Could Jets draft Jeremiyah Love so that they can trade Breece Hall?

Eyebrows were raised when it was learned ahead of the Easter holiday that the New York Jets had met with Notre Dame Fighting Irish star running back Jeremiyah Love. 

Some quickly speculated that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey could consider making Love the second overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft so that the club could trade running back Breece Hall, who had his rights retained via the franchise tag earlier this offseason. 

For an article published on Wednesday, Jets reporter Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic explained why he thinks rumblings linking the club with Love are a "smokescreen" leading up to the night of April 23. 

Why the Jets may enjoy being linked with Jeremiyah Love

"The Jets are not a running back away from contention," Rosenblatt wrote, "especially considering they already have a running back in the fold who they view highly enough that they used the franchise tag to retain him. It would be genuinely shocking if, after everything Mougey and Glenn have said publicly and privately, they turned around and not only traded Hall but used the No. 2 pick on a running back. More likely, the Love meeting was a smokescreen to get the juices flowing for some of the other teams drafting in the Top 10 who might want to add Love." 

One March report shared that "league intel suggests the" New York Giants could make Love the fifth overall pick of the draft if he were to fall to them. However, ESPN's Peter Schrager is among those who think the Tennessee Titans want to select Love with the draft's fourth choice.

Of course, the Jets could ruin such plans by drafting Love at No. 2, especially if there's a chance that Hall may not play for Gang Green while on the tag. However, it sounds like Mougey and Glenn expect to have Hall on the roster this coming September. 

When the Jets plan to speak with Breece Hall about a possible multiyear contract

"Mougey will re-engage with Hall and his representation after the draft and there is some optimism on both sides that a deal will be reached, though that is far from a guarantee," Rosenblatt added. "The deadline for a new contract is July 15, just ahead of training camp, and if no deal is signed by then, Hall will have to play on the franchise tag ($14.29M) or hold out." 

The "after the draft" portion of Rosenblatt's update could lead one to believe that the Jets don't plan to acquire Love later in April. Then again, perhaps Mougey is thinking about making what could go down as one of the most surprising moves of this year's player-selection process.