Jeremiyah Love and Malachi Field headline Notre Dame's elite draft prospects, with Brugler projecting them high in Dane Brugler's latest mock.
We're 50 days away from the 2026 NFL Draft where several former Notre Dame players have the opportunity to get taken and further their football careers at the highest level. Out of the several players who are eligible to be taken, there are three offensive players that stand out above the rest and have consistently been getting round one to round two grades for the last month. The Athletic's Dane Brugler has released his post-combine mock draft and has three former Fighting Irish standouts going in the first two rounds.
No. 4 - Running Back Jeremiyah Love, Tennessee Titans
"An AFC scout for a team that already has an established running back called Love the best player in the draft," Brugler explained. "Instead of getting hung up on positional value, the Titans should focus on “impact value” and what a talent like Love could do not only for the run game, but the passing game and offense overall. Head coach Robert Saleh spent the last year watching Christian McCaffrey’s impact on the San Francisco 49ers and could see similar potential in Love."
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. 63 - Wide Receiver Malachi Field, New England Patriots
With the future of current star receiver Stefon Diggs relatively uncertain in Foxborough, Fields would bring a big-bodied presence into their starting lineup alongside Mack Hollins who is 6-4, 221-pounds. Hollins was the most productive receiver for the Patriots in the Super Bowl hauling in four receptions on eight targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. Adding another big, strong receiver like Fields to the mix gives quarterback Drake Maye several options on the perimeter.
Fields is one of the more productive receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft class. The Virginia native caught 165 passes for 2,479 yards, averaged 15.0 yards per catch and hauled in 16 touchdowns throughout his collegiate career. This past season with Notre Dame, he recorded 36 receptions, 63- receiving yards, averaged 17.5 yards per catch and five touchdowns. His production would have increased in the post season as well.
No. 64 - Running Back Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
"With Kenneth Walker III expected to sign elsewhere and Zach Charbonnet working back from a knee injury, Seattle will be active in the running back market," Brugler said about the current state of Seattle's running back room. "Price has NFL starting-caliber talent with his run instincts and contact balance."
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.
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