NFL Trade Rumors
We’ve reached the end of the regular season in college football. Conference championship weekend kicked off last night, and most of these prospects are done putting out tape in their college careers. It’s time for me to officially unveil my updated position rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft.
After the bounty that was the 2025 running back class, this year isn’t on that level. But there are still some great prospects for teams looking for an upgrade at the position, with a couple of elite prospects at the top, a solid middle tier of Day 2 options and some intriguing Day 3 selections that could carve out roles on NFL teams early in their careers.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the rankings:
A four-star high school recruit from St. Louis, Love made an immediate impact as a true freshman at Notre Dame in 2023, with 385 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Fighting Irish in a backup role. He exploded onto the scene in 2024, becoming a workhorse in the Notre Dame offense and racking up 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Love added 237 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, garnering significant hype as a Heisman candidate and top draft prospect heading into his junior season. Entering the College Football Playoff, Love has 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns — averaging an identical 6.9 yards per carry to last season — and another 280 receiving yards and three more scores.
At 6-0, 206 pounds, Love has solid NFL size. The first thing that jumps off his scouting report is his speed. When he hits a crease, he can turn a three-yard gain into a 20-yarder in an instant, blowing past the second level to gash defenses for huge chunks. Love’s ability to house a seemingly innocuous run from anywhere on the field makes him incredibly dangerous, and he’ll immediately be one of the best big-play threats in the league as a rookie.
In traffic, Love keeps his feet moving and has strong contact balance, bouncing off hits and ripping through arm tackles in the hole. When he breaks into the open field, he’s both decisive and creative, making defenders look silly with his moves without spending too much time dancing around and letting backside defenders catch up. Love’s vision is another of his better traits, reading the defense well and patiently allowing his blocks to get set before hitting the right crease for a maximum gain. As a receiver, Love has strong hands and is a weapon after the catch, wasting no time creating extra yards after the catch.
The holes in Love’s game are mostly of the third-down variety. His pass protection technique needs work and blitzers can go through his chest a little too easily. Perhaps more noteworthy, while he lines up all over the formation and is comfortable splitting out wide or in the slot, Love’s route tree is severely underdeveloped....
