Jeremiyah Love landing spots: Where will 2026 NFL Draft's top RB go? Somewhere in top 10 after his pro day?

Love led college football in rushing TD (35) and scrimmage TD (40) across his last two seasons at Notre Dame

There is no debate or doubt about the 2026 NFL Draft's top running back prospect. Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love has that title locked down. 

Love led all of college football with 35 touchdowns rushing and 40 touchdowns from scrimmage across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and he took a massive leap in production in 2025. He went from averaging 70.3 rushing yards per game in 2024 to 114.3 in 2025, a jump of 44 yards per game. That led to Love earning the 2025 Doak Walker Award as college football's best running back and becoming just the sixth player in FBS history with multiple seasons of averaging over 6.5 yards per carry while amassing at least 15 rushing touchdowns. His agility via jukes and his patented spin move left defenders grasping at air all year long.

He enters the draft as this year's 16th-best overall prospect, according to CBS Sports' rankings, but yours truly feels he should rank higher considering his individual talent. Will NFL teams agree and select him inside the top 10? Perhaps he can make a case for that to occur after what he hopes will be a stellar performance at Notre Dame's Pro Day. With that in mind, let's take a look at five potential landing spots for the Fighting Irish superstar ahead of his pro day workout for the NFL's coaches, scouts and general managers. 

Tennessee Titans (No. 4 overall pick) 

Nobody spent more money in free agency than the Tennessee Titans, with their whopping $316.1 million. The Las Vegas Raiders were the next-closest team at $292.7 million spent. 

That spending addressed a variety of needs the 3-14 Titans had entering quarterback Cam Ward's second NFL season in 2026. The largest spend came at wide receiver with the signing of former New York Giant Wan'Dale Robinson for four years and $70 million with $38 million guaranteed. The move reunited Robinson with his former head coach Brian Daboll, who is now Tennessee's offensive coordinator. 

Tennessee made a number of signings on the defensive side for new head coach Robert Saleh's unit: defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (three years, $63 million with $42 million fully guaranteed), cornerback Alontae Taylor (three years, $58 million with $42 million fully guaranteed) and cornerback Cordale Flott (three years, $45 million with $32 million guaranteed). The Titans also traded for Jets' former first-round pick edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II and another former Saleh starter, defensive tackle Solomon Thomas. 

Titans starting running back Tony Pollard enters the final year of his contract in 2026 at the age of 29, so it could make sense to select Love here to form a tandem with the four-time 1,000-yard rusher and then let him become the bell cow alongside Ward in 2027. 

Washington Commanders (No. 7 overall pick)

The concerns about 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels' slight frame (6-foot-4-inches, 210 pounds) when he was selected second overall in 2024 came to fruition in 2025. Daniels suffered three different injuries -- a knee sprain, a hamstring strain and a dislocated elbow -- that caused him to miss a combined 10 games in a 5-12 campaign for the Commanders in 2026. 

Perhaps his need to rush for an NFL rookie quarterback record 891 yards in 2024 factored into his injury-plagued 2025. At the moment, Washington's running depth is led by two vets on one-year deals (Rachaad White and Jerome Ford), followed by Jacory Croskey-Merritt, the team's rushing leader in 2025 with 805 yards. Should Washington decide to refocus its offense a little more away from Daniels' legs in order to preserve his long-term future, Love could be in play for the Commanders with the sixth overall pick. 

Los Angeles Rams (13th overall pick via Atlanta Falcons)

Yes, the Rams inked running back Kyren Williams to a three-year, $33 million extension, but Los Angeles could make the most of being in the upper half of the draft in 2026 by selecting the best player available. Selecting Love could embolden the Rams to sell high on Williams and trade him for draft compensation, which would also free up $9.07 million in cap space for the NFC runner-up. 

The Rams indicated they are "all in" with quarterback Matthew Stafford once again, who is fresh off winning 2025 NFL MVP honors and leading the Rams to within a few plays of defeating the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC title game, with the acquisitions of cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Head coach Sean McVay could make sweet, sweet music with Love, who would become the most talented running back he's had since 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley.

Baltimore Ravens (14th overall pick)

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is an alien. At the age of 31 in 2025, he was the NFL's second-leading rusher with 1,595 rushing yards. That marked his fifth career season with 1,500-plus yards on the ground, tying Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for the most such seasons in NFL history. 

However, Henry is now 32 years old, so it's fair for the Ravens to begin planning for the future at the running back position in order to continue to take some of the rushing burden off of two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson's plate. Jackson was derailed by a hamstring injury this past season, but adding Love would allow the Ravens dynamic dual threat to save his rushing chops for break glass in case of emergency situations, which could extend Jackson's career. Plus, new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle comes over from the Bears, where he helped Chicago have the league's No. 3 run game, 144.5 rushing yards per game, under head coach Ben Johnson. This could be an ideal home for Love. 

New York Jets (16th overall pick via Indianapolis Colts)

New York Jets running back Breece Hall, who is a dynamic player, was franchise-tagged. Given all the various needs the Jets have, it wouldn't make sense for New York to allocate significant cap space to re-sign him long-term. However, New York could use a new lead back for an offense that ranked as the NFL's second-worst in 2025, scoring just 17.6 points per game. Getting Love smack dab in the middle of the first round would be a strong value for the 2026 draft's top rusher. He could help make life a lot easier for Geno Smith in 2026 and perhaps a younger, long-term option in 2027.