It’s tough for NFL teams to take a running back high in the NFL Draft due to the position’s devaluation over the years.
There’s also the shelf life of running backs. Even elite ones are lucky to still be running at a high level by the time they hit 28 years old.
With that said, running backs have been making a bit of a comeback in the draft in recent years, and elite ones are still worth their weight in gold. The Atlanta Falcons certainly don’t regret taking Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall in 2023. The Detroit Lions are also likely happy they took Jahmyr Gibbs a few picks later at No. 12 overall.
In the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, there is a running back who could go even higher than Robinson did in 2023, and there’s always a chance he gets the Saquon Barkley treatment. The New York Giants took Barkley with pick No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
That player would be Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love, who longtime NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently ranked as his No. 2 overall player in this draft behind only Indiana Hoosiers’ championship quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
Not only is Kiper high on Love, but he made a player-comp for him that will absolutely raise some eyebrows in a good way.
“Love reminds me a lot of Reggie Bush,” Kiper wrote in his latest big board feature. “The 20-year-old has vision and burst between the tackles and to the outside, and he can break tackles with ease (60 forced missed tackles on the 2025 season). Once he gets into space, he can take it to the house with his 4.36 breakaway speed too. But Love isn’t only an outstanding runner. He also is a high-impact pass catcher. An NFL team will be able to flank him out wide and create a whole other dimension of the offense.”
Jeremiyah Love is a true “dual threat” running back
Bush was arguably a better college player at USC than he was a pro, but he still went on to have an impactful 11-year career after being selected No. 2 overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Bush rushed 1,286 times in 134 career games and notched 5,490 yards and 36 touchdowns. He also caught 477 yards for 3,598 yards and 18 career receiving touchdowns, so he was a true “dual threat” running back.
Love showed that type of production in college for Notre Dame, so the comparison is a good one. Over the past two seasons for the Irish, he rushed 362 times for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns while catching 55 passes for 517 yards and five receiving touchdowns.
Notably, in Kiper’s latest mock draft, he had Love going No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
