Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Getty
Running back Jeremiyah Love of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The Washington Commanders are in prime position to land the most dynamic running back still available this offseason after the opening day of free agency. The catch — that player is likely to come to the franchise in the top 10 of the NFL draft.
Field Yates of ESPN cobbled together a new mock projecting the top 10 picks following Monday’s free-agency action, during which running backs like Kenneth Walker III (Kansas City Chiefs) and Travis Etienne Jr. (New Orleans Saints) inked lucrative multiyear deals.
Kansas City picks at No. 9, while New Orleans holds the 8th selection in Round 1 late next month. Both determined internally that Notre Dame standout Jeremiyah Love wouldn’t make it all the way to the backend of the top 10. As such, those franchises spent big on the position in the form of established veterans.
Washington, though, made its splash signing in the form of edge-rusher Odafe Oweh, which frees up the team to look at Love with the 7th overall selection. And that is precisely what Yates predicted the franchise will do.
“The Commanders landed one of the best free agent pass-rushers in Odafe Oweh, which checks the box for their most pressing need and enables general manager Adam Peters to take my No. 2 prospect in this class,” Yates wrote of Love. “We can debate the merits of taking a running back early in perpetuity, but Love is a dynamic, dual-threat player who would instantly supercharge what was a middle-of-road backfield last season.”
Jeremiyah Love Drawing Comparisons to Top NFL RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Cleveland Browns
GettyRunning back Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame.
Love finished his junior campaign at Notre Dame with 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 21 total TDs across 12 games played.
He measured at six-feet tall and weighed 212 pounds at the combine in February before posting a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Love’s game to that of Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions, a former first-round pick in 2023 who might get more money annually than any running back in league history on an extension this offseason.
The backfield partnership of Love and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, could be one that gives opposing defenses nightmares for the next decade.
Commanders Signed 4 Players on Opening Day of NFL Free Agency
Amik Robertson
GettyCornerback Amik Robertson, formerly of the Detroit Lions.
Aside from Oweh, Washington signed three other free agents Monday, two of them also on the defensive side of the football.
The Commanders inked cornerback Amik Robertson to a two-year contract worth $16 million and defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. to a three-year deal worth $25 million. They also returned backup quarterback Marcus Mariota on a one-year agreement for $7 million.
“The Commanders need to keep adding to this spot. But with Robertson they add someone who can play inside or outside,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote. “It provides Washington with more versatility for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, who has been known for his coverage disguises. Robertson has started 25 games in his five-year career, and though his best spot has been the slot, he can move around.”