🏈 Who Will Draft Jeremiyah Love? 2026 NFL Draft Projection, Scouting Report & Team Prediction

For the third time in the last four NFL draft classes, a running back is expected to be selected in the top 10 picks, but who will draft Jeremiyah Love?

The Tennessee Titans (No. 4) and Washington Commanders (No. 7) are the biggest favorites to select Love, according to prediction market apps. Despite playing a historically devalued position, the All-American out of Notre Dame is a consensus top-five player in the class, and with how weak the 2026 NFL Draft is overall, Love looks like a lock to be one of the first offensive players off the board.

I've spent the past year watching film and grading every top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Below, I break down Love's draft profile, including his biggest strengths and weaknesses; my full scouting report and draft grade on Love; and which team I expect to draft the former Notre Dame star in the first round on Thursday, April 23, as part of our 2026 NFL Draft predictions.

📝 Jeremiyah Love draft profile

For more on the NFL draft, check out the 2026 NFL Draft odds.

Jeremiyah Love strengths

The best playmaker in the draft class, Love has a rare mix of burst and contact balance, making him a home run threat on every touch. With a 96th percentile 40-yard dash (4.36), he's one of just eight running backs over 210 pounds to run 4.36 or faster at the NFL Scouting Combine since 2003.

That explosiveness shows up frequently on tape, too, with Love's instant acceleration helping him finish top five in the country in 15-plus-yard runs (23) and breakaway rate (52.9%) this past season. But he's not just speed; he's a physical runner who, even with his high-cut build, knows how to run behind his pads and break first contact - he was top 10 nationally in rushing yards after contact (896) in 2025.  

Like many of the best running backs in the NFL, Love is a complete back that can be weaponized on passing downs with his soft hands (3.6% drop rate in 2025) and YAC ability. He's also one of the best pass-protecting backs in the class, making him an instant every-down player in the NFL.

Jeremiyah Love weaknesses

There aren't many holes in Love's game, and he's up there among the best running back prospects of the last two decades. But if we're picking nits, he can be home run hungry at times, looking for big plays instead of taking what the defense gives him. This can lead to him bouncing runs outside or overrunning his blocks.

Similarly, he can struggle with patience behind the line of scrimmage, looking to turn the boosters on as soon as he touches the ball. This can continue at the second level, where he doesn't always allow second and third level blocks to develop in an effort to make something happen on his own.

Jeremiyah Love scouting report

A former top-100 recruit, Love has been a big-play creator at Notre Dame since his freshman year as Audric Estime's backup. In his first season as a starter, as a 19-year-old sophomore, Love was one of the most important pieces on Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame squad that reached the national championship.

That season (2024-25), Love began earning first-round buzz, finishing with 1,362 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns on just 191 touches. This past season, he lived up to the hype as a Heisman Trophy finalist and All-American, even while sharing the backfield with Jadarian Price for a second straight year. 

While splitting touches with Price - my No. 2 running back in this class - cut into Love's overall production, it can only be seen as a positive that a player with 35 rushing touchdowns the last two seasons had just 362 carries during that period. For context, Ashton Jeanty had more carries in his final season at Boise State (374) than Love had in his final two at Notre Dame.

Love has relatively fresh legs and is one of the youngest players in this draft class, which are two massive positives given the shelf life of the position he plays. With elite athleticism for the running back position, proven pass-catching skills, and a willingness to pass protect, Love will be a Day 1 starter and has the talent to finish his rookie season as one of the 10 best running backs in the NFL.

Jeremiyah Love draft grade

• 7.40 (top-10 pick)

🔮 Who will draft Jeremiyah Love?

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Jeremiyah Love draft projection & landing spots

It can be hard to gauge where an elite running back will land in the NFL draft due to the perceived lack of value that comes with taking one in the first round. However, NFL teams continue to show us they're more than willing to take a running back in the top 10, and those players have a high hit rate. 

With Love being one of the few blue-chip players in the draft and the top playmaker in most draftniks' eyes, I think Tennessee (38% chance) will have a hard time passing on the Notre Dame star. During his time with the San Francisco 49ers, new Titans head coach Robert Saleh saw firsthand what an All-Pro running back can mean to an offense with Christian McCaffrey.  

If Tennessee opts to pass on Love to get Saleh a pass rusher, the New York Giants (11%) will think long and hard about drafting Love. GM Joe Schoen is likely still regretting letting Saquon Barkley walk, while new head coach John Harbaugh had one of the best running backs in NFL history in Derrick Henry when he was with the Baltimore Ravens.

Keep an eye on the Arizona Cardinals (8%), who are long shots to draft Love but wouldn't shock me if they did. He's one of the three best players in this class regardless of position, and GM Monti Ossenfort was with Henry in Tennessee, while head coach Mike LaFleur sees what his buddy Kyle Shanahan has at running back in San Fran.

Prediction: Jeremiyah Love to the Titans

Assuming the first three picks are Fernando Mendoza and two of the top pass rushers in the draft, the Titans would be smart to take Love. Yes, the running back position lacks value, but this draft class has so few players with star potential that I think taking Love at No. 4 is worthwhile.

He can help take pressure off last year's No. 1 pick, Cam Ward, while giving the Titans a home run hitter out of the backfield, both as a runner and pass catcher. Love is also considered one of the highest character players in the draft, which can only help Tennessee's rebuild.

We saw what Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was able to do with Barkley in the Big Apple, so let's see what he can do in Tennessee with Love.