CBS Sports Mock Draft Is Just Glorious for the Vikings

He explained Love to Minnesota, “Love may not go fourth overall, but his slide ends here. The Vikings have a need at running back and nine picks in this draft. Rather than sitting back and hoping he falls, they get aggressive and snap him up.”

Fornelli later picked Tyson for Kansas City at No. 18: “After moving down from No. 9, the Chiefs are still able to land a WR who can be a difference-maker in Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.”

And there you have it: Love to Minnesota, and Tyson to Kansas City, per Fornelli.

The Trade Price

The problem, so to speak, is that trading up to Pick No. 9 is still pretty damn expensive. Here’s a look at what the trade might look like, though Fornelli didn’t offer specifics:

Chiefs Get —
Pick No. 18 (Round 1)
Pick No. 49 (Round 2)
2027 4th-Rounder

Vikings Get —
Pick No. 9 (Jeremiyah Love)

Losing the 2nd-Rounder will hurt, as Minnesota has one of the NFL’s oldest rosters entering the draft and needs all the young picks it can get to fix that. For Love, though, he might ease the pain.

Love’s Skill Set

An exceptional prospect, Love stands at 6’0″ and 214 pounds with verified 4.36 speed — a profile that immediately jumps out as a playmaker with staying power in the big leagues. Over his last two seasons at Notre Dame, he amassed 2,497 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, adding five more scores through the air. ESPN ranks him as the top player in the class.

CBS Sports‘ Dave Richard on Love: “Does he resemble Travis Etienne Jr.? Yes, but he’s a bit bulkier and clearly stronger. Does he run wild like Jahmyr Gibbs? Sure, but he’s not as polished a pass catcher as Gibbs was coming out of college. He could eventually reach that level, but the better comp for Love is Clinton Portis — a smaller running back with blazing speed, underrated physicality and good hands.”

“Love is a fantastic runner with a skill set that gives him the potential to be a three-down back as soon as his rookie year. Whether a coaching staff actually gives him that workload remains to be seen, but if he’s an early Round 1 pick, it’s easy to justify. Love deserves that kind of role because of his unique explosiveness and speed, especially when paired with the physicality he’s capable of playing with — and still improving.”

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) fights for extra yards before being tripped up by Pittsburgh defenders, absorbing contact Nov 15, 2025, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as Rasheem Biles and Kavir Bains converge to stop the play during a physical first-half sequence. Mandatory Credit: Michael Longo-Imagn Images.

The Vikings haven’t drafted a running back in Round 1 since Adrian Peterson, nearly 20 years ago.

Richard added, “Working in an offense built on zone-scheme runs would only enhance his upside. It wouldn’t be surprising if Love becomes one of the league’s top running backs, much like former early Round 1 picks Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.”

Actual Suitors for Love

All things considered, the Love angle for the Vikings is a pipe dream. He won’t make it past the first seven picks. He’s that dynamic.

In all likelihood, he’ll end up with one of these teams:

• Tennessee Titans (Pick No. 4)
• New York Giants (Pick No. 5 or 10)
• Washington Commanders (Pick No. 7)

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) bursts through the line with the ball, pressing forward during a second-half carry Oct 11, 2025, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, as the Fighting Irish lean on the ground game against NC State in a tightly contested matchup. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images.

The Arizona Cardinals, too, at Pick No. 3 could swerve and nab him. CBS Sports‘ Brad Crawford noted Monday, “The Arizona Cardinals are considering selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall in this week’s NFL Draft if the franchise is unable to trade down and acquire more picks, per ESPN — an unexpected early shockwave that could have ripple effects within the top 10.”

“Saquon Barkley was the last running back to go inside the top five in 2018 and, like Love, was considered a transcendent prospect at the position. Love’s versatility separates him from others in this cycle — a legitimate weapon in the passing game who can turn check-downs into chunk plays as a multi-dimensional threat.”

Here’s to hoping that Love tumbles down the board and somehow lands in Minnesota. It would reshape Vikings football for the next half-decade.