Teams can get excited about certain prospects at the NFL Combine, and the Kansas City Chiefs will need to be careful about this one.
That’s Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who recently wowed at the combine last weekend. Love ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds, and that had ESPN draft expert Todd McShay anticipating big things for Love on draft night. In other words, Love may not be there at No. 9 for the Chiefs, and Kansas City would have to be prudent on whether or not to trade up and snag him.
“It’s weird for me to have a running back at No. 1,” McShay told podcast host Kay Adams on Monday. “Bijan [Robinson] was close, but he wasn’t. Saquon [Barkley] was really close. I think I had finished with him at 2 or 3 that year.”
“And I think the thing that impressed all of us with Love was, if you watch him, catching passes and running routes.”
Love dominated at Notre Dame with 2,882 yards rushing and 36 touchdowns on 433 carries in three seasons. He also caught 63 passes for 594 yards and six touchdowns.
Both skill sets would give the Chiefs a big boost in the backfield, but it will behoove the front office to weigh the pros and cons of trading up if he’s unlikely to fall at No. 9.
Todd McShay Calls Jeremiyah Love a Top 5 Pick
McShay raved about Love’s skill sets and the kind of running back he could be in the league when talking with Adams.
“To see the way he’s able to run routes,” McShay explained, “and to see that 4.36, legit, like right there posted for us, at his size, he’s just special. And you look at the top of the draft … We all agree that Fernando Mendoza is going No. 1 to the [Las Vegas] Raiders.”
“After that, I think it’s going to probably be an edge rusher to the Jets,” McShay continued. “Maybe Sonny Styles gets into that mix.”
“But then you look at Arizona at 3, Tennessee at 4, even the Giants at 5, with [Cam] Skattebo coming off of that injury. I don’t think Jeremiyah Love gets out of the top five, and it won’t shock me if he’s the third pick in this draft.”
Chiefs Have Other Options at Running Back: Insider
Chiefs insider Jesse Newell of The Athletic believes Kansas City will need to think differently about the No. 9 pick, especially with Love’s recent rise.
“As far as running back goes … the Chiefs can attack that differently,” Newell wrote. “That position is flush with free-agent talent, and [Brett] Veach’s consistent philosophy has been to address base needs before the draft so he can pivot depending on how the board falls.”
“In other words, the Chiefs will not pigeonhole themselves into having to take Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 9 because they ignored the position in March,” Newell added. “There will be an addition before then who could serve as a starting running back for the Chiefs, even as they look to solidify that spot in the draft.”
After all, free agency has a strong market of running backs with Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne, Rico Dowdle, Kenneth Gainwell, and Tyler Allegeier.
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