New Orleans Saints and Jeremiyah Love have been heavily connected through the early mock draft season. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report believes Saints backfield featuring Love and a developing (Tyler) Shough brings the potential for New Orleans to take over the NFC South after years of mediocrity." Unfortunately, Sobleski also predicts the Kansas City Chiefs trading in front of the Saints for Love as a move that could turn the NFL draft upside down.
Sobleski believes Love could change the game for either team. From the Kansas City side, he wrote "the Chiefs must look at their current setup and realize they lack playmakers around quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Love has the playmaking capabilities to once again elevate the Chiefs offense and keep them in the hunt after this past season's downturn." Building around Mahomes is all the motivation a team needs to get aggressive.
In his final season at Notre Dame, Love gathered 18 rushing touchdowns and 1,372 rushing yards. Ending up as a Heisman finalist as well in 2025, he's expected to be near the top of the draft board in New Orleans, with his potential addition being hoped for by many in the Who Dat Nation. Kansas City certainly throws a wrench in those plans if they trade in front of the eighth pick, where the Saints lie. Even if Love is lost, however, the draft board could still fall in the Saints' favor.
If Jeremiyah Love isn’t available, it won’t be the end of the world for the Saints
If Jeremiyah Love is taken before the Saints are able to select him at eight, it won't be as big of a heartbreak as some might think. There are bound to be plenty of players for them to choose from, including some who could help out the team just as much as Love could/would.
Take Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., for example. He, along with Chase Young, could help bring the New Orleans pass rush to the next era. Ohio State's Carnell Tate or USC's Makai Lemon would also bring a huge boost to the receiving corps, either potentially finally being the contested catch guy for the Saints. Then there's Tate's fellow Buckeye Caleb Downs, whose versatility at safety could be game-changing.
As it stands, drafting Love might not even be a be-all and end-all situation for the Saints. There are many areas of need on the team, each with varying levels of necessity. Thankfully the Saints are sitting pretty at #8, with many options expected to be available to them.