With the NFL season now officially in the books, the league has fully shifted into offseason mode, some teams earlier than others. That can only mean one thing: draft season is here. Every year, the NFL Draft brings renewed optimism, an influx of young talent, and endless debate about who the next stars will be. The 2026 NFL Draft is no exception, and one of the brightest stars in this class is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
Jeremiyah Love Could Be the Next Elite RB to Defy the Round 1 Trend
Love put together a sensational season for the Fighting Irish, earning Heisman finalist honors and firmly establishing himself as the RB1 of the 2026 draft class. According to the PFSN consensus big board, Love is not only the top running back available but also the No. 6 overall prospect, placing him in truly elite territory, especially at a position that has been increasingly devalued in recent years.
Despite that positional trend, Love has followed the path carved out by recent elite prospects like Bijan Robinson and Ashton Jeanty, proving that truly special running backs can still command early first-round consideration. At 6’0” and 214 pounds, Love is slightly lighter and leaner than some recent top backs, but he consistently plays above his weight class. His game is defined by rare athleticism: an elastic, turbocharged long-strider with explosive short-area quickness, effortless acceleration, and true breakaway speed that routinely leaves defenders grasping at air.
What separates Love from many explosive runners is how he processes the game. He pairs his athletic traits with sharp vision, patience, spatial awareness, and a keen sense of when to run, allowing him to set up blocks and exploit gaps at a high level. While he may not be the heaviest back in the class, Love welcomes contact, boasting elite contact balance and leg drive that often requires multiple defenders to bring him down.
The production backs it all up. Love posted a top-five PFSN CFB RB Impact Grade of 92.4, finished fourth nationally in rushing yards (1,372), and ranked third in rushing touchdowns (18). He also showcased his versatility as a receiver, finishing inside the top 20 among running backs in receiving yards (280), further solidifying his status as a true three-down weapon.
That all-around skill set has drawn significant attention from NFL evaluators. PFSN analyst Ian Cummings, in a recent mock draft, projected Love to the New York Jets at No. 16 overall, the Jets’ second pick in the first round. Cummings went even further, offering high praise by drawing a comparison to Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame running back Ahman Green.
“The Jets go best-player-available and take Jeremiyah Love. With his combined explosiveness, quickness, vertical speed, creative IQ, and terse physicality, he brings shades of Ahman Green,” Cummings wrote.
It’s lofty praise to be mentioned alongside a Hall of Famer, but the comparison speaks volumes about how highly Love is regarded around the league. If Love comes anywhere close to replicating Green’s impact at the next level, teams like the Jets will gladly overlook the “running back devaluation” narrative. In that scenario, landing Love at No. 16 wouldn’t just be good value; it could be one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft.
As draft season heats up, Love’s stock shows no signs of cooling off. For teams willing to bet on elite talent over positional trends, Love may be exactly the kind of difference-maker worth building around.
