Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love is the best skill position player in the 2026 NFL Draft — and it may not be close.
The Fighting Irish RB finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist, earned consensus RB1 status over teammate Jadarian Price, and now is a favorite to be off the board in the top five picks in Thursday's first round.
In this Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft profile, we will break down all you need to know about the draft's No. 1 RB, including his draft pick projection, stats, strengths, weaknesses, and more.
Make your 2026 NFL Draft predictions on PrizePicks and earn money if you're right, including on where Love will be drafted in Thursday's first round.
Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft Profile: Scouting Report
Strengths
- Breakaway speed that will leave defenders in the dust.
- Above-average footwork that will juke a potential tackler out of sync.
- A patient runner who will let a play develop and wait for his blocks.
- Excellent hands where you feel confident in throwing him the ball anywhere around him.
- Not afraid to take a hit and will fight for extra yards after contact.
- Excellent ball security with only 1 career fumble.
Weaknesses
- Pass protection has improved since his freshman year, but remains below average for his position.
- Limited route tree to where he mainly catches out of the backfield or screens.
- Will sometimes attempt unnecessary spin moves or hurdles when there is a risk of injury.
- While he’s a great east-to-west runner, he can be indecisive when going north-to-south, leaving potential extra yards.
Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft Predictions: Who Will Draft Love?
As the 2026 NFL Draft nears, it has become more and more likely that Love will be a top-five NFL Draft pick, according to implied probability on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Love currently has a 1.23x payout on Yes to be drafted in the top five picks on PrizePicks Team Picks — with a 3.57x payout on No, to make it to the sixth pick.
All inside the top five, here are the favorites to draft Love, with the Tennessee Titans currently the favorites to take Love with the fourth pick of the draft. Recent reports from ESPN indicate that the Giants won't pass up Love if he lasts until their fifth-overall pick.
- Tennessee Titans: Yes 2.5x | No 1.47x
- Arizona Cardinals: Yes 4.16x | No 1.17x
- New York Giants: Yes 4.76x| No 1.12x
Jeremiyah Love Stats at Notre Dame
Love played three seasons in Division I, all with Notre Dame. These are his career totals:
- 41 games
- 433 rush attempts
- 2,882 rush yards
- 6.7 yards per attempt
- 36 rush TDs
- 63 catches
- 594 yards
- 6 receiving TDs
Love's best season was in 2025, where he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. Here are his 2025 stats:
- 199 rush attempts
- 1,372 rush yards (5th)
- 18 rushing TDs (tied 3rd)
- 6.9 yards per carry (10th)
- 39 explosive runs (7th, per PFF)
- 24 catches
- 280 yards
- 3 receiving TDs
Jeremiyah Love Combine Results & Measurements
Love limited his 2026 NFL Scouting Combine participation to just two drills
40-yard Dash: 4.36 seconds — second best among RBs
10-yard Split: 1.55 seconds — fourth best among RBs
Here are the results of Love's measurements at the draft
Height: 6'
Weight: 212 lbs.
Arm: 32"
Hand: 9 1/8"
Jeremiyah Love NFL Comparison: Clinton Portis
The Jeremiyah Love to Clinton Portis comp is a popular one, but it's accurate.Clinton Portis was measured at 5'11" and 218 lbs., an almost identical frame to Love.
Love shares the same playing style as the former Redskins bellcow. Love has above-average speed for his size (Portis ran a 4.42 40-yard dash) and is extremely physical when needed.
The passing game ability — which makes Love a coveted asset — tracks too. Portis had five seasons with 30+ catches in the NFL; Love had 63 career receptions at Notre Dame, with the natural hands and route-running to line up in the slot.
Portis was one of the most dominant and durable running backs of his era, posting six seasons with over 1,200 rushing yards, four seasons with more than 300 carries, four seasons with 11 or more rushing TDs, Offensive Rookie of the Year honors — which Love will certainly be a popular pick for, and two Pro Bowls.
Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft Prediction: Will Love Go In the Top Five Picks?
The consensus seems to say that Love is going in the top five, but where exactly? The Raiders are assumed to be taking Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, but any picks between three and five could take Love off the board.
The Cardinals, with pick No. 3, are a key player for Love, and currently the favorite to draft him. Adam Schefter recently reported that if Arizona cannot find a trade partner for their pick, they could select Love.
Cardinals RB James Conner is on a one-year deal, with former Falcons backup RB Tyler Alligeier second on the depth chart. New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur may want to make a splash in his first draft and help journeyman QB Jacoby Brissett by building a running game.
However, the Cardinals could take whichever edge rusher the Jets don't take between David Bailey and Arvell Reese, or they could look to trade their pick.
If it's not Arizona, it is difficult to see the Tennessee Titans passing on Love if he’s available at No. 4.
Tennessee was one of the worst-run offenses last season, ranking 30th with 93.5 rushing yards per game and a 22.5% first-down rate, according to NFL.com.
The Titans have RB Tony Pollard, but in a new era that includes new head coach Robert Saleh and second-year QB Cam Ward, the team may want a potential can’t-miss talent anchoring the backfield and contribute in the pass game.
The other New York team at No. 5 has shown interest in Love. Despite Giants RB Cam Skattebo emerging as a star last year, after his gruesome season-ending injury, Love could become the lead back if he lands with the Giants.
Jeremiyah Love NFL Draft Projections on PrizePicks
Let’s look at Jeremiyah Love's NFL Draft spot projections on PrizePicks Teams picks.
The numbers below — like 4x — represent payout multipliers if your NFL Draft predictions are right on PrizePicks Team Picks (available in 35 states); a 4x multiplier on $100 pays out $400 if you’re correct. Additionally, lower payout multipliers means a lower implied probability based on user picks.
- Love to be drafted Top 3 in 2026? Yes 3.12x | No 1.17x
- Love to be drafted Top 5 in 2026? Yes 1.23x | No 3.57x
- Love to be #3 Overall Pick: Yes 3.7x | No 1.25x
- Love to be #4 Overall Pick: Yes 2.27x | No 1.56x
- Love to be #5 Overall Pick: Yes 5x | No 1.14x
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Make 2026 NFL Draft Predictions on PrizePicks
Love is one of the more exciting offensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is why he's become a favorite to be drafted in the first round. Wherever he lands, it's likely we'll see Love as a Week 1 starter and a key fantasy football piece in 2026.
Don’t wait until draft night — make your 2026 NFL Draft picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
On PrizePicks Team Picks, there are thousands of draft night predictions to choose from. You can make predictions on specific 2026 NFL Draft picks, team selections, position groups, and more.
Keep it right here with the Playbook for continued NFL Draft predictions, picks, news, and analysis through the 2026 NFL Draft.
