While the Jaguars and Seahawks respectively let Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker leave in free agency, the Jets kept Breece Hall off the market via the franchise tag. Hall extension talks are slated for after the draft.
It would stand to reason the Jets will go just about anywhere but running back at No. 2 overall, and a few tantalizing options await the rebuilding team in that draft slot. New York has been primarily linked to pass rushers there. But the team is still doing its due diligence on the top prospects who will be available at 2.
[RELATED: Jets Hopeful About Hall Extension]
Running back Jeremiyah Love met with the Jets over breakfast recently, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Saquon Barkley and Reggie Bush are the only running backs to be drafted in the top two over the past 20 years, and while Love’s floor may be the Commanders at No. 7 (with the Giants viewed as heavily in play at 5), it would be a near-shocking development to see him go to the Jets at No. 2.
A scenario in which the Jets trade down slightly from 2 and select Love could conceivably be in play, though a team with many needs doubling up at running back would be a questionable roster-building route. Then again, this Jets regime did not draft Hall. A tag-and-trade transaction would stand to be in play if the Jets made the unlikely decision to draft Love, but teams will have largely filled their running back needs by the time the draft ends. If the Jets were going to make such a move with Hall, striking before free agency would have been the better plan. But it seems likely an extension comes to fruition.
Scoring 40 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Love amassed 1,652 scrimmage yards in 2025 and 1,362 in 2024. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry in both seasons and exits South Bend with 433 carries, keeping his mileage relatively low for a prospect on this level (Barkley left Penn State with 671 career totes).
The Jets have been more closely tied to Arvell Reese or David Bailey at No. 2, with previous intel pointing to — especially after the Jermaine Johnson trade — New York going with an edge rusher with this premium draft slot. The Jets met with Reese last week. Love will be likely to follow Bijan Robinson as a top-eight pick, but if he is to head to the Big Apple, it will be more likelier he dons a blue uniform for his home games than a green one.
Unless he can switch to QB they should look elsewhere.
It would be a perfect Jets move to blow a top pick on a running back, especially since it is one of the very few positions they don’t need.
From Google: The New York Jets drafted fullback Roger Vick from Texas A&M in the first round (21st overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft. Known for the “OH NO!” fan reaction, the pick was intended to bolster their blocking, but resulted in mixed success over his three seasons (1987–1989) with the team.
You mean a draft pick like this one?
maybe Love can use some of that NIL money to bribe the Jets not to draft him
Dante Moore did. He stayed in school rather than go to the Jets & good for him.
If this keeps up, the NFL may have to intervene to save teams from bad ownership. The whole premise of creating competitive balance by having the worst teams draft first has been turned on its head.
It looks like the Bears have righted their organizational ship on time. Mendoza seems to be OK with going to the hapless Raiders for now. The Jets and Cardinals may never recover on time.
Gonna go out on a limb and say people are overreacting a little to a breakfast.