Welcome to the party, Mel Kiper. In his latest two-round 2026 NFL mock draft, he gave the Tennessee Titans Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame, with the fourth pick. After spending weeks saying the Titans wouldn’t take Love, he has changed his tune over the last couple of days.
If the draft plays out the way Kiper predicts, with Fernando Mendoza, David Bailey, and Arvell Reese being the first three picks, if the Titans cannot find someone to trade down with, Love should be the easy pick. He would be a dynamic
playmaker on an offense that desperately needs some of those.
Here are Kiper’s comments on Love:
Will the Titans take the plunge? We haven’t seen a running back go this early since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 eight years ago, but Love has the goods to come off the board in the top five. And while the case could easily be made that Tennessee has other, more important holes to fill on its roster, it’d be a mistake to look at Love solely as a traditional running back. He’s a playmaker who can put a jolt in the Titans’ offense in the backfield with quarterback Cam Ward. Love will break free for home runs, he will haul in tough catches when flexed outside, and he will power over defenders to extend drives.
With both of the top edge rushers off the board, we could see a new No. 1 running back ahead of Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Michael Carter in Tennessee.
With the Titans’ second pick at number 35, Kiper has the Titans taking Malachi Lawrence, OLB, UCF. If the draft plays out this way, the Titans would walk away from the first two rounds as a much better team.
Here are his comments on Lawrence:
There’s certainly a chance Lawrence is off the board before Round 2 — he has risen the board quickly over the past month or so. He had seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season, showcasing real closing speed. Tennessee still has a need for edge rushing help, even after trading for Jermaine Johnson.
