Draft season is upon us, and the Washington Commanders have a chance to grab one of the best playmakers in this year's class.
The Commanders' 2025 season did not go as planned following their NFC Championship performance in 2024. A mixture of injuries and overall performance resulted in them finishing with a 5-12 record, including an eight-game losing streak from Weeks 6-14. Head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters promised that changes would be coming, and so far, they have restructured their coaching staff with David Blough and Daronte Jones in as the new offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively. Their next task is to retool the roster, with changes likely coming on both sides of the ball.
The Commanders' first-round pick, which is the No. 7 overall selection this year, will play a critical role in that. There are several positions they could address with the pick, from pass rusher to receiver, but regardless of who they take, there's a good chance that player will be an immediate contributor.
Over the next few months, Commanders.com will highlight one mock draft from a draft expert each week to delve into how that player would fit with Washington. This week, going to the offensive side of the ball to break down one of the best playmakers in the draft.
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Peters and the Commanders' front office put in some serious work towards retooling the roster in the first week of free agency. They bolstered their pass rush, added depth at wide receiver and provided Daniels with an ascending weapon at tight end.
Although there is still plenty of work to be done before the draft, the Commanders have put themselves in a better position to take the best player available with the No. 7 pick. That could mean taking a running back, and in fact, there are a growing number of analysts who believe Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is the best overall talent in this year's class. There is no doubt he's a first-round talent, but the question of where he will go is one of the most debated topics of the offseason.
ESPN's Field Yates has the debate ending when the Commanders are on the clock in his first post-free agency mock draft.
"We can debate the merits of taking a running back early in perpetuity, but Love is a dynamic, dual-threat player who would instantly supercharge what was a middle-of-road backfield last season," Yates wrote.
It's not as if the Commanders necessarily have a need at running back. They signed veteran Rachaad White and agreed to terms with Jerome Ford near the end of the first wave of free agency, and they, along with 2025 seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt, are expected to contribute to the committee approach the Commanders used in recent years. Although White has historically been a better pass-catching threat than the others with 1,450 yards and 11 touchdowns, all three provide some dynamic playmaking ability.
However, none of the Commanders' current running backs are viewed as deterrents for drafting Love, because the unanimous All-American and Doak Walker Award winner was one of the most potent weapons in college football last year. He rushed for 1,372 yards last season with 18 rushing touchdowns -- tied for third-most among FBS players and a school record -- with 27 receptions for 280 yards and three receiving scores.
But it wasn't the numbers themselves that turned Love into a projected top 10 pick; while he did put up career highs, they weren't the best for his position. It was how he got them that caused people to fall in love with him. He can shed tackles, find holes in the defense and make defenders miss if the situation calls for it. He shows patience when following his blockers and violently bursts through lanes with an acceleration that leaves would-be tacklers trailing behind him.
Perhaps one of the best parts about Love is that he does all this while being one of the bigger prospects in the draft at 6-foot and 212 pounds. He only ran one measurable drill at the combine, and it was enough to push him into the conversation as a top five pick. He ran a 4.36, which not only ranked second-best time for a running back but was also the same as former first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs with 13 more pounds of weight.
While he might need to develop more nuance as a runner, such as setting up blocks, it would be difficult to find a more pro-ready player at the position.
"Three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value," wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "Love shared carries but was the heartbeat of Notre Dame's offense over the last two years. He runs with a fierce tempo and processes the front with adequate eyes to find entry points and burst through them."
Love was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded running back last season -- not because he was the best at any one thing but because he was near the top in multiple categories. He ranked sixth in yards after contact with 56 missed tackles forced. He ranked sixth among running backs with plays of at least 10 yards and tied for fourth on designed runs of at least 15 yards. Nearly 53% of his total yardage came from runs of at least 15 yards, which ranked second among running backs with at least 199 carries.
Because of this, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has Love ranked as his top non-quarterback prospect in this year's draft, saying the running back is a "home run hitter."
"He has elite speed on outside runs to capture the corner and take it the distance," Jeremiah wrote. "He has a rare ability to make defenders miss without gearing down. His spin move is electric. In the passing game, he can run routes like a wideout. He's smooth, polished and natural. He plucks the ball effortlessly."
There's still the question of where Love will land in the draft, and there are several opinions on that. Some mock drafts have him going as high as No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans. Others believe he could go to the New Orleans Saints at No. 8, because while he might be the best talent in the draft, teams typically prefer to bet on positions like quarterback, offensive tackle and pass rusher. Players like linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Caleb Downs -- both projected top 10 picks -- also make this year's draft an unpredictable one.
There's also no guarantee that the Commanders would draft Love even if he falls to them. Although they did improve several positions in free agency, they have enough holes on their roster that several players, from Downs and Styles to pass rusher David Bailey and receiver Carnell Tate, could make more sense.
Still, as Yates put it, "teaming Love up with Daniels could be a lot of fun," and Love would help satisfy the Commanders' need to surround Daniels with more playmakers on offense. And while the Commanders aren't going to tip their hand at anything, it sounds like Quinn is at least open to the idea.
"How does somebody impact a team in a great way? And sometimes that's through running back," he told Rich Eisen. "And we've seen the players over the last four or five years who have done that."
Love himself would be happy for any team to draft him, but he doesn't deny that playing with Daniels in the same backfield would be intriguing.
"It would be great. I think we would be a great little duo in the backfield. Jayden Daniels can use his feet very well and passes the ball very well. And then you add me in there, I can run well, I can block. I can receive. If I was to go to the Commanders, I feel like me and Jayden Daniels would pair well together."
