If John Harbaugh's first offseason activity is any indication, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is going to be a legitimate option the New York Giants consider with the fifth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The only question that remains at this point is whether or not Love will even still be on the board at that time, and it's starting to look like he won't be.
Pound for pound, Love is the best running back prospect in this draft class without a shadow of a doubt. In my eyes, he's a much better RB prospect than Ashton Jeanty, and the only recent running back prospects you could argue are better are Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson, which is some elite company.
Given all of the holes Harbaugh and Joe Schoen have to fill, they would be better suited to address defense or offensive line at five, and tackle running back later on in the draft. And Pro Football Focus' Jordan Plocher thinks that Penn State's Kaytron Allen is a good option for teams who wait until Day 3.
The Giants don't need a running back like Love to lead the backfield. All they need is an early-down back to complement the versatility of Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. After missing most of the season with a season-ending injury, they need to ease Skattebo back into the lineup to start the year.
Kaytron Allen could be the reason the Giants pass on Jeremiyah Love in the first round
The 23-year-old has been one of the best running backs in the nation since he stepped on Penn State's campus, most of which he did while splitting carries with another top RB prospect in Nicholas Singleton. Yet he still surpassed over 4,000 rushing yards in his four seasons with the Nittany Lions.
In 2025, Allen logged 210 carries for 1,303 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns for a PSU team that had a major down season, but he wasn't the reason why. He surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold in 2024 as well, and the All-American RB has never been held below 850 yards or six touchdowns in a season.
If you can land that sort of production from a Day 3 running back, you have to jump at that chance instead of making a luxury pick in the top five. For an early-down back to score 39 touchdowns across four seasons of college in a split backfield who averaged over five yards a carry is wild.
Harbaugh's offenses love utilizing multiple backs, but I'm not talking about a 50-50 committee: I am referring to a rotation where three or sometimes four running backs all receive a meaningful role. They all have the specific roles they play, and Matt Nagy has Jaxson Dart's mobility to consider too.
Skattebo will be the bruiser who isn't scared of contact, Tracy will be the receiver, and if they draft Allen, he would be the short-yardage goal-line back who is decently explosive. At 5-foot-11 and 216 pounds, he has the perfect frame for a short-yardage back, especially after his 91.3 rushing grade from PFF was second only to Love. So to draft him three or four rounds later is way better value.