Why Jeremiyah Love could fall further than expected in NFL Draft

If it was all about talent and we didn’t factor in need and positional value, Jeremiyah Love might be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Love is viewed by many as the best player in this year’s class, regardless of position. It’s not hard to see why after what he put on tape at Notre Dame.

As a result, Love has been projected to be a top-five pick, with some estimates having him go as high as No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals.

But there’s a potential financial problem with a top-five projection for Love.

As Nick Korte of Over The Cap points out, if Love were to go to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 3 overall pick, he would crush the running back record for most guaranteed money.

“If Jeremiyah Love were to be drafted 3rd overall as (ESPN reporter) Dan Graziano suggests is possible, he’d utterly shatter the RB market for fully guaranteed money at about $53.87M,” Korte wrote.

“Saquon Barkley currently leads at $36M, w/2nd at $35.6M being… Ashton Jeanty,” Korte concluded.

Love could even break the record if he’s drafted as late as No. 7, a pick owned by the running back-needy Washington Commanders.

To show you just how much rookie salaries have ballooned over the years, Barkley, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, had a rookie contract with $31.1 million guaranteed.

Ashton Jeanty was the No. 6 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. His contract is worth a total value of $35.8 million (all guaranteed), which ranks ninth in the NFL.