If there's one area the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to upgrade this offseason, it's the run game. And while Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt brought toughness and grit to the backfield, what they didn’t bring was fear - the kind of fear that keeps defensive coordinators up at night wondering how to contain a true home-run threat.
That’s where Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love enters the conversation.
In Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft, the ESPN draft analyst has the Chiefs making a bold move: using their highest draft pick since selecting Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 in 2017 to grab a dynamic running back in Love. It’s a move that would signal a shift in Kansas City’s offensive approach - and potentially unlock another level of explosiveness.
“Vision. Burst.
Power. Speed.
Receiving skills. He has it all,” Kiper wrote, pointing to Love’s 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns this past season.
That stat line isn’t just impressive - it’s the kind of production that can redefine an offense.
And the fit? It makes a lot of sense.
Love brings a different dimension - not just a guy who can churn out tough yards, but one who can turn a routine handoff into a 60-yard sprint to the end zone. That’s the kind of threat Kansas City hasn’t consistently had in the Mahomes era.
There’s another wrinkle here: Eric Bieniemy is back as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. He just spent time helping engineer one of the more effective rushing attacks in Chicago, and now he returns to Kansas City with a fresh perspective and a chance to retool the offense. Pairing Bieniemy’s run-game creativity with a weapon like Love could be the spark this unit needs.
And let’s not forget the ripple effect. A legitimate run threat like Love could open up the passing game in a big way.
Defenses would have to respect the run, which means more one-on-one opportunities for guys like Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and - if he’s still suiting up - Travis Kelce. Suddenly, the Chiefs’ offense starts to look a lot more like the high-octane unit that dominated the league not too long ago.
Sure, Kansas City has defensive needs to address - that’s not up for debate. But when you’ve got a generational quarterback like Mahomes, surrounding him with elite playmakers should always be a priority.
Jeremiyah Love may not be a guaranteed game-changer, but he’s got the tools to be one. And in this offense, with that quarterback and that coordinator?
The ceiling is sky-high.
The Chiefs don’t make top-10 picks often. If they use this one on Love, it could be the move that redefines their offense for the next chapter of the Mahomes era.