2026 NFL Mock Draft: Jeremiyah Love Joins Fernando Mendoza in Top 5 After Scouting Combine

Indianapolis — The post-combine landscape of the 2026 NFL Draft shifted dramatically Tuesday when The New York Times released its updated mock, vaulting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love into the top five alongside California quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The projection marks the first time this cycle that two offensive standouts have cracked the upper echelon of the board, a development that sent ripples through league front offices only 48 hours after on-field workouts wrapped at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Love’s meteoric rise has been the talk of the combine. Irish Illustrated featured the junior tailback in a segment with Locked On Irish, highlighting his 4.32-second forty-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical that confirmed the game-breaking speed and explosiveness evident on 2025 film. Yahoo Sports subsequently aired a segment in which Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter warned, “Don’t let that happen,” expressing concern that Love could engineer a Terrell Davis-like postseason run should he land in Kansas City’s backfield. Carter’s analogy underscores the fear among rival AFC coaches that pairing Love with the Chiefs’ current scheme could tilt conference balance.

Mendoza, meanwhile, solidified his grip on a top-five slot after completing 68 of 70 passing attempts during combine drills, including a 65-yard strike that drew audible gasps from scouts. The Times’ mock now slates the Golden Bear signal-caller at No. 3 overall, citing “franchise-altering arm talent and pre-snap processing that checked every box inside the interview rooms.”

Notre Dame’s footprint in the early rounds does not end with Love. On3 reported that eight current Fighting Irish players were flagged by combine attendees as names to monitor throughout the 2026 draft cycle, suggesting Marcus Freeman’s roster could produce its largest draft haul in program history. Among them, Love carries the highest grade, a status reinforced by Sports Illustrated’s designation of the $1.6 million NIL-backed running back as “the best player in the NFL Draft” regardless of position.

With pro days still on the horizon, the combine has already redrawn the top of the board. Love’s entry into the rarefied air of the top five signals a potential run on offensive skill players early in April, while Mendoza’s steady ascent keeps quarterback-needy franchises circling. How the dominoes fall next will depend on medical reviews and private workouts, but the scouting combine has spoken: Jeremiyah Love and Fernando Mendoza are now marquee names atop the 2026 draft conversation.