The pre-draft conversation around Jeremiyah Love had recently begun to stabilize.
After a standout performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Notre Dame star surged up draft boards and quickly became one of the most intriguing offensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
For weeks, most projections linked him to teams with obvious backfield needs, including the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 overall, the Tennessee Titans at No. 4, and the Washington Commanders at No. 7.
But on Saturday, a new development suddenly injected uncertainty into that narrative.
Reports surfaced that Love was in New York meeting with the New York Giants, who hold the No. 5 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
The visit, widely interpreted as a pre-draft “Top 30” meeting, signals the organization is doing serious homework on the explosive running back despite already having a young fan favorite at the position in Cam Skattebo.
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The connection is notable because the Giants had rarely been linked to Love throughout the pre-draft process.
Early mock drafts typically projected New York targeting defensive help or a premium playmaker at another position with the fifth pick.
Running back was not widely viewed as a pressing need.
That perception stems largely from the emergence of Skattebo during his 2025 rookie season.
A fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, Skattebo quickly became one of the most energetic players on the roster and an unexpected contributor on offense.
In just eight games before a season-ending ankle injury, he rushed 101 times for 410 yards and five touchdowns while adding 24 receptions for 207 yards and two more scores.
His breakout moment came in a Week 6 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, when he ran for three touchdowns, becoming just the second rookie running back in franchise history to accomplish that feat in a single game.
Skattebo’s physical, downhill running style and infectious personality quickly made him a fan favorite while earning the respect of teammates in the locker room.
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Yet the injury that cut his season short, along with the overall volatility of the running back position, could help explain why the Giants might still be exploring their options.
Modern NFL offenses increasingly rely on multiple backs to distribute the workload and maintain explosiveness throughout the season, making depth at the position more valuable than ever.
If the Giants view Love as one of the best overall players in the class, positional overlap may not be enough to remove him from consideration at No. 5.
From a roster-building standpoint, pairing Love with Cam Skattebo could create an intriguing one-two punch: a powerful interior runner complemented by a versatile, explosive weapon capable of stretching defenses.
Even so, the optics remain unusual.
Top-five picks are typically reserved for quarterbacks, elite pass rushers, or franchise-altering playmakers at premium positions. Running backs, no matter how talented, rarely come off the board that early in the modern NFL.
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