The Minnesota Vikings are in the midst of a disappointing 2025 season.
The team had high hopes with a strong defense and J.J. McCarthy taking over as the starting quarterback, but things have not gone well. Entering Week 13, the Vikings are sitting at 4-7 and are stuck in the basement of the NFC North.
The Vikings are technically not eliminated from the playoffs just yet, but it's clear some upgrades need to be made this offseason. Jacob Infante of PFSN recently published an updated mock draft, and he has the Vikings adding a dynamic athlete to the offense.
With the No. 12 pick, Infante has the Vikings selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Love is thought of as the top running back in the 2026 class by many.
Regarding this potential pick, Infante offered the following:
A lot is going wrong with the Minnesota Vikings’ offense right now, and a lot of it falls on bad quarterback play. It’s too early to give up on J.J. McCarthy, so their best hope is to surround him with more talent to take the pressure off of him. In this 2026 NFL Mock Draft, they do that by taking the best running back in the class.
Excluding positional value, I’d argue Jeremiyah Love is at least a top-five player in the 2026 NFL Draft. He falls a little because he’s a running back. Still, he’s an explosive runner who combines sound decision-making between the tackles with elite speed, quick feet, and the ability to change direction, along with toughness that shows up both in the run game and as a receiver after the catch.
As Infante mentioned, McCarthy has struggled in 2025, so it would be wise to add weapons for 2026. Improving the ground game would take a ton of pressure off the young quarterback, and Love would do just that.
In 2025, Love has played in 11 games and has 1,306 rushing yards with 17 touchdowns. The elite runner has also caught 26 passes for 274 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Love has now had at least 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns in consecutive seasons. The running back helped the Fighting Irish get all the way to the national championship last year, and the team should make the Playoff again this season.
Minnesota is currently 25th in total rushing yards. Only three teams have fewer rushing first downs than the Vikings in 2025, and that's not good when the passing attack is also faltering.
Love would help move the chains when McCarthy struggles and also give the young quarterback an outlet in the passing game. Aaron Jones will be another year older in 2026, and both he and Jordan Mason will be free agents in 2027. Love could be the future of the backfield in the Twin Cities.