Two Notre Dame running backs surge into the first round of Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft, set to energize NFL offenses.
With the NFL Draft 36 days away, analysts are cranking out their latest mock draft projections. I'm sure there will be some alterations after various Pro Days. Notre Dame's Pro Day is next Tuesday on March 24, but we likely won't see Daniel Jeremiah's two first-round projections showcase their skillsets. Running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price have the production and had the NFL Combine performance to back Jeremiah's first round projection.
No. 4 - Running Back Jeremiyah Love, Tennessee Titans
Love worked his way up draft boards throughout the 2025 season and his performance at the NFL Combine solidified his position as the No. 1 overall running back prospect in this year's draft. Jeremiah kept his thoughts brief on the best running back available in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"Tennessee addressed a lot of its defensive needs in free agency, which frees the team up to take my No. 2 player in the draft to help Cam Ward," Jeremiah explained.
The Titans haven't had an impact in the run game since former running back Derrick Henry headed to Baltimore. The 6-0, 212-pound running back is the type of high-level talent Tennessee needs in the backfield alongside Ward, their second-year quarterback.
The St. Louis native ended his career in college as the 2025 Doak Walker Award Winner and a Heisman finalist. It's likely he'll have the same impact at the next level for a team desperately in need of a rushing attack.
The 6-0, 214-pound running back ended his Notre Dame career as one of the most prolific ball carriers to line up in the backfield. He was named a Unanimous All-American and was only the 38th player in the history of the Fighting Irish football program to achieve that feat. Love will become a franchise player for whatever organization elects to draft him.
No. 32 - Running Back Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
"I see a steep drop at the running back position this year after Price," Jeremiah said. "He would slide right into the mix in Seattle, with Kenneth Walker III departing and Zach Charbonnet coming off injury."
Price showed of his smooth running ability combined with his explosiveness during the testing and on-field drills throughout the afternoon. His official 4.49 40-yard dash time puts him in the top half of the running backs that performed at the combine. Add that to his extremely productive career in South Bend, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he sneaks into the first round.
He finished his Notre Dame career with 1,692 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns 162 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. This past season alone, Price rushed for 674 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, caught two receiving touchdowns and took two 100-yard kick returns to the house, one against Purdue and one against USC. He would be an explosive playmaker for the Seattle offense.
If both Love and Price are taken in the first round of this year's NFL Draft, it would be the first time since 2008 when Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were taken in the first 32 picks.
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