View this as you would like, a hot take or perhaps an obvious one: Jeremiyah Love is the best overall player in this year’s NFL draft class. Now, I am not here to argue about whether or not he is the most valuable player on every field. That’s the job of front offices. Of the jersey numbers most likely to be retired in the future, however, my money is on No. 4 — much like it was on No. 14 in 2022 and No. 56 in 2018. Joining former Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton and offensive guard Quenton Nelson, Love adds to a growing list of Notre Dame legends who may have been slightly underdrafted in professional scouting circles. And I will take a Hall of Famer over “positional value” every time.
The countless and endless mock drafts generally peg Love to go in the top 10, with the Washington Commanders as the most likely selector. Call me crazy, but a game-changing all-around running back who has the speed of a sprinter, the pass-catching skills of a receiver and superior pass-ability should rank a bit higher than seven, especially in a draft considered light on elite talent, particularly at quarterback. The projected top pick, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, is a good prospect but nowhere near recent high picks Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.
In fact, I would consider Ohio State safety Caleb Downs as Love’s only competitor in the “best player, regardless of position” race. The two-time All-American Buckeye is certainly elite at his position and should be a perennial All-Pro, but with the majority of the league’s defenses now playing two high safeties at a time to slow down the passing game, a playmaking running back has become all the more important. Just look at Saquon Barkley, who carried a run-dominant Eagles offense to a championship two seasons ago. Love can have a similar impact in the right situation. When all is said and done, I believe Love will go down as the best player in his class, making him the third Irish alum since 2018 to be able to make that argument.
From the minute Hamilton stepped on the field in South Bend, it was clear he was “different.” Yet again, due to the commitment to positional value, teams bypassed him in an effort to hit on riskier picks at more vital positions. He was picked 14th overall in the 2022 draft — one which, much like this year’s, notably lacked an assortment of superstars. After four seasons, however, he is, without a doubt, considered the best safety in the NFL.
As the engine of a Baltimore Ravens defense that builds its schemes around his theatrics and ability to play multiple positions, Hamilton has amassed a combined 355 tackles, earned two first-team and one second-team All-Pro honors and has been named to three Pro Bowls. Besides perhaps cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., he is the only player from the first two rounds currently on track for a Hall of Fame career.
Unlike Hamilton, no draft slide impacted Nelson, the sixth pick in what, in hindsight, is one of the great draft classes in league history. Interior offensive linemen generally do not go in the first round, much less in the top 10. But Nelson was considered a generational player at his position, and he has more than lived up to the hype. In six of his first eight seasons, he has earned All-Pro honors six times and been named to the Pro Bowl every campaign. At this point, Nelson is a near lock for Canton. Of course, he is not alone in big names from that draft, joined by fellow standouts Barkley, Josh Allen, Fred Warner and Lamar Jackson, just to name a few.
The bet, however, is that Love will not be one of many legends in a generational contingent. He will just be that all by himself.
