Jeremiyah Love is one of the more tantalizing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. The kid out of Notre Dame can do it all. He’s an explosive athlete who can hit home runs on the ground and in the passing game and whose player comps are Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey—not exactly bad company to keep.
Selecting a running back in the first round, particularly early in the first round, fell out of favor with NFL Draft “experts” in the 2000s. The mindset was that the shelf life for an NFL RB was extremely short, and that the position was always going to be deep across the league.
Fast-forward to the late 2010s and early 2020s, and that train of thought seems to be shifting. Last year the Raiders took Ashton Jeanty sixth overall. And in 2023, the Falcons selected Bijan Robinson eighth overall. Barkley went second overall in 2018, Gibbs went 12th overall in 2023, and McCaffrey went 8th overall in 2017.
The thought process around the league now seems to be that if the player has “can’t miss,” “generational” talent, then spending that first rounder on a running back is well worth it. And Love certainly qualifies as one of those players.
Below, we will look at just how high Love might go in the upcoming Draft by taking stock of his odds at Fanatics Sportsbook.
Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft odds
The Tennessee Titans are the first team listed on Fanatics Sportsbook’s odds board to draft Love. Tennessee’s price is currently +105. Mel Kiper Jr. had the Titans tabbing Love at No. 4 in his most recent mock.
That said, the Titans are now led by defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh. For what it’s worth, here are the players and their positions that were taken in the first round by the New York Jets while Saleh was the head coach there: Zach Wilson (QB), Alijah Vera-Tucker (G), Sauce Gardner (CB), Garrett Wilson (WR), Jermaine Johnson (DE), Will McDonald IV (DE), and Olumuyiwa Fashanu (OT).
The Titans currently have a running back room of Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Michael Carter. Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons with Tennessee.
Tennessee has needs everywhere except at QB, so they may be in “best available player mode” at No. 4. Love would certainly qualify.
The Washington Commanders are next on Fanatics’ board as they own +200 odds to take the RB.
Washington’s biggest needs are at cornerback and wide receiver, but its RB corps does not exactly jump off the page either.
Austin Ekeler went down with a season-ending Achilles injury last season, so the team turned to Jacory Croskey-Merritt (805 rushing yards), and Chris Rodriguez Jr. (500 yards) to shoulder the rushing load.
The New York Giants’ offense looks impressive on paper, with Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo set to return. Big Blue is +500 to pick Love, who would create a great thunder and lightning backfield pairing with Skattebo.
During John Harbaugh’s lengthy tenure in Baltimore, though, the Ravens never took a running back in the first round. Baltimore did take a safety three separate times during the Harbaugh era, and Kiper has the Giants pegged to take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 5.
Other teams on Fanatics’ odds board to select Love are the Arizona Cardinals (+750), Minnesota Vikings (+1000), Cincinnati Bengals (+1500), Dallas Cowboys (+1500), and New York Jets (+1500).
