To say the Kansas City Chiefs had a disappointing 2025 season would be quite an understatement. Not only did the team that won two of the last three Super Bowls and three of the last six finish out of the playoffs with only six wins, their lowest total since 2012, they played their final three games without future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes — and they start next season without him as well.
Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Chiefs’ Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and is now on a rehab timeline that could take him into the 2026 season. Even if he is ready for Week 1, there is little chance Mahomes will be at full strength.
But Mahomes has six years to go on his massive, 10-year, $450 million contract with Kansas City, and even if he didn’t, there is little chance that the Chiefs would look to replace him either through the draft or free agency.
How, then, does coach Andy Reid restructure his team’s offense either without Mahomes or with a weakened version of their already-legendary signal-caller? The answer, according to a new mock draft, will come in the backfield, with the top running back available out of the college ranks in 2026.
Notre Dame Rusher Topped 1,300 Yards in 2025
Thanks to their 6-11 record, the Chiefs will have their highest draft pick since 2013 when they held the No. 1 overall pick and used it on offensive tackle Eric Fisher.
In 2026, the Chiefs will pick at No. 9 in the first round. According to a mock draft by ClutchPoints released on Monday, Kansas City will use the pick on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, a Heisman Trophy finalist who rushed for 1,372 yards in 2025, eighth in the nation.
“You will see a lot of 2026 NFL mock draft pundits put Jeremiyah Love with the Chiefs at pick No. 9, and this one is no exception,” wrote ClutchPoints draft expert Tim Crean. “Arguably the best overall offensive player in the draft, Love fixes one of the Chiefs’ biggest issues, and building the offense around Love next season will help hold down the fort until Patrick Mahomes returns to full strength.”
Love Called ‘Complete Weapon’ on Offense
Crean was correct. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, Love, who will be 21 years old by the time of the 2026 NFL draft, is the consensus pick among all major mock drafts to go to the Chiefs at No. 9.
If those projections prove correct, Love would be the first Notre Dame running back drafted in the first round since Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis went 10th overall to the Los Angeles Rams in 1993.
“Love is a dynamic and explosive running back who possesses the skill set to be a complete weapon in an NFL offense,” according to a scouting report by Damian Parson of Bleacher Report. “He combines home-run top-end speed with route-running and pass-catching ability to impact the offense in multiple ways.”
One obstacle to the Chiefs adding Love to their rebuilding roster out of the 2026 draft would be the New Orleans Saints, who are also reported to have interest in picking the Fighting Irish star.
The Saints own the No. 8 pick in the draft, one slot ahead of Kansas City, meaning the Chiefs may be forced to sacrifice some lower-round picks to trade up at least two spots in order to guarantee their shot at taking Love.
Chiefs Expected to Add ‘Complete Weapon,’ 1,300-Yard RB Amid Mahomes Injury