Jeremiyah Love has the poise that certainly makes him one of the most fascinating offensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Notre Dame star has the type of all-around profile that naturally sparks top-10 conversation, especially in an era where explosive, versatile playmakers are heavily valued.
But while Love’s talent is difficult to dispute, some NFL analysts are cautioning teams against making him a top-10 selection. Their concern is not necessarily about the player; it is about roster-building logic and how teams should best support young quarterbacks.
Mina Kimes and Nate Tice Believe Some Teams Should Pass on Jeremiyah Love
During a recent draft discussion, ESPN’s Mina Kimes raised the central question surrounding Love’s stock, asking whether any team in the top 10 should realistically be considering him based on roster construction and need.
That prompted a measured response from NFL analyst Nate Tice, who made clear that his hesitation has less to do with Love’s ability and more to do with whether rebuilding teams can justify spending such premium draft capital on a running back.
“It’s not that I don’t think [Jeremiyah] Love is worthy of a high pick,” Tice said. “It’s just that in a team building sense, I would scream at all these teams and say, ‘You have so much more that you need than a running back that I think is a cherry on top to what you have.’ Even the guys like that broke out and had amazing rookie years like Ezekiel Elliott, that was because of other circumstances of them having a high pick.”
Kimes then expanded on that point by tying it to QB development, arguing that the history of young passers breaking out in the NFL suggests teams should prioritize help elsewhere.
“The Cowboys point brings me to the other thing that gets mentioned a lot, which is like, you got to help your young quarterback,” Kimes said. “We are all on this pod, Cam Ward fans, Titans fans. When you look back at the young QBs, year one or two, who broke out, and you look at the conditions. Every single one of them… had either a WR one, like a legit dude, or… an elite offensive line. Very few of them had elite RBs, to be honest. It’s wide receiver, and the offensive line.”
She continued by emphasizing that even a productive receiving back like Love may not be the most efficient way to maximize offensive value for a young offense. Kimes gave examples based on total receiving EPA ranks from last season, where Christian McCaffrey (34) was ranked behind Parker Washington, and Bijan Robinson (55) was ranked behind Elic Ayomanor.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
“A pass-catching RB is absolutely useful, and if you tell me Kyle Shanahan is coming with him, maybe we’ll have a different conversation,” Kimes added. “But by and large, this is not the best way to add value, not just to a team and salary and all that, but to help your young QB. You need receivers.”
Even with that skepticism, Love’s profile remains undeniably enticing, and he is viewed as a modern three-down back with legitimate home-run speed, large enough to handle a major workload. Last season, he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry, further underlining his explosiveness and consistency.
Despite his prolific season, Love finished the year as the fourth-highest ranked running back in college football according to PFSN’s CFB RB Impact Metric, with an impact score of 92.4.
On the PFSN Consensus Big Board, Love carries a grade of 90.37 and ranks No. 5 overall, and is expected to hear his name get called quite early in the draft.
Whether Love ultimately lands inside the top 10 or slips slightly beyond it, his draft range will likely say as much about team-building philosophy as it does about his talent.
hmm seems to me that those teams considering ETN a 30 year old with skills (though with declining numbers) & teaching ability vs obtaining a 20 + year old with obvious skills great potential would depend on the teams outlook for the future & what best supplies their current and future needs.