As the Kansas City Chiefs navigate an uneven 2025 campaign and stare down an offseason full of questions, one flaw has repeatedly defined their offensive ceiling. Kansas City has not been able to run the football with the consistency needed to support Patrick Mahomes, and ESPN’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft suggests a bold, but logical, solution for the Chiefs.
ESPN projects Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love to Kansas City at No. 14 overall, a move that would give the Chiefs the explosive workhorse they have lacked since their championship offenses peaked earlier in the decade. Love’s production and profile highlight why analysts believe he could reshape the Chiefs’ attack. The Heisman Trophy finalist has forced 60 missed tackles on 199 carries this season, averaged 6.4 yards per attempt, and added more than 250 receiving yards, all while showing the blend of size, balance, and burst that Kansas City has been missing.
It is a scenario that has picked up real momentum. Former Chiefs lineman and Notre Dame alum Tim Grunhard has publicly campaigned for Kansas City to target Love, calling him a natural fit for Andy Reid’s system. With Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both scheduled to hit free agency and rookie Brashard Smith still developing, the position may be the roster’s biggest long-term vulnerability.
The Chiefs could use a jolt on the ground
Kansas City’s running backs are averaging just 3.8 yards per carry this season, and the ground game’s inconsistency has forced Mahomes into heavier-than-ideal passing burdens. The front office has been reluctant to reinvest premium capital at the position since the Clyde Edwards-Helaire miss in 2020. Yet Love’s versatility and playmaking ability present a compelling exception.
If the Chiefs continue to hover in the middle of the standings, they could sit in Love’s draft range, an unusual but potentially pivotal opportunity. Pairing Mahomes with a dynamic, every-down runner would not only stabilize the offense but also reignite the fear Kansas City once commanded.
For a team searching for answers, the mock draft’s message is clear: solving the run game might be the key to unlocking the Chiefs’ next championship window.
