The Washington Commanders have been connected to Notre Dame superstar running back Jeremiyah Love throughout the 2026 NFL Draft process.
It’s not hard to see why. Washington has a big need at the running back position due to what is best described as a shaky running backs room.
Washington saw the departures of Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez this offseason and the running backs room now has the unproven Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and Rachaad White, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols, all of whom were backups last season.
If the Commanders want to put less on the plate of Jayden Daniels, more help is needed at running back.
Arguably the best player in the entire draft, Love would instantly fill the Commanders’ need.
The problem with that dream, however, is that he is far from guaranteed to be available at Washington’s No. 7 pick.
With the uncertainty surrounding Love’s landing spot, the Commanders are doing their homework on other running backs in this draft.
One prospect they have shown particular interest in, according to NFL Draft analyst Ryan Fowler, is Clemson running back Adam Randall, who Fowler says the Commanders have a much higher grade on than other teams.
“One team that has continued to show interest in Clemson RB Adam Randall — the Washington Commanders,” Fowler reported.
“Deep RB room as it stands, but if the board doesn’t fall their way for Love at 7 Randall is a player they are extremely high on to potentially add later in the draft,” he added. “A player that Washington has graded in a tier ‘much, much higher’ than a majority of clubs.”
A former wide receiver, Randall only saw significant work at running back for one season at Clemson and had 814 rushing yards (4.8 yards per carry), 254 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns in 2025.
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Randall is explosive and offers “home-run potential,” an element the Commanders’ offense no doubt needs.
“Randall, a former wide receiver, is new to his position, but his blend of size, top-end speed and pass-catching ability make him an intriguing prospect. He’s an upright long-strider with surprising one-cut quickness and home-run potential,” Zierlein wrote.
There are obvious concerns for the Commanders because Randall is fairly new to the position, but Zierlein believes “improvement awaits” for the Clemson product.
Randall’s experience as a wide receiver is a huge benefit.
“His receiving skills create mismatches against man coverage and allow for alignment versatility,” Zierlein added. “Randall is still raw, but RBs with his size, speed and route skill are rare. He offers value as a developmental option with RB2 upside in a zone-heavy scheme.”
When looking around the NFL Draft landscape, there are a few different opinions on where Randall could be selected.
Zierlein has him projected to go somewhere between Rounds 4 and 5, and Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson is firmly of the belief Randall will go in the latter round.
Meanwhile, there’s NFL Draft Buzz, which has Randall pegged as an undrafted free agent signing.
All that said, with the Commanders rumored to be so high on him, it’s possible Randall could go more in the area that Zierlein and Parson have him going, or maybe even higher.