Simms: 'No way' Love isn't picked in top 10
Chris Simms and Connor Rogers analyze the game of Jeremiyah Love and discuss why the Notre Dame running back should be a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Video Transcript
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Let's take a look at the odds from DraftKings on who will draft Jeremiah Love.
It's early in the process, but if you've been reading every mock draft hoping he makes it to the Chiefs at nine, the Saints at eight, well, the Titans are now the favorite there.
They're tied with the favorite as the- with the Commanders at pick four, and then Commanders at pick seven at plus 225.
I mean, full transparency, Chris, odds like this at this time of year, very hard to nail this one.
Yeah, it's, it's too early to tell.
It's more market influenced- Exactly by what the public thinks.
Yes.
But- Right with saying that- Yeah you and I during the break were talking about it does not feel like there's a world anymore where Jeremiah Love is in that seven, eight, nine range.
It feels like this has moved to the three, four, five.
I, I, I, I feel like it, it does.
now, you know, we'll see, and I think w- you know, w- like to expand on what you were saying, I think you- when some of the most important decision-makers start to dig into things here, and we start to see more of the value of the draft and how people are really looking at it and who's gonna be taken at the top, that certainly can affect the running back conversation to a degree, right?
And we know if there's only, hey, there's only three tackles out there that the NFL feels like can start day one, well, they're gonna their priority's gonna go way up.
Right.
All of a sudden, maybe they're in the top 10, right?
We've, we've seen that happen before.
But with Jeremiah Love, there's no questioning really the last three years.
He's one of the freakiest players in all of college football, and you go to Notre Dame, and again, Notre Dame's got a ton of freaky athletes right now, and they have for the last few years.
It's been that way.
And when you go there or talk to people from there, and they talk about Jeremiah Love and how he's the freakiest thing that's come through there in quite some time, you know, all of that, the NFL's got all this on their radar.
And then the common day NFL as we know, wait, wait, he can run through between the tackles, he can run on the edge, and he can catch the football- That's, that's it at a phenomenally high level, right?
So that's where you just go, yes, there's gonna be great value.
He could stay on the field all three, all three downs, and then he put the stamp of approval with his workout here at the Combine on, on Saturday.
I was doing radio here in New York- Yeah last night, WFAN, and, and the host, Lori Rubenson asked me, she's like, "You know, what do you think of the discourse of a, can a running back go in the top 10?"
And I was like, "It's not the question can a r- or should a running back go in the top 10."
Yeah.
They really need to do two different things, on top of being worthy in the draft class, to do that, and then it's worth it.
One, you need to have breakaway ability.
Yes.
Like, you need to change the game at any touch.
Exactly right.
Which you think of Jahmyr Gibbs right away- Right with that.
Jeremiah Love does that.
Yes.
He consistently does that.
Yes.
He's The 4.3 speed is real.
Yes.
So he does that.
The second thing is you need to significantly impact the pass game.
He does that as well.
So can you go top 10?
Those are things I already know you're a good runner.
I know you can run any scheme, you create yards after contact, you're, you're smart, you have a good vision.
Like, that's the baseline.
But if you do the other two things, change the game at any moment 'cause you have speed- Yes and affect the pass game, then yes, you could be a top 10 pick.
Agreed.
Does anyone look back and go, "Wow, the Falcons took Bijan Robinson"?
And I, I think Love has better breakaway threat than Bijan Robinson.
He definitely does.
I don't think it's even close there.
Right.
And I love Bijan.
That's one of the negatives about Bijan.
Right.
But yes.
It's probably the only thing- Yeah, that's it where like, yeah, we wish he broke a couple more.
Right.
Right.
But man, like the, this is now, 'cause of this draft class, more of should Jeremiah Love just go top five because of the impact he makes on an entire offense single-handedly?
That's my argument.
That's the argument I've been trying to make.
And then I think on top of that, l- like what, what we've seen, running backs are the quickest way to change your team.
It is.
Now, I know you need some sort of line blocking in front to support that.
I get that.
But I d- like I said earlier, I think the Giants are at that point here.
That's different than when they drafted Saquon Barkley, where they had nothing and they could never open up a hole, so therefore he could never really take advantage or we could take advantage of the success he had.
But yes, you wanna change over your football team and making them explosive on the offensive side of the ball, and again, you couple that with Jaxson Dart, who moves well, and, and you can move him and his ability to scramble, and then you have a Malik Nabers who is going to attract attention, and Wan'Dale Robinson- Right and maybe you get another receiver in the draft at some point, maybe somewhere there, that scares people, or free agency.
You look at that and go, "Oh my gosh," and then Theo Johnson at tight end, you go, "Wow, that's a pretty good skill group for the Giants."
Pick your poison.
What do you wanna stop?
They got some playmakers.
And, you know, to your point, Jeremiah Love can another one of those guys that can score anywhere, anytime.
And then also at the same time, I've seen him in games in Notre Dame go, I can run it up the middle 18 times and get four or five yards every time.
He's 212 pounds.
He's bigger than people expect.
So yeah, I no way he's getting out of the top 10.
I think all the question is, is Jeremiah Love in the top five?
I think that's really what it is.
I think another thing that kinda helps the running backs now like him is I, I feel like job security for a lot of coaches is what does your quarterback look like?
Yeah.
This is the most- The guy that helps that out the guy.
Yes.
Like, the guy that makes your quarterback look better than even maybe what he actually is.
Right.
So if you're Robert Saleh, what are you gonna be judged on this year?
I don't think it's his defense.
That's part of it.
Yeah.
But it's- You're gonna want the defense to be good 'cause you're a defensive coach.
That matters.
But the Cam Ward and his next staff.
Yeah.
The staff you hired- Yes and the people you put around Cam Ward.
Yes.
If you're John Harbaugh, what does Jaxson Dart look like?
And Jaxson Dart already looked pretty good, so the bar is a little high.
Right.
If you're Mike LaFleur going to Arizona, a- and I've heard a lot of connections with Malik Willis in Arizona when I was in, in here.
Sure.
We have time left, but that makes a lot of sense.
Of course it does.
if you're Mike LaFleur, you could probably win four games this year and people aren't gonna be yelling to fire you if your offense looks capable.
Exactly.
If it j- if you look fun- You're in the hardest division in football exciting, sexy- Yeah the quarterback, we got him, the future's bright.
Ooh, we got a play-making running back.
Yes.
Agreed.
That's my whole- I think that's where the- Yeah league's going right now.
That's my whole take about him going at three, four, or five.
I, I, I think if you look at a lot of top quarterback play, they probably have a runner there behind him.
Brock Purdy's had McCaffrey.
Right.
Jordan Love's had Josh Jacobs.
We saw Sam Darnold have Kenneth Walker and Charbonnet this year.
we saw Jalen Hurts with Saquon Barkley.
I mean, we saw Chicago, maybe not superstar running back, but focus on the run game and improve- They're, they're both good the football team.
Yeah.
Right.
It's something I wish Bo Nix had.
I think, yes, Bo Nix, and they're trying to get that with R.J. Harvey.
Yes.
I think they're hoping he's that guy.
That's why they drafted him at the second round.
But yeah, you're seeing that throughout.
New England, what did they do?
They ran the ball well.
They had Rhamondre and TreVeyon to help out D- Drake May the whole year.
So, a- and within that, he never even had to throw for 300 yards to win games and be in the MVP conversation, 'cause we did that.
You see Jacksonville, Travis Etienne, what they're doing.
We know the Chargers are gonna be in that with Amauri and Hampton and, you know, picking him in the 20s.
So that's where it's gonna be interesting, but I'm a huge Jeremiah Love fan.
