As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to take another step forward, they have to deal with some major roster changes. Chief among them is the running back spot, which has become a major asset for them under head coach Liam Coen.
Last year, Travis Etienne manned that spot, but his departure has left a sizable gap on the roster. A large contingent of fans believes they need to find a way back into the first round to bring in superstar prospect Jeremiyah Love.
Why Jaguars Fans Are Targeting Jeremiyah Love in the 2026 NFL Draft
There wasn’t a ton of hope for the Jaguars coming into the 2025 season. Even with a new head coach, it seemed like the NFL world had written them off already. But over the course of the season, they emerged as a legitimate playoff threat in the AFC.
Etienne played a huge role in that. The former first-round pick seemed like he would be a trade candidate for Jacksonville after a mediocre 2024 campaign, especially after they added Bhayshul Tuten in the draft.
However, he bounced back in a big way in 2025. Putting up 1,107 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, he was also a force through the air, recording 292 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on just 36 catches.
As a result, he ranked at No. 25 on PFSN’s RB Impact and earned a four-year, $48 million contract from the New Orleans Saints in free agency. That has left a glaring hole in the Jaguars’ backfield, one that Tuten could cover, at least on paper.
But fans in Jacksonville are a little more aggressive with their pursuit. After new general manager James Gladstone parted with their 2026 first-round pick to draft Travis Hunter, they want the team to trade back into the first round.
On PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator, a majority of the fan base had two players in mind after trading back into the first round: Peter Woods and Jeremiyah Love. As a result, defensive tackle is their most targeted position with 33% of fans.
Right behind it are the offensive tackle and linebacker spots. But the running back position, if the team does trade up into the first round, is fourth on the list, with all of the votes going toward Love.
One of the best running back prospects in recent memory, he has already drawn comparisons to the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Jahmyr Gibbs. The Notre Dame product became the lead back in his sophomore year.
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From there, in the ensuing two years, he’s tallied 2,497 rushing yards and an astounding 35 touchdowns on the ground. Even through the year, he is a lethal weapon, adding over 500 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
That kind of production in the Coen offense, with Trevor Lawrence finally living up to his first overall pick potential, could make the Jaguars one of the scariest teams in the entire AFC.
