NY Giants hosting RB Jeremiyah Love: Is drafting Notre Dame’s Heisman Finalist at No. 5 worth $36 million?

As free agency winds down, the New York Giants are beginning to welcome prospects from the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft class to their facilities in East Rutherford. According to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, the Giants are hosting Notre Dame superstar running back Jeremiyah Love for a pivotal “top 30” visit today.

For a franchise that famously debated the positional value of Saquon Barkley, the interest in Love at No. 5 overall is sure to set the local airwaves on fire. However, under John Harbaugh, the Giants have pivoted toward a physicality-first identity, and Love could represent the ultimate weapon to jumpstart this ground-and-pound attack that New York is building on offense.

A Heisman-Caliber Resume for the Giants to Consider

Jeremiyah Love isn’t just any prospect; he is coming off one of the most decorated seasons in Notre Dame history. In 2025, Love was a Heisman Finalist and the Doak Walker Award winner, shredding defenses for 1,372 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns. His 6.9 yards per carry average wasn’t just a product of a great offensive line—it was fueled by his elite 4.36 speed and a 98-yard touchdown run that set a College Football Playoff record.

By adding a game-breaker of this magnitude, general manager Joe Schoen would be giving this offense a home-run threat that forces safeties to play 15 yards off the ball, opening up the intermediate passing lanes for Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely.

Love is the only player in Fighting Irish history to record two 90-plus yard rushing touchdowns in a career, including a 94-yarder in 2025 and a school-record 98-yarder during the 2024 College Football Playoff. Maintaining a 6.9 yards per carry average over 360+ touches in his final two seasons is a statistical anomaly. It speaks to Love’s vision and his ability to turn a standard inside-zone run into a house call at any moment.

In 2025, Love surpassed Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis for the most total touchdowns in a single season at Notre Dame (21). With over 60 career catches and a reliable pass-blocking floor (zero sacks allowed), Love is the prototypical “three-down” back. This versatility is what makes him a “Harbaugh-type” player, as he wouldn’t need to leave the field in high-leverage situations.

The “Harbaugh Identity” vs Positional Value

While the “never draft a running back in the top 10” crowd will be vocal, the context of this specific Giants regime matters. John Harbaugh has spent his first offseason reshaping the Giants’ coaching staff and roster into the “Baltimore North,” prioritizing a dominant run game to protect his young quarterback.

Love is frequently compared to Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley because of his elite receiving chops (280 yards in 2025) and pass-blocking reliability, having allowed zero sacks on over 100 career pass-pro snaps. Love could be the “force multiplier” that makes the investment pay off.

The $36 Million Financial Hurdle

Beyond the theoretical debate of draft philosophy, the financial reality of taking a running back at No. 5 is the strongest argument for the anti-RB camp. Under the 2026 rookie wage scale, the fifth overall pick is projected to receive a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth approximately $36.5 million, carrying an average annual value (AAV) of over $9.1 million. This would immediately catapult Love into the top tier of NFL running back salaries before he even takes a professional snap.

For the Giants’ front office that has been managing a “modest” budget, paying a rookie top-five positional money instead of finding a veteran at half the cost remains a massive hurdle in the value equation — especially when considering the Giants already have two promising, young, cost-controlled running backs on their roster.

Ignoring Strength to Chase a Star?

The most damning argument against drafting Love at No. 5 is that the Giants’ backfield is arguably one of the few areas where they don’t need a makeover. With Cam Skattebo proving to be a physical revelation and Tyrone Tracy Jr. flashing elite versatility as a dual-threat weapon, New York already possesses two promising, young, and cost-controlled running backs. Using a top-five pick on a running back would mean ignoring glaring weaknesses in the trenches or the secondary in favor of a luxury addition. This would be redundant; spending at a position of strength feels like a step backward in roster construction.

The Draft Strategy: Stay at 5 or Trade Back?

The “30” visit is the most significant tool in a team’s scouting arsenal, allowing the Giants’ staff to see if Love’s football IQ matches his 10/10 big-play speed. If the Giants are truly high on Love, as some reports suggest, the question becomes whether they can afford to pass on a lockdown cornerback or a blue-chip wide receiver at No. 5, or in a potential trade-down scenario to acquire additional picks. However, with the Jets and Titans also lurking for backfield help, Love might not even last until the fifth-overall pick.

Ultimately, if he is, John Harbaugh may decide that a generational talent in the backfield is worth the “controversial” pick to ensure Jaxson Dart has every possible tool to succeed in 2026. But Joe Schoen’s history of not valuing the running back position could come into conflict with that philosophy.

Nevertheless, Love is one of the top prospects in the class, and the Giants are wise to do their due diligence and have him in for a visit.

By Anthony Rivardo

Anthony Rivardo is the COO of Empire Sports Media and the host of Fireside Giants, a New York Giants ... More about Anthony Rivardo