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The Minnesota Vikings‘ running game needs to be bolstered this offseason, whether through free agency or the draft. Recently, NFL Media analyst Charles Davis shared his mock draft before the marquee event for draft prospects.
Moreover, Davis has the Vikings addressing their need for a running back in Round 1 with former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Jeremiyah Love.
“Are teams undervaluing the running back position again?” Davis wrote in his NFL.com mock draft that was published on Feb. 19. “The Vikings cannot pass on a top-three talent in this year’s draft. Head coach Kevin O’Connell will find plenty of plays for him.”
Moreover, ESPN’s Louis Riddick believes that Love can have the same level of impact in the NFL as the Detroit Lions‘ Jahmyr Gibbs.
“Jeremiyah is the dude,” Riddick said on the Feb. 23 appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “You know how running backs go? You draft running backs in the Top 10 when they give you Jahmyr Gibbs–type return on investment. And that’s what Jeremiyah Love is going to give you in a bigger package.
“Not as fast, not just outright raw fast as Jahmyr, but these are the guys that you draft at running back in the Top 10 picks, and you don’t look back. You know his story. This dude is a freaking animal, and he will not be denied. He just will not be denied.”
Jeremiyah Love on Whether He’d Like to Play in Minnesota
Furthermore, Love was recently asked about the possibility of playing in Minnesota should the Vikings have the opportunity to select him at No. 18.
“I would be blessed to go there,“ Love said in a Feb. 6 video from “The Paul Farrington Show.” “Lot of great guys.”
Love recorded 433 carries for 2,882 yards and has scored 42 touchdowns in 41 games for Notre Dame in his college career, per StatMuse.
Vikings Insider Talks About Jeremiyah Love
Love has been in the draft speculation for the Vikings at No. 18. Recently, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis shared his take on the Vikings’ potential pursuit of Love at the 2026 NFL Draft on the Dec. 30 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show.”
“Jeremiyah Love is the Notre Dame product who’s going to be a first-rounder and, by all accounts, is one of the premier players in this draft, “Lewis said. “It just becomes a question of whether he is going to be there when the Vikings are picking and, if he is, whether it makes sense for this Vikings team, given where the roster stands, to take a running back…
“I have always been a best-player-available guy. If your confidence level that Jeremiyah Love is going to hit as a premium-style player is, let’s say, 70 percent, that is probably the route you should go.”
As a result, finding a running back to eventually replace the veteran Aaron Jones Sr., whether it be in free agency or the draft, should be a priority. After Minnesota failed to have a running back reach over 1,000 rushing yards, finding an RB1 to take pressure off the passing game will be helpful for the 2026 season.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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