The NFL Draft always circles back to quarterbacks, but not everyone is buying that script this year. While teams line up for signal-callers, one ESPN voice is pushing a different agenda, and it is loud. According to Booger McFarland, the best player in this class is not a QB; it is Jeremiyah Love.
Booger McFarland Suggests Jeremiyah Love as No. 1 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Draft boards are usually predictable at the top. Quarterbacks dominate, and franchises chase upside. However, every now and then, a prospect forces analysts to rethink the entire equation. Love is doing exactly that. His all-around game, vision, burst, and receiving ability have turned him into one of the most complete offensive weapons in this class.
That is where things got interesting. During an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up,” McFarland did not hedge. He did not play the positional-value card either. Instead, he made it clear: If teams truly follow the “best player available” mantra, Love should be the first name called. He said, “If we believe what GMs always say, they’re taking the best player available… he should go No. 1.”
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That statement alone flips the draft narrative, but McFarland did not stop there. He doubled down on Love’s impact, not just as a runner, but as a quarterback’s safety net. The logic tracks when you zoom out. Rookie quarterbacks rarely carry teams early; they need structure and help. More importantly, they need playmakers who can ease the burden.
That is where Love becomes more than just a running back; he becomes a system stabilizer. “When you’re a quarterback, you touch it every play… having someone who can take the load off you matters,” McFarland said. Short throws turn into chunk gains, hand-offs become explosive plays, and pressure gets redistributed. It is the kind of support system young QBs depend on but rarely get immediately.
Still, there is reality. Running backs do not go No. 1 anymore. The league has evolved, positional value drives decisions, and quarterbacks sit at the top of that hierarchy. McFarland acknowledged that gap but did not back off his stance.
“We all know why he’s not going number one, because the quarterback position is so valuable, but, yeah, if you think that you can maximise his ability, a la, uh, Christian McCaffrey, but Jahmyr Gibbs, yes, he deserves to go as high as you think he can maximise his athletic ability.”
It is a classic talent-vs.-value debate, and Love is right in the middle of it. Beyond draft chatter, Love’s college résumé adds another layer. At Notre Dame, he built a reputation as a game-breaker across 41 appearances. In 2025, Notre Dame posted a 90.4 rating in the PFSN CFB Offense Impact Rankings, while Michigan recorded an 84.1 rating.
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Even off the field, he is thinking big picture, recently telling J.D. PicKell he would love to see Notre Dame renew its rivalry with the Michigan Wolverines, a matchup that has not been played since 2019 but is scheduled to return in 2033.
Now the question shifts to NFL front offices. Do they stick to the script and draft a quarterback? Or do they take the bold route and grab the best pure player on the board? McFarland’s answer is already locked in. The league just has to decide if it is ready to follow it.
