The Kansas City Chiefs are in unchartered territory for the 2026 NFL Draft, as they hold the ninth overall pick. The Chiefs being bad enough to earn a pick this early on in the draft hasn't happened in over a decade and fans are anxious to see who the team ultimately decides to select.
One name that has been attached to the Chiefs pretty much since they were locked in at ninth overall is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. It makes sense for both sides, as the Chiefs need help in their backfield and Love could go to a team that most definitely could use his versatility.
That being said, not everyone feels great about Love being a top 10 pick and it has nothing to do with his individual talent but rather, the position he plays. While interviewing Louis Riddick on his show on Monday, Dan Patrick said that eventually having to pay Love a second contract is something he'd be nervous about when selecting him in the top 10 of the draft.
"If you take Jeremiyah Love in the top 10... You're going to double down on that. You're going to have to pay him as a top 10 pick and then if he works out, you're going to have to pay him again," Patrick said on The Dan Patrick Show. "Like if you draft him and he turns out to be great, then you get to that fourth year. Well, now you're doubling down on that position. So now you get into that Zeke Elliott situation and then you go, 'How much gas does he have left? Can I get eight years out of Jeremiyah Love?' And that's why teams, I think, get nervous with that top 10 pick on a running back."
Dan Patrick explains why taking Jeremiyah Love in the top 10 is risky
I get where Patrick is coming from here, I do, but the fact of the matter is that if Love is good enough to be in that situation, then that's excellent news for Kansas City. The Chiefs have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback and with him coming off a major injury, the run game needs to be better than it has been. Love could help the rushing attack do just that.
Running backs get treated much differently than the rest of the positions in the NFL and not in a good way. The position tends to get ignored in the first round entirely unless it's someone with the talent that Love possesses and, even if they do, when it's time to pay them, we've seen how that typically ends for the running back.
If Love falls to the Chiefs at nine overall and they take him, yes, they're going to have to pay him like a top 10 pick because he would be one in that case. If he plays well throughout the first three years of his deal, then paying him a second contract hopefully wouldn't be an issue.
The Chiefs haven't had an explosive offense in several years now and if Love can help them get back to that, then so be it. Deal with having to pay him later and let other teams quiver in fear at Kansas City's newest weapon on offense.