With the first wave of free agency in the books, NFL teams are also keeping an eye on the rookie class ahead of the April 23 draft.
Barring a shocking turn of events, Fernando Mendoza will go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, but as usual, the rest of the first round might be full of surprises. That said, it looks like oddsmakers already have a pretty clear picture of the top five.
According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, the Tennessee Titans are the overwhelming favorites to take Jeremiyah Love, the most promising skill player in this class.
Jeremiyah Love will likely go to Tennessee
“The current odds at DraftKings have Love at -115 to go fourth overall, meaning he’s got a better than 50-50 chance of being the fourth pick,” Smith wrote.
Love was a standout dual-threat running back at Notre Dame, and his ability to dominate out of the backfield and line up at wide receiver shows shades of Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey.
He’d be the first running back taken inside the top five since the New York Giants used their No. 2 pick to land Saquon Barkley. Ohio State’s Arvell Reese is projected to go No. 2, with Texas Tech’s David Bailey as the projected No. 3 pick.
Pro Football Focus ranked Love as the second-best running back in all of college football with a 93.1 grade. His 153 routes run and 34 targets show his versatility, and he forced 64 total tackles with his crafty moves, patience and vision.
He averaged 6.9 yards per carry, and he’d give QB Cam Ward the ultimate escape valve and force opposing defenses to respect the run. That should open up plenty of scrambling opportunities for the former No. 1 pick as well.
Love is a one-play drive waiting to happen on every carry, and with Brian Daboll calling the shots on offense and an explosive tackle-breaker coming out of the backfield, the Titans might be a very, very fun team to watch in 2026 and beyond.
The Titans have spent more than $230 million in free agency to give Ward and new head coach Robert Saleh the pieces they need to get the team back to contention.