You won’t have a problem finding an NFL mock draft this week, but hardly any directly connect the Minnesota Vikings to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. The draft’s top playmaker is expected to fly off the board in the Top 8 on Thursday night, but according to CBS Sports, there’s a slight chance he slides to No. 9, where the Vikings could trade up to get him.
This is the dream mock draft and trade for Vikings fans.
Of course, the theory is a long shot, but Love in purple would change everything.
Tom Fornelli: Vikings Trade, Grab Love at Pick No. 9
Fornelli didn’t disclose the trade details — more on that in a minute — but he did theorize a swap between the Kansas City Chiefs and Kevin O’Connell’s team.
He explained Love to Minnesota, “Love may not go fourth overall, but his slide ends here. The Vikings have a need at running back and nine picks in this draft. Rather than sitting back and hoping he falls, they get aggressive and snap him up.”
Fornelli later picked Tyson for Kansas City at No. 18: “After moving down from No. 9, the Chiefs are still able to land a WR who can be a difference-maker in Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.”
And there you have it: Love to Minnesota, and Tyson to Kansas City, per Fornelli.
The problem, so to speak, is that trading up to Pick No. 9 is still pretty damn expensive. Here’s a look at what the trade might look like, though Fornelli didn’t offer specifics:
Chiefs Get —Pick No. 18 (Round 1)Pick No. 49 (Round 2)2027 4th-Rounder
Losing the 2nd-Rounder will hurt, as Minnesota has one of the NFL’s oldest rosters entering the draft and needs all the young picks it can get to fix that. For Love, though, he might ease the pain.
An exceptional prospect, Love stands at 6’0″ and 214 pounds with verified 4.36 speed — a profile that immediately jumps out as a playmaker with staying power in the big leagues. Over his last two seasons at Notre Dame, he amassed 2,497 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, adding five more scores through the air. ESPN ranks him as the top player in the class.
CBS Sports‘ Dave Richard on Love: “Does he resemble Travis Etienne Jr.? Yes, but he’s a bit bulkier and clearly stronger. Does he run wild like Jahmyr Gibbs? Sure, but he’s not as polished a pass catcher as Gibbs was coming out of college. He could eventually reach that level, but the better comp for Love is Clinton Portis — a smaller running back with blazing speed, underrated physicality and good hands.”
“Love is a fantastic runner with a skill set that gives him the potential to be a three-down back as soon as his rookie year. Whether a coaching staff actually gives him that workload remains to be seen, but if he’s an early Round 1 pick, it’s easy to justify. Love deserves that kind of role because of his unique explosiveness and speed, especially when paired with the physicality he’s capable of playing with — and still improving.”
The Vikings haven’t drafted a running back in Round 1 since Adrian Peterson, nearly 20 years ago.
Richard added, “Working in an offense built on zone-scheme runs would only enhance his upside. It wouldn’t be surprising if Love becomes one of the league’s top running backs, much like former early Round 1 picks Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.”
All things considered, the Love angle for the Vikings is a pipe dream. He won’t make it past the first seven picks. He’s that dynamic.
In all likelihood, he’ll end up with one of these teams:
The Arizona Cardinals, too, at Pick No. 3 could swerve and nab him. CBS Sports‘ Brad Crawford noted Monday, “The Arizona Cardinals are considering selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall in this week’s NFL Draft if the franchise is unable to trade down and acquire more picks, per ESPN — an unexpected early shockwave that could have ripple effects within the top 10.”
“Saquon Barkley was the last running back to go inside the top five in 2018 and, like Love, was considered a transcendent prospect at the position. Love’s versatility separates him from others in this cycle — a legitimate weapon in the passing game who can turn check-downs into chunk plays as a multi-dimensional threat.”