Jeremiyah Love is the rare NFL RB selected in the top 5 of the draft. He's out to show he's worth it

Jeremiyah Love became one of the rare running backs selected in the top five of the NFL Draft, and the explosive Notre Dame star arrives in the league with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove.

Running backs drafted this high carry enormous expectations — and enormous risk. The position has been devalued in recent years, with teams increasingly reluctant to invest premium capital in a role with a short shelf life. Love's selection bucked that trend, and the team that drafted him clearly sees a franchise-changing talent.

Love's college tape is electric. He combines burst through the hole with the lateral agility to make defenders miss in tight spaces, and his pass-catching ability out of the backfield gives him three-down potential in modern NFL offenses. His production at Notre Dame cemented him as the top running back on most draft boards.

The historical record for top-five running backs is mixed. Some became Hall of Famers; others flamed out within their rookie contracts. The difference often comes down to offensive line quality, coaching, and workload management — factors largely outside the player's control.

Love has already addressed the pressure head-on, making it clear he views the high selection as validation, not burden. His focus is on proving the team right and restoring some prestige to a position that the league has spent years marginalizing.

**What This Means For You:** For fantasy football players, Love is an immediate RB1 candidate with top-five overall draft capital. In redraft leagues, he'll go in the first two rounds. For NFL fans generally, watch how the team manages his workload — the smart franchises limit early-season carries to preserve their investment. A top-five running back is either a cornerstone or a cautionary tale, and the difference usually shows by Week 8.