Giants “Likely” to Draft RB Jeremiah Love at No. 5, Claims National Draft Analyst

Would the New York Giants really buck all odds and spend the fifth overall pick of the draft on Notre Dame running back if he falls to them in the first round?

That appears to be the opinion of ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, who has heard that “if Love falls past Tennessee, the Giants will likely take him at No. 5.”

Potentially standing in the way of the Giants getting Love is the Tennessee Titans and old friend Brian Daboll, now the Titans' offensive coordinator.

Predictably, the Titans brought down several of the Giants' free agents, with most of them, like receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger, and offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann, from the offensive side of the ball.

Daboll and the Giants famously shocked the NFL world in 2022, his first season, when the Giants had a bell cow running back in Saquon Barkley, who that year accounted for ten of the team’s 38 touchdowns (all on the ground) and who recorded 1,650 all purpose yards, 1,312 of them on the ground, as the Giants finished 9-7-1 and with a Wild Card berth.

Throw Positional Value "Out the Window"

Daboll’s desires for the Titans aside, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh has always embraced a power running game, which, most recently during his final years in Baltimore, saw two-time league rushing yardage leader Derrick Henry lead the Ravens' rushing attack in 2024 and 2025.

The Ravens’ pursuit and landing of Henry, who at the time was one of the most sought-after free agents in 2024, illustrates that Harbaugh isn’t necessarily married to the notion of positional value.

But the Giants' situation is somewhat different: unlike the Ravens, who had a better overall roster when they added Henry as the finishing touch, the Giants still appear to be some pieces away, including the all-important offensive line, where the starting right guard spot is unsettled.

Regardless, Locked On NFL Draft podcast host Damian Parson believes that, given the makeup of this year’s class, in which there are maybe 13 players who have legitimate first-round grades (Love being one of them), the notion of positional value should be cast aside.

“This is a good class, is a class where to me this is a class where positional value should go out the window for teams,” Parson said for an upcoming episode of the Locked On Giants podcast.

“I know there are a lot of people who have the new team building mindset of, ‘Hey, well I'm paying a rookie inside the top five this amount of money, I don't want to pay an off-ball linebacker, that type of money,’ and things of that nature.

“But in my opinion, this isn't a class to pass up great talent. If you get a chance to get one of the best players in the class, get that player.”

That argument could also apply to Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, whom Parson gushed about as well. But while the Giants added quite heavily to the defensive side of the ball, there are those who believe that giving second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart another weapon who can enhance his strengths is the prudent way to go.

The NFL draft is less than a month away, and the closer we get to it, the more clarity we should gain regarding what’s been smoke all this time and what’s been real.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.