentially played three positions — safety, linebacker and pass-rusher — in shutting down the NFL’s second-most-potent offense.

Love leads the Seahawks in tackles with 74, has forced a fumble and has four passes defensed. He may also lead the squad in teammate respect.

“I think he’s a great leader that, as you say, he doesn’t get as much credit as he should or needs to, but I mean, J. Love has been one of the best guys in this league since we both got drafted together,” Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf said. “Me, him and (Seahawks tight end) Noah (Fant) were actually at a Rivals football camp where we were both, all three, in high school, and he sent us a clip. I cooked his (behind) but just to let y’all know, but no, he’s a great dude and glad he’s on our team instead of just playing him against the Giants our first couple of years.”

I passed Metcalf’s comment about the Rivals camp on to Love, who had a different take. He encouraged me to find the clip, which actually shows him winning the one-on-one battle against Metcalf and others.

And Julian is certainly no stranger to watching film, something he did ever since he was in Pee-wee football when his mom would record all of her children’s games on VHS and play them for the whole family.

Love and his siblings were all athletically gifted, and his mother’s reasoning for the recordings was to capture memories and entertain. But Julian says that’s when he began to analyze his performances. It stuck.

What can you say about Julian’s consistency and football IQ? Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked Wednesday.

“I think you named the things that make him really special,” he said of Love, who is signed through the 2027 season. “I’m really happy we’re going to have him here long-term so he can help lead the charge, but he’s playing really good football for us, and he can kind of do all the things. All the things we’re asking our DBs, especially safeties, to play. He’s playing on the second and third level. He can blitz, does all the man-to-man stuff, play the deep area of the zones. He’s a versatile piece for us for sure outside of just being a great person, great player.”

The Seahawks defense seemed to have a breakthrough Sunday against San Francisco, even though Niners tight end George Kittle was out. Over the previous six games, Seattle was among the most porous teams in the league on that side of the ball.

But it was never because of Love. He is the one who helped keep that secondary together. The nation might not be aware of that, but the people in house are. That’s what matters. If you know, you know.

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