The New York Giants, picking fifth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, have emerged as one of the most likely destinations for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Big Blue’s front office brass faces a defining personnel decision — one that carries real scheme and roster-construction weight heading into a critical rebuild. The pick lands in late April, and the draft-room calculus is already drawing national attention.
Love is widely regarded as the top running back prospect in this class. His combination of burst, receiving ability out of the backfield, and yards-after-contact production made him a consensus first-round talent coming out of South Bend. The Giants, who have cycled through backfield options without finding a true franchise centerpiece, enter the selection with genuine need at the position.
Why the New York Giants Are a Natural Fit at Pick No. 5
The New York Giants holding the fifth overall selection puts them in a direct line to land Love if the top four teams pass on him — a scenario that Breer describes as realistic, not certain. New York’s backfield has lacked a genuine three-down workhorse for several seasons, and the offensive scheme under coordinator Mike Kafka has historically leaned on the run game to generate play-action opportunities and control time of possession. A back with Love’s receiving profile would expand that menu considerably.
Breaking down the advanced metrics, backs who post elite yards-after-contact numbers and strong target share out of the slot tend to generate positive EPA on early downs — exactly the kind of efficiency that struggling offenses need to reset field position and stay ahead of third-and-long situations. Love fits that profile. The numbers suggest he can function as a genuine receiving weapon in a West Coast or 12-personnel-heavy scheme, not merely a change-of-pace option.
New York’s offensive line, rebuilt in recent years through draft capital and free agency, now provides a foundation that could amplify a back of Love’s caliber. The combination of a retooled front and a dual-threat runner would give the Giants a more diverse play-calling menu — one that opposing defensive coordinators cannot simply pin their nickel and dime packages against.
The Draft Board Ahead of New York: Who Jumps First?
Several teams picking ahead of the Giants could alter the board dramatically. The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 4 pick and are identified as a team that could select Love before New York gets a chance. The Washington Commanders, slotted at No. 7, are also connected to Love — meaning if the Giants pass, Washington sits as the backstop. That dynamic gives Big Blue real leverage: act at five, or watch a division-adjacent rival absorb one of the class’s most complete offensive weapons.
The Cincinnati Bengals, picking 10th, were floated by Breer as an outside possibility for Love — a semi-realistic scenario that only materializes if New York, Tennessee, and Washington all decline. Breer described that outcome as surprising but not impossible, given Cincinnati’s offensive infrastructure around quarterback Joe Burrow. Still, the consensus reading of the board places Love’s landing zone firmly between picks four and seven, which means the Giants’ decision at No. 5 is effectively binary: take him or lose him.
What Would Love Mean for New York’s Offensive Identity?
Adding Jeremiyah Love at No. 5 would fundamentally reorient how opposing defenses prepare for the Giants. A back capable of threatening the perimeter on jet sweeps, lining up in the slot, and absorbing a genuine target share gives the offense a chess piece that most teams at New York’s current roster tier simply do not possess. The scheme implications extend beyond raw rushing yards — Love’s presence would likely elevate play-action completion rates for whoever starts at quarterback by forcing linebackers to respect the run on first and second down.
There is a credible counterargument, of course. Running backs, even elite ones, carry a complex value calculus in today’s NFL. With the first overall pick commanding enormous cap space and positional scarcity at edge rusher, offensive tackle, and cornerback still pressing on New York’s depth chart, some draft analysts would argue that investing a top-five selection in a running back — regardless of talent — misallocates scarce draft equity. The Giants’ front office will weigh Love’s three-down upside against those positional premium arguments before the clock runs out.
Key Developments Surrounding the Giants and the 2026 Draft
- Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated specifically named the Titans at No. 4 as the team most likely to take Love before New York gets a turn at No. 5.
- The Washington Commanders at No. 7 are described as a logical fallback for Love if both the Giants and Titans pass, creating a compressed three-team window for the prospect.
- Breer characterized the Bengals’ connection to Love at No. 10 as “surprising, but semi-realistic” — language that signals the pick would be considered an outlier relative to the consensus board.
- Love’s Notre Dame pedigree places him among a historically productive pipeline of NFL backfield talent, with Fighting Irish backs averaging strong combine measurables in recent draft classes.
- The Giants’ No. 5 overall slot reflects a second consecutive top-five pick for New York, underlining the franchise’s extended rebuilding arc and the urgency front office decision-makers face in converting draft capital into wins.
Giants’ Draft Strategy and Salary Cap Implications
The New York Giants‘ draft strategy in 2026 carries salary cap implications that extend well beyond the first round. A fifth-overall pick commands a fully slotted rookie contract under the current CBA structure — for a running back, that deal would represent comparatively modest cap hit relative to the same slot spent on a quarterback or pass rusher, which is one analytical argument in Love’s favor. Rookie contracts at the running back position have historically delivered strong value-per-dollar ratios in the first four years, a factor that cap-conscious front offices weigh carefully during the pre-draft process.
New York’s broader offseason roster construction will inform the final call. If the Giants address edge or cornerback needs through free agency or earlier rounds, the calculus shifts toward Love as a viable luxury at five. Based on available data from the current roster and recent draft history, the Giants appear to be in a position where offensive investment at a premium pick makes structural sense — provided the board cooperates and Love is still available when the card goes in.
