Jeremiyah Love at No. 4? Why the Titans could take electrifying Notre Dame RB

INDIANAPOLIS -- In just 4.36 seconds, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love may have run himself into top-five-pick status in this year's NFL draft -- or at least cemented it.

ESPN ranks Love as the consensus No. 2 prospect, and for the Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 4 draft pick, he ranks highly on their draft board as well, according to team sources.

Last week, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi spoke glowingly of Love during his podium session at the combine.

"Any time you can get a running back like that, especially a three-down running back, that can play in the pass game as well and be able to take over a game, you've seen guys in the league now that can do that," Borgonzi said when being asked about taking a running back in the top five. "[Jahmyr Gibbs] is an example in Detroit who can run in between the tackles. He's a game changer, and you can line him up outside, you can use him as a receiver.

"I think this guy in the draft, Jeremiyah [Love], does that as well."

There have been seven running backs selected in the first round since 2020, and since 2013, only three running backs have been drafted in the top five. If the Titans select Love at No. 4 overall, he'll be the highest running back selected since the New York Giants drafted Saquon Barkley in 2018 and the first running back selected in the first round by Tennessee since Chris Johnson (24th) in 2008.

Love's blistering 4.36-second time in the 40-yard dash matched the time Gibbs ran before becoming the 12th overall pick in 2023. At 6-foot, 212 pounds, Love is slightly bigger than Gibbs, who measured in at 5-9, 199 pounds. Love did all of the drills and stayed after the running back workouts to take part in wide receiver drills to further show his versatility.

ESPN draft analysts Jordan Reid and Matt Miller list Love as their No. 1 prospect in 2026, and Reid compares him to Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III, who ran for an NFL-best 1,621 yards last season.

"Love gets up to speed quickly, and his 39 runs of 10-plus yards last season were fourth most among FBS running backs," Reid said. "His smooth, effortless style is reminiscent of James Cook III, and Love can become a similar mismatch option for a creative playcaller."

Running backs appear to be reemerging as a position of significance. Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was named Super Bowl LX MVP last month after gaining139 yards on 27 carries in the 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots. Walker became the first running back to win MVP since Terrell Davis did so for the Denver Broncos in 1998.

Seattle declined to place the tag on Walker, who would enter free agency as the top-ranked running back, but general manager John Schneider said at the combine that he'd like to bring him back. If Walker moves on, he'd become the fourth player to win Super Bowl MVP and begin the following season on another team.

The New York Jets did place the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall. Hall's tag is the nonexclusive version ($14.293 million), meaning he can negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet.

For Titans coach Robert Saleh, he believes the running back position still has significance in the league.

"I just had a year with Christian McCaffrey," Saleh said. "I think he had over 400 touches. So, if they are three-down players and they can impact the game and they can create mismatches out on the perimeter as well as run the ball the way they do. Guys like Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian, I'm sure there's a few more. They're tremendous assets to the football team."

Saleh pointed to the running game and a stingy defense as two ways to help a young quarterback like second-year player Cam Ward. It's no coincidence that two of the Titans' three wins last season came during Tony Pollard's three-game streak of rushing over 100 yards.

Ward came alive as the Titans' run game emerged. He seemed more comfortable over the final seven games as he threw 10 of his 15 touchdown passes and only one of his seven interceptions.

"When you have a solid run game, it helps the quarterback a lot, lookswise -- whether it's play-action, bootleg, the defense is going to sink back a lot, especially post-snap," Ward said in November. "The run game is always going to be beneficial. The O-line can come off the ball and hit somebody."

Tennessee's running backs room currently consists of Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Kalel Mullings, but the future is cloudy for the Titans at running back.

Pollard finished with a career-high 1,082 yards last season. It was his fourth consecutive season in which he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards. But at 29 years old, Pollard is entering the final season of a three-year, $24 million deal he signed before the 2023 season. Pollard is set to hold a $9.25 million cap number. Tennessee could save $7.25 million if it releases Pollard with a post-June 1 designation.

Spears is set to play the final season of his four-year rookie contract. He has shown flashes, but various injuries have limited Spears to 42 games in three seasons.

Mullings, a sixth-round draft pick, carried the ball only three times for 7 yards last season. Obviously, the Titans need to shore up their running back room. How they go about doing so is the question.

Coming from the San Francisco 49ers, Saleh may choose to bring in someone like Brian Robinson Jr. in free agency. Tennessee also has the option to stay put and run it back with the Spears/Pollard tandem for another season, but the prospects of bringing in a back like Love will be something the organization mulls over.