Cincinnati Bengals Linked to Jeremiyah Love at Pick 10 in 2026 Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals have been named a legitimate, if unexpected, landing spot for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated floated the connection on April 2, placing the Bengals among the teams worth watching at the No. 10 overall selection.

Running back has not been considered a pressing need for Cincinnati heading into this draft cycle, which is exactly what makes this link worth examining closely. The Bengals hold the 10th pick — a slot that typically goes to a blue-chip prospect at a premium position — and spending it on a running back would represent a significant departure from conventional draft strategy analysis.

Why the Cincinnati Bengals Are in This Conversation

The Bengals surface as an interesting possible landing spot because Jeremiyah Love’s skill set fits naturally inside a pass-heavy, Joe Burrow-led offense. Breer specifically called out the pairing as “interesting,” noting that Love in Cincinnati’s scheme would create genuine mismatches for opposing defenses. That kind of receiving-back profile — the player who can stress a defense as both a runner and a route runner — is the type head coach Zac Taylor has long coveted in his West Coast-influenced system.

Breaking down the advanced metrics around Love’s college production, the Notre Dame back posted elite numbers as a receiver out of the backfield, a trait that translates directly to target share and yards after catch in the NFL. Cincinnati’s offense under offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher already leans on play-action rate and quick-game concepts that reward a back who can stress linebackers in coverage. Love checks those boxes.

Still, the numbers suggest this is a long-shot scenario. Based on available data and draft board projections, Love is widely expected to be selected well before Cincinnati’s pick at No. 10 arrives.

Can Love Actually Reach the Bengals at No. 10?

The path to Love falling to Cincinnati is narrow. Three teams picking ahead of the Bengals — the Tennessee Titans at No. 4, the New York Giants at No. 5, and the Washington Commanders at No. 7 — are all viewed as credible suitors. Any one of those franchises pulling the trigger on Love would close the door on this scenario before Cincinnati even gets to the podium.

The Titans have been vocal about rebuilding their backfield around a younger core. The Giants, operating under general manager Joe Schoen, have shown a willingness to invest early picks in skill-position players when the value lines up. Washington, meanwhile, fits Love’s profile as a dual-threat back who can complement their developing quarterback situation. Breer noted the Commanders at No. 7 as a particularly logical fit.

One counterargument worth raising: draft boards shift. If Love’s pre-draft process — his combine numbers, pro day tape, or private meetings — nudges his stock downward even slightly, teams picking early could pivot to defensive line depth or offensive tackle, the two positions that almost always dominate the top ten. That kind of board movement is exactly how a player projected at No. 4 ends up sitting at No. 10.

Scheme Fit and Salary Cap Logic for Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Bengals‘ salary cap situation adds a layer of practical logic to this conversation. Running backs signed on rookie contracts carry the lowest cap hits of any skill-position group, and a first-round back would arrive on a four-year deal structured well below what a veteran free-agent back would command. For a franchise managing Joe Burrow’s extension, Ja’Marr Chase’s contract, and Tee Higgins’ long-term future, that cost-controlled production is genuinely attractive.

The film on Love shows a back who operates well in space — a critical trait in Taylor’s system, which relies on wide splits, condensed formations, and route combinations that stress zone coverages horizontally. Love’s snap count at Notre Dame included a heavy dose of screen passes and swing routes, the exact concepts Cincinnati deploys to manufacture easy completions for Burrow and keep the offense’s EPA trending positive. That schematic overlap is real, not cosmetic.

Depth chart implications are also worth noting. Cincinnati’s current backfield depth chart lacks a proven every-down option, and a first-round investment would immediately clarify the pecking order heading into training camp. Whether the front office brass views that as a top-ten priority — over, say, a defensive scheme upgrade at cornerback or edge rusher — is the core tension driving this debate.

Key Developments in the Bengals’ 2026 Draft Picture

• Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated specifically named the Cincinnati Bengals as an “interesting” possible landing spot for Love at No. 10, making this one of the few credible media connections between the two parties.
• Breer also identified the Washington Commanders at No. 7 as a logical fit for Love, placing Cincinnati downstream in the pecking order of teams most likely to land the Notre Dame back.
• The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 4 pick, the New York Giants hold No. 5, and Washington holds No. 7 — all three clubs are considered realistic Love destinations before the Bengals’ turn.
• Breer’s framing characterized a Love-to-Cincinnati pick as “surprising but semi-realistic,” a qualifier that reflects how far outside the consensus this scenario sits among draft analysts.
• The Bengals’ selection at No. 10 overall gives Cincinnati a high-value asset that could also be used in a trade-back scenario if Love disappears early and the board collapses at premium positions.

What This Means for Cincinnati’s Draft Strategy Going Forward

The Cincinnati Bengals front office, led by director of player personnel Duke Tobin, has historically prioritized protecting Burrow and adding weapons over addressing the running back position in the first round. That philosophy makes the Love connection genuinely surprising — and worth monitoring as the April draft approaches.

If Love is gone by the time Cincinnati picks, the Bengals will likely pivot to one of several defensive prospects or an offensive lineman who can reinforce the protection scheme around Burrow. The draft strategy analysis shifts quickly in that scenario, and Cincinnati has enough flexibility at No. 10 to move in multiple directions.

What Breer’s report does confirm is that the Bengals’ front office is at minimum running the tape on Love and stress-testing whether the value at No. 10 justifies the investment. That kind of pre-draft process is standard, but the public connection alone signals Cincinnati is not locked into a predetermined board. For a franchise that has reached the Super Bowl and wants to push back to that level, every first-round pick carries weight that extends well beyond the immediate roster need.