The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 3-3 start to the 2025 NFL season. Things are trending up for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his team after last week’s 30-17 win against the Detroit Lions, but if the season ended today, they would have their highest NFL draft pick in years.
One of the issues facing Kansas City in their first six games is the lack of a consistent run game. The Chiefs’ 118.7 rushing yards per game ranks 14th in the NFL, but that number comes with the unexpected caveat that Mahomes is the Chiefs’ leading rusher. The two-time MVP ranks first on the team — ahead of running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt — in yards (222), touchdowns (four) and first downs (17) on the ground.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles against Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41).Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
With the need for a lead back at the top of the Chiefs’ priority list, NFL reporter Jordan Reid predicted Kansas City will draft Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 14 pick in ESPN’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft.
“That’s not sustainable,” Reid wrote on Mahomes’ early-season rushing stats. “Love would give Kansas City a Jahmyr Gibbs-like player with his explosiveness, burst and make-you-miss ability. Like Gibbs, Love can also provide creativity as a pass-catching option out of the backfield.”
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball against the NC State Wolfpack.Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
As a sophomore, Love helped take the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff with 163 attempts, 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns as well as 28 receptions for 237 yards and two more scores. He shared touches with RB Jadarian Price (120 carries) and dual-threat QB Riley Leonard (184 carries).
This year, the preseason Athlon Sports All-America first team selection has shown that he can carry the load in the backfield — just what the Chiefs need. Love has seen an increase in his rushing attempts from 10.2 per game in 2024 to 16.7 per game through Notre Dame’s first six games of 2025. He has run the ball 100 times for 530 yards and eight touchdowns while pulling in 14 receptions for 160 yards and three scores.
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Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling considers Love the best RB in the 2026 draft class, making him a steal if the Chiefs could select him at No. 14 next April. Easterling mocked Love to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 18 in his latest mock draft, predicting the Chiefs to go with Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate instead.
There’s no doubt that serial Super Bowl contender Kansas City will expect to have a better record and a lower draft pick by the end of the season. However, if the Chiefs’ lack of a lead back continues and Mahomes keeps on taking punishment as the team’s top rusher, it is not far-fetched to think they could be in position to draft Love in 2026.
Related: Patrick Mahomes Development Emerges Immediately After Josh Allen, Bills Loss
Related: Andy Reid Issues Stern Reminder to Chiefs About Rashee Rice
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.