Mel Kiper Jr. envisions two Notre Dame offensive stars dominating the first round. Will the Titans draft a potential generational talent?
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off a week from today where there's several former Notre Dame standouts waiting to hear their name called. NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. sees two former Fighting Irish stars getting taken in the first round and it's not a surprise they both come from the best backfield in the country in 2025.
No. 4 - Running Back Jeremiyah Love, Tennessee Titans
"Will the Titans take the plunge? We haven't seen a running back go this early since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 eight years ago, but Love has the goods to come off the board in the top five. And while the case could easily be made that Tennessee has other, more important holes to fill on its roster, it'd be a mistake to look at Love solely as a traditional running back."
"He's a playmaker who can put a jolt in the Titans' offense in the backfield with quarterback Cam Ward," Kiper continued. "Love will break free for home runs, he will haul in tough catches when flexed outside, and he will power over defenders to extend drives. With both of the top edge rushers off the board, we could see a new No. 1 running back ahead of Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Michael Carter in Tennessee."
Let's start with the obvious one; Love is the certified No. 1 running back in the 2026 draft class and likely won't make it out of the Top 10 draft picks. He put on a strong performance at the combine clocking an official 4.36 40-yard dash time and showed out during the on-field drills putting his athleticism, explosion and abilities as a pass catcher on full display.
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 second-year quarterback Cam Ward. 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.
No. 32 - Running Back Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
"Seattle has to make every pick count, with four total selections (least in the league) and picking at the end of each round. I originally considered projecting Arizona to trade up into this spot simply because the Seahawks would welcome any additional draft capital, but I wasn't convinced we'd actually get an in-division trade like that involving a quarterback pick.
"Instead, Seattle stays home and closes out Round 1 with our second running back off the board," Kiper continued. "Kenneth Walker III signed in Kansas City, and Zach Charbonnet is working back from a torn ACL. Price might not have been the RB1 at Notre Dame, but he can be one in the NFL. He's powerful and fast, averaging 6.0 yards per carry over his career and scoring 11 touchdowns last season."
Price rotated with Love for the duration of his collegiate career, but that didn't prohibit him from recording 1,420 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns and two 100-yard kick returns for touchdowns over the last two seasons playing in a rotation that featured a Heisman contender in 2025.
The Texas native performed extremely well at the NFL combine and had the most complete performance of the 2026 draft class, and that includes Love who participated in the 40-yard dash and the on-field drills only. Price has breakaway, homerun speed and is the best lateral cutter I've seen come through South Bend. His play style fits well at the next level and will put up a lot of production over his career in the NFL.
If Love and Price both get taken in the first round, they'd be the first running back duo from the same college to be taken in the first round of the same draft since Felix Jones and Darren McFadden from Arkansas did it back in 2008. Both players have the impact to be high-level players at the next level. Now, it's a question of who will take them, but there's no question around what makes the first-round level talents.
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