The Tennessee Titans have spent the last two years trying to figure out exactly what kind of football team they want to be, and the 2026 NFL Draft may finally give them the answer.
As the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cam Ward came to Nashville. There were some promising signs of what the young quarterback could become, but the Titans’ offense never really got going in his first season. Ward’s time-to-throw was the longest of any quarterback in the Next Gen Stats era since 2016, in large part because Tennessee’s skill position players were not creating enough separation to get him out of trouble quickly. The Titans tinkered in free agency, adding wide receiver Wan’dale Robinson to the mix, but the offensive backfield remains one of the most glaring weak spots on the roster heading into 2026.
Tony Pollard is the current starter, but he turns 29 in April and has already begun his descent from his explosive Dallas Cowboys peak. Tyjae Spears provides depth, but no one in the room screams “franchise back” or “elite dual-threat weapon” for a young quarterback still developing his timing and rhythm.
The Titans hold the No. 4 overall pick and have nine total selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, the Doak Walker Award winner, Heisman Trophy finalist, and consensus RB1 in this class, represents a generational opportunity at that spot. Here are two reasons why he would be an absolutely perfect fit in Tennessee.
Jeremiyah Love’s Elite Speed and Big-Play Ability Is Exactly What Cam Ward’s Offense Needs
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If you want to take pressure off a developing quarterback, you hand him a running back who threatens to score on every single touch. That is precisely who Jeremiyah Love is.
Jeremyah Love ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. This was the second-best time among all running backs at this year’s event, and it was the same time that Pro Bowl Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs ran in 2023. Love has drawn direct comparison to Gibbs, pointing out Love’s speed, burst, and the way he patiently and instinctively processes rushing lanes, which is surprising for someone his age.
The numbers at Notre Dame tell the same story. In 2025, Love ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries, which is a blazing 6.9 yards per carry. He also caught 27 passes for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns from the backfield. He scored 42 touchdowns in college on only 496 touches, and he only fumbled once in his whole career. PFF awarded him a staggering 93.7 rushing grade, with a 52.9% breakaway run rate and 56 missed tackles forced, elite numbers in every category.
For a Cam Ward offense that desperately needs explosive chunk plays and someone who can turn a short completion into a 60-yard touchdown, Love is precisely that kind of play-extender. The new regime of Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll has already showed a commitment to the running game during their time as head coaches of both New York teams with Breece Hall and Saquon Barkley and utilizing them as receiving weapons, and Love’s 27 catches in 2025 prove he can be a legitimate third-down weapon that keeps defenses guessing and gives Ward a safety valve that can hurt them after the catch.
Love’s Contact Balance and Versatility Give Tennessee a True Three-Down Weapon
There was a time when a one-dimensional running back could do well in the NFL. Teams need running backs who can run between the tackles, catch passes, protect the quarterback, and take a lot of hits over the course of a full 17-game season. Love checks off every single one of those boxes and more.
Love isn’t just a speed merchant, he plays a lot bigger than his listed size of 6 feet and 212 pounds. In 2025, he averaged 4.5 yards after contact per carry, which is an amazing number that puts him in elite company. He doesn’t just bounce off of things, he takes them in, resets, and keeps going.
Multiple NFL insiders are already linking Love directly to Tennessee ahead of draft night, with Titans Today reporting that Nashville is firmly on the list of projected destinations for the Notre Dame star and that he would emerge as an immediate offensive focal point for the franchise. The Tennessean’s own rankings of viable options for the Titans’ No. 4 pick highlighted Love as a realistic consideration, specifically given the diversity of value he provides and the Titans’ mandate to surround Cam Ward with difference-makers.
Tennessee has worked hard to build around Ward in free agency, but no offseason acquisition can manufacture the kind of transformational impact that a first-round, elite-caliber running back brings when paired with a second-year quarterback still learning the speed of the NFL game. Jeremiyah Love wouldn’t just be a great fit for the Titans, he could be the single most important piece of the puzzle in turning Ward’s development from promising to prolific.
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