Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) breaks loose for a touchdown run against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Saints Mock Delivers Clear Alvin Kamara Successor

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 23, 2026 10:52 AM ET

It's going to be an interesting offseason for the New Orleans Saints, to say the least.

New Orleans is trending upwards. That much is obvious. The Saints have pieces in place right now that can help this team out in the long run. It starts with Tyler Shough. He has just nine starts in the National Football League under his belt, but they were good enough to give the fanbase hope for the future.

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The rookie class as a whole was great and actually was ranked as the top one in the NFL in 2025 by ESPN. The Saints are building something and could compete in the division as soon as 2026. But there will be a lot of decisions to make this offseason, for example, Cameron Jordan, Taysom Hill, and Demario Davis are all pending free agents. These are three guys who have been pillars for the franchise for a long time and now the team has to decide who to bring back — or how to replace them. Outside of these three, Alvin Kamara is another pillar for the franchise, but he's under contract in 2026, but not after that. Soon enough, the Saints are going to have to take a look at the running back position as well.

The Saints should bring the RB to town

Arguably, these four should all be back in 2026. But the Saints also need to think about long-term replacement plans. Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick projected a great solution at running back and mocked Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to New Orleans with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"No. 8. New Orleans Saints (6–11): Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame," Flick wrote. "New Orleans should prioritize adding an interior offensive lineman in free agency, and it may look for a receiver at No. 8. But Love is a tough player to pass up for the Saints, who had the league’s fifth-worst rushing offense this season. Though his draft slot won’t show it due to positional value, Love is one of the three best players in the class and the class’s best all-around offensive player. Love is an explosive, home run-hitting ballcarrier with the contact balance necessary to create his own yards, and he proved he’s a three-down player this season."

Kamara played in just 11 games in 2025. He hasn't played in 15 games in a season since 2022. Adding someone like Love, who is ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the draft class per ESPN, would give the Saints insurance behind Kamara in 2026 and a long-term solution with massive upside.

He had 1,372 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 27 catches, 280 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns for Ohio State in 12 games in 2025. In 2024, he had 1,125 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. Having a guy like that in the same room as Kamara would give the Saints a dynamic duo and a mentor for the young back. Arguably, this is how the Saints should proceed. Add a weapon at No. 8 — whether that's Love or a receiver — and go from there.

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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