Chiefs eye RB Jeremiyah Love
Reporting says the Chiefs are targeting running back Jeremiyah Love if he’s available at pick No. 9, a move that would pair him with Walker and reshape KC’s backfield plans (bolavip.com). Separately, the Jets are reportedly high on edge rusher David Bailey after his 4.5‑second 40 at the Combine — a straight‑line speed trait they covet (sports.yahoo.com).
Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love measured 6'0", 214 pounds and ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine, posting the second-fastest RB time and finishing 2025 with 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries. (sportingnews.com) Multiple draft analysts list Love as the class’s top running back and have placed him inside the first round in recent mock drafts, while he completed a top-30 pre-draft visit with the New York Giants this month. (si.com) Kansas City’s backfield situation changed this offseason when the Chiefs signed Kenneth Walker III to a three-year deal worth roughly $43.05 million with $28.7 million fully guaranteed. (espn.com) Love’s tape and pre-draft grades show strong receiving chops—27 catches for 280 yards in 2025 and a 9.0 route-running/hands attribute in a recent Yahoo profile—while Walker arrives in KC as a proven downhill, high-volume rusher and Super Bowl MVP. (sports.yahoo.com) Concerns that factor into Love’s draft ceiling include below-average grades for pass protection and durability in some scouting reports, and several front offices expressed unease during the combine about spending a top-10 pick on a running back. (sports.yahoo.com) Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey officially clocked a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the combine, with a reported 1.62-second 10-yard split, a 35-inch vertical and a 10-foot-9 broad jump on his measurables card. (nfl.com) Bailey led the FBS with 14.5 sacks in 2025 and was repeatedly listed as a top-10 defensive prospect after his combine workout, a jump that has multiple outlets tying his film and testing to reported New York Jets interest. (espn.com)
