Mock drafts had largely settled on two likely landing spots for Jeremiyah Love near the top of the draft.
The New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs were the teams most commonly linked to the star running back, both sitting in positions where adding an explosive offensive weapon made plenty of sense.
But the first day of NFL free agency may have changed that picture entirely.
Both franchises made major moves at running back, signaling that they are likely out of the Jeremiyah Love sweepstakes before the draft even begins. The Chiefs signed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, while the Saints added Travis Etienne.
That leaves one of the most talented prospects in the entire class without a clear destination. While many teams have become hesitant to spend an early first-round pick on a running back, Love is the type of player who can challenge that thinking. His talent is simply too difficult to ignore, which makes the question even more interesting. If the two most obvious landing spots are no longer in play, where does Jeremiyah Love go now?
Jeremiyah Love’s Draft Odds by Team
On DraftKings and other similar sports betting apps, the Tennessee Titans are now sitting as the betting favorite to draft Jeremiyah Love at +125 odds.
The Titans currently hold the 4th overall pick, which immediately raises some skepticism. Defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh is now leading the franchise. Saleh has built his reputation on constructing dominant defenses, and last year, he even convinced the San Francisco 49ers to spend their first five draft picks on defensive players. With elite edge rushers and linebackers available at No. 4, the Titans could be tempted to follow that same blueprint. Still, adding a dynamic weapon like Love could do wonders for their young quarterback, leaving Tennessee with a fascinating decision at the top of the draft.
Behind the Titans in the betting odds are the Washington Commanders (+275), Arizona Cardinals (+400), and New York Giants (+450). Of that group, Washington may appear to be the cleanest fit at pick No. 7, but the Commanders have far more pressing issues on defense after finishing the 2025 season with the league’s worst unit.
Addressing that side of the ball with a player like Caleb Downs would make far more sense. Arizona, which holds the third overall pick, also seems unlikely after signing Tyler Allgeier to a two-year deal and also has more glaring needs. As for the Giants, spending a top-five pick on a running back feels unnecessary after Cam Skattebo showed real promise during his rookie season.
At least for now, none of these teams feels like a particularly clean landing spot for Love.
Could Love Land in Minnesota?
One interesting team to keep an eye on is the Minnesota Vikings. They currently sit eighth in the betting odds to draft Love and are still behind both the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints despite those teams addressing the running back position in free agency.
Minnesota’s current starter is Aaron Jones, who is nearing the later stages of his career and has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. Love falling all the way to pick No. 18 seems unlikely, but the Vikings could be a sneaky trade-up candidate. Many of the teams selecting ahead of them either already have their running back situation figured out or have much bigger roster needs elsewhere, which could open the door for Minnesota to make an aggressive move.
Whether Jeremiyah Love ends up sliding down the board because of recent free agency moves or forces a team to trade up for him, the picture of where he will land has become far less clear than it once seemed. Love is widely viewed as one of the best running back prospects in recent memory, but the modern NFL’s hesitation to spend premium draft capital on the position could complicate things.
At the same time, it only takes one team to decide that the talent is too good to pass up. A franchise with clear defensive needs could still convince itself that adding an elite offensive playmaker is worth the gamble. However it plays out, Love’s landing spot has quietly become one of the most intriguing storylines to watch when the NFL Draft finally arrives.
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