Everyone’s mock drafts took a big hit on Wednesday when Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore announced his decision to stay in school another year, taking what had been a consensus top-two prospect off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. So how do we adjust? Who are the experts predicting will land with the New Orleans Saints? Slotted in at No. 8 overall, the Saints need as many prospects at positions like quarterback to go high and push players they need down to their pick.

The Athletic’s Dave Brugler is one of the best in the business at reading the temperature from NFL scouts and front office personnel, and in his post-Moore mock draft, he likes Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to land in New Orleans. Here’s why:

Three years ago, a different NFC South team (the Falcons) drafted running back (Bijan Robinson) at No. 8, and he quickly ascended to be one of the league’s top five players at his position.

We could see it happen again with the Saints and Love. With his pass-catching talent and home-run ability, Love would give Kellen Moore’s offense a shot of adrenaline.

Running back is a position of need for the Saints. We don’t know what the future holds for Alvin Kamara, whose efficiency has dipped in recent years, and who is owed more than $18 million against the salary cap this season. Kamara missed six games with injuries and could very well choose to retire. With or without him, the Saints need more juice in the backfield.

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And Love has it in spades. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry after contact last season with 36 touchdown runs over the last two years. He had 39 rushes of 10 or more yards this year, with all of the Saints’ running backs put together managing 20 of them. As Brugler wrote, Love would give them a home-run threat that’s been missing.

But he can help out on passing downs, too. Brugler noted Love’s production as a receiver (62 catches on 74 targets for 593 yards and six touchdowns in his career), which is impressive, but he can pick up the blitz as well. Love didn’t allow a sack on 129 snaps in pass protection at the college level. He’s a legitimate three-down asset.

Love would be a big get for New Orleans if he’s still on the board at No. 8. This isn’t a very deep class at running back, either, so it’s not like the Saints can comfortably wait it out for a comparable talent later in the draft. If they can make some good moves in free agency, drafting Love would be a heck of an exclamation point to put on their offseason.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 mock draft: Post-Dante Moore decision, Saints pick Jeremiyah Love