{"id":789721,"date":"2026-03-03T19:34:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T19:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/789721\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T19:34:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T19:34:18","slug":"titans-emerging-as-surprise-top-landing-spot-for-heisman-finalist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/789721\/","title":{"rendered":"Titans Emerging as Surprise Top Landing Spot for Heisman Finalist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharp Football Analysis\u2019 latest NFL<\/a> mock draft has jolted what had been a quiet and largely predictable 2026 running back market.<\/p>\n

For weeks, Notre Dame standout Jeremiyah Love had been pegged as a mid-first-round selection, with several projections linking him to the New Orleans Saints at No. 8 or the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9.<\/p>\n

That outlook shifted dramatically when Sharp\u2019s post-Combine mock placed Love at No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans<\/a>, a move that would make him one of the highest-drafted running backs of the modern era.<\/p>\n

At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Love delivered the kind of performance that forces front offices to recalibrate. <\/p>\n

He posted an official 4.36-second 40-yard dash<\/a>, ranking among the fastest backs in attendance, an eye-opening time for a 212-pound runner.<\/p>\n

He also showcased smooth explosiveness and natural receiving ability during on-field drills, reinforcing the three-down versatility that defined his college r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n

That rare combination of size, speed, and pass-catching upside pushed Love from fringe top-10 consideration into legitimate top-five conversation.<\/p>\n

More news: Browns\u2019 Shedeur Sanders Replacement May Already Be In-House, Insider Says<\/a><\/p>\n

Love finished his Notre Dame career as one of the most productive backs in the country \u2014 a Doak Walker Award winner, unanimous All-American, and Heisman finalist after rushing for 1,372 yards and 21 total touchdowns in 2025 while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. <\/p>\n

He topped 100 rushing yards in half his games that season and broke multiple school scoring records.<\/p>\n

Across his career in South Bend, Love amassed nearly 2,900 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns, flashing home-run speed and legitimate receiving upside.<\/p>\n

More news: Vikings QB Situation Shifts After\u00a0New JJ McCarthy\u00a0News<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Jeremiyah<\/p>\n

More news: All-SEC RB Turns Heads With Blistering 40 at NFL Combine<\/a><\/p>\n

Tennessee\u2019s backfield, meanwhile, has been anchored by\u00a0Tony Pollard\u00a0and complemented by\u00a0Tyjae Spears, but the pairing hasn\u2019t produced a consistent, game-changing presence. <\/p>\n

Injuries, efficiency dips, and committee usage limited the ceiling, and with Pollard nearing 30, the long-term outlook at the position remains unsettled.<\/p>\n

But history makes this far from a slam dunk.<\/p>\n

Since 2000, very few running backs were selected inside the top five, reflecting the league\u2019s reluctance to invest premium capital at the position.<\/p>\n

Names like\u00a0Saquon Barkley,\u00a0Ezekiel Elliott,\u00a0Leonard Fournette,\u00a0Trent Richardson,\u00a0Reggie Bush, and\u00a0Darren McFadden\u00a0illustrate the volatility, from immediate All-Pro production to outright disappointment.<\/p>\n

So could Tennessee actually pull the trigger at No. 4? It\u2019s possible, though far from certain.<\/p>\n

Drafting a running back that high means bypassing premium positions like edge rusher, offensive tackle, or quarterback. <\/p>\n

But if internal evaluations view Love as a rare, scheme-transcendent weapon, and if the board breaks unfavorably at other spots, it becomes a defensible, if aggressive, swing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sharp Football Analysis\u2019 latest NFL mock draft has jolted what had been a quiet and largely predictable 2026…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":789722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2061],"tags":[7,7805,6,526,394,2411,527],"class_list":{"0":"post-789721","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennessee-titans","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-jeremiyah-love","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-tennessee","12":"tag-tennessee-titans","13":"tag-tennesseetitans","14":"tag-titans"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116166923849131845","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}