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The running back position has seen plenty of upheaval across the last few decades in the NFL. It used to be highly regarded as a valuable roster spot and teams would often use high draft picks or spend big money in free agency to land talented running backs. There was a shift in this approach over the years and while some teams still made big moves to grab a running back, the consensus was that while they were a nice luxury to have, they didn't necessarily translate to winning in the same way other positions did.

Saquon Barkley rushing for 2,005 yards and helping the Eagles win a Super Bowl may have caused a slight shift in that thinking. Teams might not be building their roster around a running back but they are still on the hunt for adding game-changing talent at the position. The Las Vegas Raiders used a top-10 pick on Ashton Jeanty and hope he can provide a spark in his second season. The New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs shelled out plenty of money in free agency for Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker respectively. That brings us to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who is expected to be among the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Those interested in betting on the NFL will likely be placing prop bets on Love's draft position, exact draft spot and what team will take the running back. We'll dive into the latest odds for Love in the draft and what we can ascertain from the NFL combine and free agency when making futures bets.

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Jeremiyah Love draft odds (via DraftKings)

  • No. 3 pick (+700)
  • No. 4 pick (+100)
  • No. 5 pick (+500)
  • Draft position 5.5 (Over +125, Under -165)
  • To be drafted by Titans (+100)
  • To be drafted by Commanders (+250)

Love's talent

It's not rocket science to say this an exceptionally talented football player. Love was dominant in two seasons as a full-time starter at Notre Dame, rushing for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry across both seasons despite attracting a ton of attention from opposing defenses, so the consistency is remarkable. He's got a rare blend of speed, power and agility. Even if you want to question the defensive chops of Notre Dame's opponents, you can't ignore Love's production. If you were to bet on Love to score a touchdown in every game for each of the last two regular seasons, you'd cash that bet in every contest except for one. In 11 games, Love scored at least two touchdowns.

The running back was ranked as the consensus top prospect in the draft from all the experts after the NFL Combine, which shows how highly he's regarded among football personnel. If a team has an opportunity to draft Love, it might abandon its plans to do so. Even when you factor in positional value, Love is likely going to be a top-5 selection. That's why his Over/Under line is set at 5.5.

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Free agency fallout

Both the Saints and Chiefs were in need of a running back following the conclusion of the 2025 season. Both decided to target players in free agency with New Orleans grabbing Etienne and Kansas City adding Walker. While this doesn't necessarily prevent either team from picking Love in the draft, it's highly unlikely. The Saints are picking eighth and the Chiefs are picking ninth, so we can look at these moves and say with some level of confidence both teams don't believe Love will be around when they're on the clock.

The New York Jets, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns are unlikely to use their first-round pick on a running back. The Jets placed the franchise tag on Breece Hall, the Giants have two up-and-coming rushers with Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo and the Browns just used a second-round pick a year ago on Quinshon Judkins. Again, while these moves don't prevent any of these teams from taking Love, it's unlikely they spend a high draft pick on him.

Arizona is a mess right now. The Cardinals are experiencing a ton of change, hiring a new head coach in Mike LaFleur to replace Jonathan Gannon after three seasons. They don't have a quarterback of the future in place and they did sign veteran running back James Conner to an extension despite his struggles in 2025. Trey Benson, a third-round pick the Cardinals were willing to turn to in 2025, should be healthy to begin the 2026 campaign. While Love would definitely boost the culture in Phoenix, him going to Arizona at No. 3 is unlikely.

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Titans or Commanders?

All signs point to Love being drafted by the Titans. They are the betting favorites to take him and his most likely draft position is No. 4, which is Tennessee's pick. The Titans ranked 30th in rushing yards per game a season ago. They continue to surround former No. 1 pick Cam Ward with weapons, and Love would qualify as one. Both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are heading into contract seasons, so the Titans will need a long-term plan in place at running back. And this is an organization that watched Derrick Henry mow down opponents for eight seasons. If you're looking at making wagers on Love's draft props, you can feel quite confident going with the Titans picking him and his draft position being No. 4.

The Commanders felt good enough about rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt to part ways with Brian Robinson Jr. and while the team struggled, the ground game did not suffer much. Washington ranked fourth in rushing yards per game a season ago at 134.7. While this was down from their 154.1 rushing yards per game in 2024, it's still a huge number. Part of this is due to having a rushing quarterback but the Commanders have learned their lesson about putting Jayden Daniels in harm's way. Even though they added Rachaad White and Jerome Ford in free agency, Love could be a tantalizing proposition to really lock down the backfield. I don't see the Commanders moving up to take Love but there's a chance they have the opportunity to grab him at No. 7 if the Titans look elsewhere. And based on the moves New Orleans and Kansas City made in free agency, it seems like Love won't be available past No. 7.

Even though the Titans have a clear need at running back, they could opt to keep loading up on defensive players. Tennessee threw a lot of money at that side of the ball in free agency and could use a young prospect after trading T'Vondre Sweat to the Jets. That's what makes Love's draft position Over/Under of 5.5 a bit tricky. It's either going to be the Titans or Commanders based on the moves we've already seen but which team makes that pick is more of a question mark. I'd likely stay away from this prop bet but if would take the Under if I had to lean one way.

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