The Cleveland Browns never had to worry about the running back position from 2018 to 2023, as Nick Chubb was always there.
Things took a downward turn, however, after Chubb suffered a major knee injury two games into the 2023 season. That led general manager Andrew Berry to select running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That move looked solid up until Judkins was lost for the season with a severe leg injury in Week 14. Judkins is expected to be back for training camp
this summer, so Cleveland should be set at the position for another year.
But if Berry wants to throw a surprise on draft night, he could turn in a card with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love’s name on it.
Name: Jeremiyah Love
Position: Running back
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 212 pounds
College: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2025 Rushing Stats: 12 games, 1,372 rushing yards, 6.9 yards per rush, 18 rushing touchdowns, 114.3 rushing yards per game
2025 Receiving Stats: 12 games, 27 receptions, 280 receiving yards, 10.4 yards per reception, 3 receiving touchdowns, 23.3 receiving yards per game
Career Rushing Stats: 41 games, 2,882 rushing yards, 6.7 yards per rush, 36 rushing touchdowns, 70.3 rushing yards per game
Career Receiving Stats: 41 games, 63 receptions, 594 receiving yards, 9.4 yards per reception, 6 receiving touchdowns, 14.5 receiving yards per game
Average “Big Board” Position as of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 4th overall, projected first round
The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Round 1 – Pro Bowl Caliber
What an Expert is Saying
Three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value. Love shared carries but was the heartbeat of Notre Dame’s offense over the last two years. He runs with a fierce tempo and processes the front with adequate eyes to find entry points and burst through them. Urgency works in his favor, but he’ll occasionally miss open lanes when he gets too deep too quickly. Outstanding speed erases pursuit angles to the corner and helps him pull away from tacklers once he opens his gait. He’s live-legged with violent cuts in segmented bursts that can elude tacklers but slow his momentum. He’s not a pile-mover, but he runs through contact and squeezes out extra yards as a committed finisher. He’s a talented route runner and pass catcher who can work from the slot and mismatch linebackers. Love is a three-down, scheme-independent player who would benefit from a complementary back to preserve his big-play ability.
What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):
Love has explosive finishing power and keeps defenders guessing with the way he mixes in spins and hurdles. As a pass catcher, his speed makes him a threat running wheel routes, he tracks the ball well, and he can make one-handed catches. He’s a weapon in the screen game. He has the traits to develop into an elite route runner for the position, and he got 63 snaps working out of the slot at Notre Dame. There’s an occasional focus drop on tape, but he tracks and catches the ball well for the most part. He can still get stronger and work on his technique, but he made his biggest strides in 2025 as a pass blocker. He can step up and knock defenders back.
The ball can drift from his frame, but he got 504 touches and fumbled just once at Notre Dame. He’s built well, but a knee injury slowed him down late in the 2024 season, and he doesn’t have elite size. He leaves his feet and tries to hurdle defenders a little too often.
Love projects as a team’s primary ball carrier as a rookie. His speed and frame compare favorably to those of 2008 fourth pick Darren McFadden. Injuries derailed McFadden’s NFL career, but there was no questioning his talent coming out of Arkansas. A bigger version of Jahmyr Gibbs is another comp.
Fit with the Browns
There is no doubt that a top running game can be a quarterback’s best friend, and Love checks off that box.
But the Browns have so many other holes to fill on offense, namely left tackle and wide receiver, that using a first-round selection, most likely the No. 6 overall, on Love is a luxury the team can’t afford right now.
Browns Player Drafting Could Impact
Quinshon Judkins is the No. 1 running back as long as he does not have any complications from his leg injury in 2025. Everyone else? Take your pick from Ahmani Marshall, Dylan Sampson, or Raheim Sanders.
Priority: Medium Low
What are your thoughts on Jeremiyah Love? Do the Browns need a top running back over other positions? Let us know in the comments!
