Jeremiyah Love Compared to Saquon Barkley as NFL Insiders Dish on Draft's No. 1 RB

At least one NFL insider reportedly feels former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love could have a comparable impact to Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley once he hits the field with his new team.

Love, the No. 2 overall prospect on Bleacher Report's latest big board, could potentially become the first running back selected within the top five picks since Barkley eight years ago when the 2026 NFL draft kicks off later this month.

"(Love) is really special. He's not far off from a Saquon (Barkley) type of impact. He's going high," an NFL scout told The Athletic's Jeff Howe. "You can poke holes in a few of the guys (in the top 10), but very little with (Love). Dynamic, explosive, productive, big. Throw the positional value out the window."

On Thursday, Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi talked about Love and the potential of taking him with the No. 4 selection:

Another scout told Howe the comparison between former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Love would have been "a hell of a debate" were the two in the same draft class.

Jeanty was ultimately selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 6 pick of last year's draft.

Multiple scouts reportedly told Howe that Love could go higher, despite the rarity of a top-five running back pick, because of his potential impact on an offense. One NFL executive told Howe that Love was not just a running back but "also a playmaker."

Only former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is ranked higher than Love on the Bleacher Report big board. That ranking came after Love impressed by racking up a total of 2,497 rushing yards and 517 receiving yards over his last two college seasons, then showed off his speed by running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the February scouting combine.

B/R NFL scout Damian Parson describes Love as a running back who "combines home-run top-end speed with route-running and pass-catching ability to impact the offense in multiple ways."

The latest Bleacher Report mock draft projects Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese and Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey coming off the board with the top three picks before the Tennessee Titans select Love at No. 4.

Howe reported Thursday that "teams absolutely believe Love is in play" for the Titans, and that the New York Giants "could also be in play" at No. 5.

Any other teams interested in Love may have to trade up into the top five to get a shot at the top available running back when the 2026 draft kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh.