Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love will undoubtedly be one of the first players off the board when the 2026 NFL Draft officially kicks off in less than a week. Widely considered to be the best all-around runner in this class, the Junior is coming off a dominant season where he recorded 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground while adding another 27 receptions for 280 yards and three scores through the air. This was the second straight season he led his conference in rushing yards and touchdowns, and the second season he averaged a staggering 6.9 yards per attempt.
Teams don’t value running backs as they did in the 90s, but teams are willing to invest more in the position than they were in the late 2010s and even the early 2020s. Thanks to the success of players like Bijan Robinson, most draft analysts believe Love will be a top-10 pick, and one suitor is reportedly the favorite to land him.
According to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, the Washington Commanders are targeting Jeremiyah Love and could easily draft him if he’s still available when they’re on the clock.
Report: Commanders Targeting Jeremiyah Love In 2026 NFL Draft
The Washington Commanders need a running back, and Jeremiyah Love is easily the best one in the draft. Right away, it’s easy to see how this could be a match made in heaven. While Jacory Croskey-Merritt impressed early in the preseason, the seventh-round pick couldn’t carry that success to the regular season. Head coach Dan Quinn desperately wants to establish a more consistent rushing attack, and adding Love is a great way to accomplish that goal.
Additionally, the Notre Dame product should make life easier for franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. Following a fantastic rookie season, the second-overall pick spent most of the 2025 season battling injury. He played in just seven games and looked like a shell of his former self during most of last year’s actions. Love can be the focal point of this offense, which will ease some of the burden on Daniels, and opposing defenses will struggle to lock in on Love, given Daniels’ mobility on option plays.
The biggest question is whether or not Jeremiyah Love will still be on the draft board when the Washington Commanders are on the clock. Everyone in the world knows the Las Vegas Raiders will use the first-overall pick on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but the rest of the draft is completely up in the air. It’s hard to imagine Love going off the board with the second-overall pick, but everything else is fair game.
The Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants all could use an upgrade at the running back position, and they’ll all have the opportunity to draft Jeremiyah Love before the Commanders are on the clock. Will Washington wait to see if Love falls to them, or will they be aggressive and try to trade up for one of the most talented players in the class, regardless of position? Only time will tell for sure, but this is one of the biggest narratives to follow leading up to the big event.
