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What's the RB pecking order after Jeremiyah Love? Up next: Notre Dame's Jadarian Price and Washington's Jonah Coleman

By Yahoo SportsYahoo Sports

Yahoo Sports’ “Football 301” podcast featured an in-depth, position-by-position draft preview, kicking things off with a look at the 2026 NFL Draft's top running backs. Drawing on the expertise of host Nate Tice and special guest Connor Rogers from NBC Sports, here’s a breakdown of the most notable names and debates involving the running backs you’ll want to know heading into April’s draft. The consensus: this is a relatively thin running back class, especially for true top-100 talents.

There’s star power at the top but a drop-off after the first few names, with several intriguing committee and special teams types available on Day 3. As always, how NFL teams weigh traits, versatility and special teams value will shape when these backs come off the board, but Jeremiah Love, Jadarian Price and Jonah Coleman are the clear standouts as the draft approaches. Jeremiah Love: Unanimous RB1 There’s little disagreement about who sits atop running back boards this cycle— Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Love .

As Rogers put it: “Love is kind of that bingo space for everybody ... it would surprise me if you have some people that don’t think he’s the best back in this class. ” Love offers a complete package: vision, physicality, and game-changing speed, making him the clear favorite to hear his name called first at the RB spot.

Jadarian Price: The high-ceiling teammate Rogers highlighted Price’s appeal to NFL talent evaluators: he’s electric in the open field, flashes untapped potential in the passing game, and is highly physical in protection. While Notre Dame didn’t throw to Price often (thanks to Love himself being a passing game weapon), his flashes in zone schemes and willingness to protect should earn him a place in Day 2 conversations. Jonah Coleman: The high-floor power back Next to Price is Washington’s Jonah Coleman, who offers a fascinating contrast.

Rogers described him as “[that] bowling ball, fire hydrant, whatever you want to call it, kind of tree stump, 5-foot-9 — he’s lost a little bit [of weight] but [is] still like a real 220 [pounds] where he could just drop his pads and run through you. ” More than just a thumper, Coleman has surprising footwork, soft hands, and short-area quickness. While he may not have home run speed, his reliability and floor make him a favorite for a long NFL career.

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