Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Visited Titans, Giants

Drafting running backs early in the first round has gone in and out of fashion over the last decade. From 2015 to 2018, six running backs were selected within the first 15 picks; since then, only three have been taken that high, all in the last three drafts.

2026 prospect Jeremiyah Love could be the fourth with apparent interest from multiple teams with top-10 selections. He visited the Titans at the beginning of March (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz) and the Giants this past weekend (also via Schultz).

The hype train for Love took off at the Combine in Indianapolis, where his 4.36-second 40-yard dash and smooth hands and footwork in pass-catching drills attracted the attention of several teams.

“The NFL loves Jeremiyah Love,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said in early March. “I spoke with execs for three different teams who said that Jeremiyah Love is the best player in this draft. The Notre Dame running back should go in the top 10, and the word I’m hearing, don’t be surprised if he goes in the top five.”

Selecting a running back with such a high pick will no doubt draw criticism based on positional value. Running backs earn significantly less than other positions like wide receiver and edge rusher that have a more direct impact on the passing game. Ashton Jeanty, taken with the No. 6 pick last year, immediately became the NFL’s 12th-most expensive running back, per OverTheCap, greatly reducing the financial advantage offered by rookie contracts.

Taking Love in the top 10 would result in a similar inefficiency. A top-five selection would result in the most guaranteed money ever for a running back being handed to a rookie before he plays a single down in the pros.

However, as Wolfe notes, the 2026 draft class is viewed as thin on truly elite prospects. Love is one of the few, so rather than pursue a less talented player at a more valuable position, teams could opt to land a potential game-changing running back with the hopes that he can have a similar impact as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have in Atlanta and Detroit, respectively.