A year ago, the 2025 NFL Draft had a loaded running back group topped by one of the best prospects in the class with Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
It’s looking like a repeat in 2026 – at least at the top.
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Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love is one of the best running back prospects in recent memory. His talents are in the same class as the likes of Jeanty, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. Like Robinson in 2023, Love is the top non-quarterback prospect in the class on offense. He provided what the modern NFL wants out of running backs: breakaway speed, receiving abilities and a track record of generating yards after contact.
Love enters the 2026 NFL Draft as the runaway top prospect at the position in a tier of his own. Running backs have traditionally been devalued recently; no running backs were selected in the first round in 2024 or 2022. That won’t be the case this April.
Love is a lock for the first round, so the only debate is where he’ll end up in the first 32 picks. Every team should be clamoring for his services, considering the playmaking he can add to an offense as a rookie but some teams are better fits than others.
Here are four fits for the Notre Dame star:
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
1. Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
1. Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State
3 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
3. Arizona Cardinals – David Bailey, OLB/DE, Texas Tech
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
4. Tennessee Titans – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
5. New York Giants – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
6 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
6. Cleveland Browns – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
7 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
7. Washington Commanders – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
8 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
8. New Orleans Saints – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
9 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
9. Kansas City Chiefs – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
10. Cincinnati Bengals – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
11. Miami Dolphins – Francis Mauigoa, OT/G, Miami (Fla.)
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
15 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami (Fla.)
16 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
16. Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
17. Detroit Lions – Spencer Fano, OT/G, Utah
18 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
18. Minnesota Vikings – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
19. Carolina Panthers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
20 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
20. Dallas Cowboys – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Kadyn Proctor, OT/G, Alabama
22 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
22. Los Angeles Chargers – T.J. Parker, DE/OLB, Clemson
23 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
23. Philadelphia Eagles – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
24. Cleveland Browns – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
25. Chicago Bears – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
26 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
26. Buffalo Bills – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M
27 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
27. San Francisco 49ers – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
28 / 32
NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
28. Houston Texans – Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Los Angeles Rams) – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
30. Miami Dolphins (from Denver Broncos) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
31. New England Patriots – Zion Young, DE/OLB, Missouri
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NFL mock draft: Top-10 surprises in latest first-round projection
32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Jeremiyah Love’s best NFL fitsTennessee Titans
To be clear, we are limiting this list to teams who have a realistic shot at drafting Love as the order currently stands. He’d be a fit for nearly the entire league on talent alone but some teams stand out with opportunity or environment. The Titans are the former.
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Tennessee spent much of its expansive cap space this offseason on adding reliable veteran defensive talent for new head coach Robert Saleh via signings and trades. That should raise the floor of that unit as a whole and leave upgrades for the offense to the NFL draft.
At No. 4 overall, Tennessee looks poised to go offense with its first selection. Love would be the best use of those resources. He’d fill an immediate need at the position and be the top playmaker for second-year quarterback Cam Ward in his first year under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. The Titans’ offensive line is a bit of a question mark with new starters and a new position coach in Carmen Bricillo who followed Daboll from the New York Giants. That leaves some concern but his yards after contact per carry (4.35 for his career) show he can make it work without ideal talent around him.
NFL DRAFT ODDS: Which team will draft Jeremiyah Love?
Washington Commanders
Washington needs more playmakers on offense for Jayden Daniels under new coordinator David Blough. The Commanders at No. 7 seem like the floor for Love’s draft stock as things stand.
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The team added some free agents on offense, but none of them compares to Love’s game-changing abilities. Washington’s offensive line was arguably the strongest part of the unit as a whole in 2025 and should be able to create enough room for the Notre Dame star.
He’d immediately make the quarterback run game more effective with Daniels and add abundant value as a receiver. They may not need him to use those skills quite as much with Rachaad White on the roster via free agency but that could see two-back sets with two receiving threats with Daniels.
New York Giants
John Harbaugh just oversaw his best offense in Baltimore, thanks to a top-tier running back in Derrick Henry. Joe Schoen is likely sick of seeing and reading about letting Saquon Barkley go before the 2024 NFL season, when Barkley went on to power a dominant Eagles Super Bowl run.
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After free agency, running back isn’t a glaring need for the Giants on offense but the need for more playmakers certainly is. Love’s lone concern out of college is that he split carries for much of his career. Pairing him with Cam Skattebo certainly eases those concerns and provides a dynamic playmaker alongside Malik Nabers for Jaxson Dart in year two.
There are concerns about the offensive line heading into the draft, but the rest of the Giants’ draft capital can address that as well as receiver, though the Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin signings make that a bit less pressing.
Los Angeles Rams
Okay, we had to put in one team that would be Love’s floor if he drops for some shocking reason. This fit may be the most exciting of all.
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Los Angeles is all-in to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026 after trading for cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing his former Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson to a big-money contract as well. The young defense will get expensive sooner than later, and the offense has to keep pace with last season, even after right tackle Rob Havenstein retired.
All respect to fellow Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams but Love would be a game-changing threat behind the Rams’ stout offensive line. Los Angeles could easily be the most explosive offense in the league with this move. Purely for the excitement of watching football, this fit would be incredible.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeremiyah Love’s best fits: Titans, Giants lead NFL draft landing spots