After all the recent buzz that connected the Cardinals to Jeremiyah Love, the top running back in the 2026 class is indeed Arizona-bound. Love has been drafted third overall. The Notre Dame product becomes the highest drafted running back in the NFL since Saquon Barkley went second overall eight years ago.
Love was by far the consensus top running back of the 2026 class. His backup with the Fighting Irish, Jadarian Price, is widely considered RB2 and may have to wait until Day 2 of the draft to hear his name. Ever since taking over the starting job as a sophomore, Love has been perhaps the most electric running back in college football. In two years as RB1, he combined for 2,497 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns in just 28 games.
Love joins a crowded running backs room in Arizona that is likely about to clear out to make room for his star power. James Conner has been the man for the Cardinals since coming over from Pittsburgh in 2021. Over his first four years with the team, Conner averaged 917 yards per season with 37 touchdowns, but in 2025, injuries limited him to only three games. The team also signed former Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier in free agency after four strong years as a backup in Atlanta.
There’s little question Love will be RB1 once he arrives in Arizona. With draft pick salaries automatically set per slot, Love will easily be the team’s highest-paid rusher on a fully guaranteed four-year, $53.02MM rookie contract. He also become the seventh-highest-paid running back in the NFL by annual average value, but his guaranteed money will exceed even that of Barkley.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Insane. I think he’ll be very good, but insane to take a running back at three, especially with major holes at positions that are much harder and more expensive to fill.
Until the guy runs for 1400 yards a year for 10 years. Everybody has multiple holes. If you can fill that hole with a day 1 starter you do it. This dumb trend of “don’t draft a RB high” is lame. F the position, grab the best player available and figure it out.
Nope. Positional value matters. Want to fix your run game? Fix your line first.
I do not subscribe to the “positional value” theory or mantra. I like running backs. I have no issue drafting them high in the right situation…
…but this ain’t it. Terrible pick. Wrong team, wrong spot, wrong situation.
I think this guy could have the kind of impact Terry Metcalf had for the Cardinals, and if that’s the case, it’s not a bad pick at all.
So take a lesser prospect to fill a need? That’s also how teams stay bad. Just draft elite talent when you have the opportunity
Take a high end offensive lineman or edge rusher when you have the chance because those guys rarely come available unless they’re old or injured. They could have traded back and still drafted a very good lineman.
Allgier, Benson, Conner and now Love, wow. Someone’s gonna be out
Said same thing. Could be Connor
Same. Think it is Benson, since he’ll probably bring the most value back of the other three just because of his age. Not sure Conner coming off injury gets you anything. Then you just paid Allgeier for two years, so don’t see them back tracking that already.
Release connor
That’s an option I guess. However, since they’re already paying Conner basically the full contract for the upcoming season, why not let him earn it and trade Benson for some kind of draft capital (or player) that they could use to fill holes elsewhere?
Love can split carries with Conner, and to a lesser extent Allgeier, to limit his carries in what I am guessing is a lost season this upcoming year anyways. Get something for Benson now, then roll with Love and Allgeier 2027-28 with maybe a low cost vet or draft pick that can play special teams and get a couple carries.
Potentially.
Benson’s injury record would affect the return. I’m not sure if the Cards would even get a 7th rd’er for him at this point… maybe a RB needy team in the #240-257 range
Definitely think someone would give more than a 7th. It’s not going to be a day 2 pick, but better than what they’d get for Conner. Like I said, I don’t see them signing Allgeier and then just flipping him. I’d rather get SOMETHING for him though because I can’t envision them using all 4 RBs. Kid ran sub 4.4 at like 220 and is only going to be 24 this year. I could see them doing something like Benson & a 6th for a 4th.
Hello mock draft, meet dynamite…BOOM! Mock drafts across the country all blowed up now.
I told you the Giants wouldn’t draft him 😂
You don’t draft a running back first round unless you’re going to be a run first team, 30 touches a game. You don’t draft one of a committee at 3rd overall, you have to draft at no. 3 a guy who’ll.see 90 percent of the snaps. If AZ is jow gonna go.old school then ok fine good pick then. But this is drafting bpa is overrated.
He’s just not that guy. He’s not Saquon or JT or Bijan. You don’t pick a RB that high unless he is that.
Was that the Detroit Lions thinking when they blew up the 2024 draft when they picked a running back name Gibbs in the mid teen first round when they had a top running back in Montgomery. All the experts had them taking a defensive player because of need, they took the best player. I believe that the Cards have another Gibbs in Love they can use him in a similar role he won’t have to carry the ball 30 times again, Love can do a lot of different roles, split him out into the slot, have him roll out from the backfield even line him up outside as a receiver. So, it was a pick that yes will affect them salary cap wise down the line, but as far as a player cannot say it was a bad pick.
Wowzers
Very run heavy team next year I guess
They will SERIOUSLY regret this pick eventually.
A good running game can keep your defense off the field and mask other deficiencies.
With Love, McBride and Harrison you have some skill position talent but who’s going to play QB?
People, People can I have your attention, Love is the new star of the organization, a star that this team has not had for around 5 or 6 years since Larry Fitzgerald. This pick was for the fans who want to rally around a star player just like they did for Fitzgerald, they will go to the game, buy the merchandise (jersey). As far as the team goes, I can see the Cardinals looking to draft a QB in the 3rd or 4th round, remember they did not go to Simpson workout at Alabama draft workout, but they did go to Beck’s, makes one wonder if the plan is to draft a QB in the 3rd or 4th round. But no matter what this will be a top 5 draft team in 2027 for a QB heavy draft in what I’m hearing. I can see another 3 or max 4-win season in 2026, but Love will have a decent start to his career.
ARZ certainly hopes so, but didnt they think the same way when MHJr was drafted? MHJr didn’t have to run behind a broken OL either. Definitely HAVE to get OL with their 2nd imo.
The Cards taking Love at 3 just seems poor. Not because of the player, but because they had so many other holes to fill. Then there is the fact that RB’s drafted in the top 10 over the last decade (Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Austin Jeanty) didn’t turn their teams into world beaters.
So what position should they have used the 3 pick on that would turn them into a world beater?
No one pick will ever do that. But, it seems important to have people up front who can block for the RB, a QB who can keep teams from stacking for the run.
If Love is an absolute world beater, he might push the Cards to 6-10 or 7-9. It pushes them out of the 2027 QB picture.
I’d have started on the interior OL and worked my way out from there. Trade down from 3 would’ve probably been far more helpful to the team than any player they would’ve gotten where they were at.
Honestly wanted him to go to Nashville
I don’t think the Titans want anyone competing with Cam Ward as the face of the franchise.