Could Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love be a ‘finishing piece’ for the Giants?

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Jeremiyah Love | Getty Images

Jeremiyah Love is “likely” to be selected by the New York Giants at No. 5 in the 2026 NFL Draft — if the Tennessee Titans don’t snatch the Notre Dame running back first with the fourth overall pick. That assertion was made on Friday by Matt Miller of ESPN.

In an ESPN writers’ debate about Love, Field Yates said “many NFL executives and scouts believe he [Love] is Tennessee’s most likely pick. Justin Reid took the dissenting view, saying ”I just don’t see it happening.“

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The Love to the Giants chatter has gained a ton of steam since the NFL Scouting Combine.

Todd McShay of The Ringer recently mocked Love to the Giants. McShay said:

I’m not fully convinced this is the pick. Pairing Sonny Styles with recently signed LB Tremaine Edmunds could be tempting for the Giants, and I like Caleb Downs here as well. But league intel suggests the Giants are one of the most likely teams to take Love in the top 10.

Love is the top-ranked player on McShay’s Big Board.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the Giants should not hesitate to take Love.

“I don’t know what the record is in terms of how fast you can get a card in, but I’d be trying to break it,” Jeremiah told Adam Schein of the New York Post. “I think if I were the Giants in that case, just sprint that thing to the podium and turn in the card.”

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt sees Love as the Giants’ opportunity to correct their Saquon Barkley mistake.

“You can replace Saquon Barkley. You can get your Barkley back on your team,” Klatt said. “I really love this idea, in particular with a guy like John Harbaugh, who you know wants to establish the run game, and be in that mold.”

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A ‘finishing piece’ for the Giants?

The Big Blue View Rules for Draft Success say do not take a running back in Round 1, especially early in Round 1, unless he is a finishing piece for your team.

Now, no one expects the Giants to be a Super Bowl contender during the 2026 season. Or, if you do, your expectations are out of whack.

Can you argue, though, that Love could be a “finishing piece” for the Giants’ offense?

I think you can.

  • The Giants have their quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart. At least, it certainly appears quarterback is not a priority need for the next several years.
  • They have a star No. 1 wide receiver in Malik Nabers, whether he is ready for Week 1 or not.
  • They have bookend offensive tackles in Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor.
  • The Giants have a pair of potentially dynamic tight ends in Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson.
  • They have a capable group of veteran wide receivers opposite Nabers in Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, and Calvin Austin.

What don’t they have?

  • A right guard.
  • One more game-changing play-maker.

Love could be that game-changing playmaker.

Here is part of McShay’s scouting report:

Love is a threat to pull away every time he touches the ball and has explosive burst running between the tackles and going north to south. He’s a patient runner with a good feel for how to sift through traffic on the inside. He presses the line of scrimmage and makes late cuts, and he churns his legs to pick up yards with a second effort once his initial momentum is stopped … Love has explosive finishing power and keeps defenders guessing with the way he mixes in spins and hurdles. As a pass catcher, his speed makes him a threat running wheel routes, he tracks the ball well, and he can make one-handed catches. He’s a weapon in the screen game. He has the traits to develop into an elite route runner for the position, and he got 63 snaps working out of the slot at Notre Dame … Love is the best player regardless of position in the 2026 draft class, and he grades out higher than 2025 sixth pick Ashton Jeanty did.

I understand the argument that the true “need” is likely at wide receiver, where Slayton, Mooney, and Austin are all short-term answers.

Still, if the direction the Giants want to go is to add a play-maker on offense, shouldn’t they draft the best one? That seems as though it would be Love.

I can hear the “but, what about Cam Skattebo?” screaming.

Reality is, I agree with Klatt. I love everything Skattebo brings to the table. I worry, though, that with his style of play and that nasty ankle injury that he is Peyton Hillis, a guy who will flame out sooner rather than later. Plus, Love is simply better than Skattebo. I don’t think that is arguable.

Skattebo’s longest run last season was 24 yards, and his 51.3 yards rushing per game were 26th in the league. He is not a home run threat. Love is.

Here is a comparison of their speed scores. Neither player went through full testing for a complete Relative Athletic Score (RAS).

Skattebo:

Love:

I am not saying I would definitely pick Love if I were John Harbaugh and GM Joe Schoen. I am not there yet. If the choice is an offensive player, though, it has to be Love over Tate or a guy like Francis Muaigoa of Miami, who would end up playing guard.

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