With the 2026 NFL Draft a little over a month away, the hottest debate in league circles keeps coming back to the same question: where will Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love land?
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Washington may already have the answer.
On a recent episode of the Adam Schefter Podcast, Schefter pushed back on the popular notion that Love would be gone before Washington even gets on the clock.
“That would surprise me, if he’s at four,” he said. “I think the Jeremiyah Love watch starts at five, with the Giants, and it’s on from five through nine.”
That window places the Washington Commanders squarely in play at No. 7 overall, and Schefter made no secret of where his instincts point.
“To me, a place that makes sense today, a month out, would be the Washington Commanders,” he said.
The Most Dangerous Running Back in This Draft
Love didn’t just have a great college career — he had a generational one. His 2024 season featured a school-record 13-game rushing touchdown streak and a 98-yard playoff run against Indiana that made NFL scouts put down their coffee.
As a junior in 2025, he won the Doak Walker Award and earned Unanimous All-American honors, becoming the most decorated back in college football.
When Love declared for the NFL Draft, he instantly became the best running back available and the Combine only added to his legend. His 4.36-second 40-yard dash was the fastest posted by a running back with a 90-plus NGS production score in the last decade and his 94 overall grade is tied for the highest in this entire class.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein called him a “three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value.”
Why Washington Makes Sense
The fit has been building quietly for weeks.
Washington GM Adam Peters met with Love at the Combine in Indianapolis, and Love made no secret of his excitement about potentially playing alongside Jayden Daniels.
ESPN’s Field Yates projects Love to Washington at No. 7 in his post-free agency mock, writing that he “would instantly supercharge what was a middle-of-the-road backfield last season.”
When coach Dan Quinn was asked directly whether he’d make the pick, his answer cut right to it: “How does somebody impact a team in a great way? And sometimes that’s through running back.”
That sounds like a man and front office that has already made their decision.
Everyone Else Blinked First
The draft board has a way of doing the work for you, and in this case it’s been working in Washington’s favor.
The Arizona Cardinals loaded up at running back in free agency, effectively taking themselves out at No. 3. Kansas City signed Kenneth Walker, closing the door on one of the more intriguing fits in the league. The Saints addressed their backfield before the draft even arrived by signing Travis Etienne Jr.
Meanwhile, the Commanders have built a backfield that says we’re fine, while leaving open the possibility of drafting a true lead back.
Washington signed Rachaad White and Jerome Ford, two running backs who give the Commanders enough to run a competent committee, but not enough to steer them away from picking Love at No. 7 overall.
Selecting Love would be a case of drafting the best player available, not for need, and that’s exactly how teams want to approach decisions at the top of the draft.
The Only Thing That Can Stop This
Nothing is guaranteed. Schefter’s most realistic landing spots are the Giants (No. 5), the Commanders (No. 7), and the Chiefs (No. 9).
If New York pulls the trigger first, Washington could go home empty-handed.
The Commanders don’t just want Jeremiyah Love. They’ve quietly engineered a situation where taking him is the most logical move on the board. Schefter sees it and the numbers back it up.
Now it’s just a matter of whether the board falls their way or whether someone ahead of them ruins the plan.
If not, the Commanders are walking into the easiest decision of the draft.
