Ravens Drafting Jeremiyah Love Isn't As Crazy As It Sounds

Going into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens seem poised to target plenty of their top positions, like edge rusher, defensive tackle, wide receiver, center, and guard.

Baltimore has needs that must be addressed in the NFL Draft, but is there a scenario where general manager Eric DeCosta decides to take the best available player instead of going after need? The Athletic had their beat reporters take part in their mock draft, with Ravens reporter Jeff Zrebiec surprising some with having the team select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the 14th pick.

"Remember the last time the Ravens were picking at 14 and one of the best players in the draft fell into their laps because of positional value? That was Kyle Hamilton in 2022, and I’d say taking the best player available in that draft worked out pretty well for the Ravens," they wrote.

"Love, another ex-Notre Dame standout, is too good to resist. Derrick Henry is 32, and the Ravens don’t have his successor on the roster. Love is a home run hitter who will bring juice to an offense that will have a new look with Declan Doyle directing the show."

Should the Ravens take Jeremiyah Love if he's available?

Love is an undeniable talent considered one of the best players heading into the NFL Draft. He rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024, but was even better last season, rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. Love was named as an All-American and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting last year.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

There are other options for the Ravens to take at 14: they could go after an edge rusher, defensive tackle, guard or wide receiver, as the team is expected to select one of those positions. Selecting a running back would be stunning, but not the worst idea for the Ravens to consider.

Moving past the idea of Henry being 32, as that shouldn't be the only factor in it, since he has defined the odds and actually has gotten better with age. Putting Love and Henry together in the running game might actually make this rushing attack one of the best the NFL has ever seen, with Love's breakaway speed and Henry's power complementing each other well. Yes, Love would make a great replacement for Henry for the moment that he retires from the NFL, but just the combo of those two is insane to think about.

DeCosta has not been afraid to take the best player available when he didn't really want to go for one. Zrebiec brought up Hamilton as a perfect example, but how about Lamar Jackson as well, when the Ravens already had Joe Flacco? That ended up being a great pick for them, as Jackson has won two NFL MVP awards in the process.

While the Ravens would be better off selecting for need, Love is too good a talent that if he drops that far in the draft, Baltimore would be crazy not to get him.

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