Jeremiyah

Love

The lack of investment at running back really stands out for the Commanders now that we’re through early free agency and they have “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White (on a one-year deal) tabbed as their top backs. Love will threaten fantasy RB1 production right away, so his landing spot is of particular interest to us. It does feel like Love’s floor will be around the 7-10 range in the draft, and the Commanders would certainly offer him a spot where he’d be assured a big workload right away.

Speaking on his eponymous “The Adam Schefter Podcast”, Schefty said Love watch begins at pick No. 5 with the Giants. He closed out Love’s range at pick No. 9 with the Chiefs. Kansas City just inked Kenneth Walker to a massive deal, though Schefter doesn’t believe that rules them out entirely. The Giants hit on Cam Skattebo in last year’s draft, but the rookie suffered a catastrophic ankle injury that ended his debut campaign early. Love could be in play if they are worried about his ability to come back from the injury.

The Titans, who have the fourth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, could be in the running for Love, who impressed at last week’s Scouting Combine. “Anytime you can get a running back like that, especially a three-down running back, that can play in the pass game as well and be able to take over a game, you’ve seen guys in the league now that can do that,” Borgonzi said when being asked about taking a running back in the top five. Titans head coach stressed the importance of a good run game in taking pressure off of second-year QB Cam Ward following Ward’s massive rookie year struggles. The Titans could save around $7 million in cap space if they release Tony Pollard, 29, with a post-June 1 designation. If he lands in Tennessee, Love would likely be the centerpiece of Brian Daboll’s offense, relegating Tyjae Spears to breather back status.

It’s a blistering time for the running back prospect that came into the Combine expected to clock the fastest run. There is an interesting dynamic to this year’s free agency and draft in that there is no shortage of viable options with available veterans, meaning we could see rookie backs fall more in the draft than in recent years. Either way, Love is doing his part to bolster his draft capital ahead of April’s NFL Draft, and he could have just solidified his case as the favorite to be the first back off the board.

Raanan reports players like Travis Etienne, Jeremiyah Love, and Kenneth Walker are among the players the Giants are reportedly interested in, while adding “there seems to be a clear focus on becoming a more physical run-heavy team.” The Giants saw last year’s rookie, Cam Skattebo, run for 101-410-5 in eight games before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury, but the team is hopeful he’ll be cleared in time for training camp. Still, the talent behind Skattebo is thin, but any big name-addition in the draft or free agency would undoubtedly limit the fantasy upside of both players in 2026. The Giants currently hold the No. 5 overall pick, but are up against a tight cap with just over $3.3 million currently available, per OverTheCap. They’ll have some work to do if they hope to land a big-name back in free agency.

Love is one of the nations’ top running back prospects, finishing his junior year at Notre Dame with 199 carries for 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 27 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns. He finished as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy award and won the Doak Walker award for the top running back in college football. Teams in the first round of the draft will already be circling Love’s name at the top of their running back big boards; he is certainly a candidate to go in the top 10 picks, similar to Ashton Jeanty in 2025.