Why Mel Kiper believes Tennessee Titans will pick Jeremiyah Love in NFL draft at No. 4
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The Tennessee Titans have a laundry list of roster needs this offseason, including edge rusher, wide receiver and interior offensive line.
But ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thinks they may not look to fill any of those holes with the No. 4 pick.
In his latest mock draft released March 17, Kiper has the Titans taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While no running back has gone among the top four picks since Saquon Barkley in 2018, Kiper thinks Love is worthy of being drafted that high due to his versatility.
"I understand not taking a running back," Kiper said on a conference call with reporters on March 19. "I argued against that for 30 years, and now I'm kind of defending these running backs, only because (Love) is so versatile. If he was just a running back, we wouldn't be saying that. Because he's so versatile and you can do so many things creatively with him.
"He's the second-best player on my board. A lot of people think he's the best player in this draft. You're picking fourth, you don't want to get the fifth-, sixth-best player. You want to get a guy inside of your top four, and Love certainly is."
Love ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries last season and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. He also caught 27 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
"He's a different kind of player because he's such a great receiver," Kiper said. "You can put him at slot and put him wide. He's remarkable in that area. He didn't have a fumble at Notre Dame. He's a true game-breaker."
Kiper thinks the Titans might also consider Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey or Ohio State edge Arvell Reese if those players are available. His mock draft has Bailey going No. 2 to the New York Jets, Reese at No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals and Styles at No. 7 to the Washington Commanders.
"(Cam Ward) is a franchise quarterback, he showed that midseason on, no question about that," Kiper said. "To keep helping Cam Ward, you got (Calvin) Ridley back, you got (Elic) Ayomanor, you got (Chimere) Dike, you added Wan'Dale Robinson, you got Gunnar Helm, you got weapons there.
"To bring in a guy like Sonny Styles would make a lot of sense with his versatility. There's a couple directions. If Arvell Reese or David Bailey were there, you'd have to look at that if you're Tennessee over a running back. Adam Schefter was on with (ESPN NFL insider Field Yates) and I the other day on Draft Daily and said he didn't think, from people he's spoken to, that the Tennessee Titans are taking a back at No. 4, so we'll see how that goes."
Tennessee Titans mock draft predictions
Nick Suss, the Titans beat writer for the Tennessean, has the Titans selecting Reese with the No. 4 pick in his latest first-round mock draft released March 16.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mel Kiper explains NFL mock draft with Titans picking Jeremiyah Love
