Cardinals May Have Hinted at Jeremiyah Love Draft Plans

ARIZONA — We're just days from the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Arizona Cardinals have all eyes on them and their third overall pick.

While the Las Vegas Raiders are sure to take quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the New York Jets are highly expected to get an edge rusher in either Arvell Reese or David Bailey.

While the Cardinals are potential players in that same pass rush pool, there's a possibility Arizona could flip the script and take a completely different route.

It feels like the noise surrounding Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is getting too loud to ignore in the desert.

Even with the addition of free agent runner Tyler Allgeier and James Conner seeing his deal restructured instead of released this offseason, many believe there's legitimacy of first-year head coach Mike LaFleur getting a shiny new weapon to help transform the Cardinals' offense.

And judging by their respective words during their pre-draft media availability, it sure seems like the whole "positional value" argument that many (including myself) have made doesn't apply when they're on the clock.

"I think ultimately the way we set up our board is we look at position by position, stack guys vertically by position. And then when you get into those type of discussions is when we start talking about, how do we stack it horizontally?" Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said this week when asked about said positional value when drafting.

"And so how does this corner compare to this tight end? I think those discussions is kind of getting to the heart of what you're saying. I think ultimately is you can never go wrong taking the best player. And so I think we can get caught up this time of year and saying position of need, premium position, those things are all important.

"And I think the philosophy that I have, that Mike [LaFleur] and I have talked about, is we can never go wrong taking who we feel is the best player who fits this team, who is about what we're about. When somebody can check those boxes, and it's the guy who's on the top of the board, we're going to be happy with that player, whatever position they're playing."

Love, if taken with the third overall pick, would arrive to a crowded Cardinals running back room while the offensive line, particularly on the right side, still remains unsatisfied. Love would also become one of the NFL's highest paid running backs in multiple facets before even suiting up for his first game thanks to the rookie scale contracts.

LaFleur was directly asked about drafting running backs with premium picks.

"I like what you're alluding to right there. I'm going to give you the political answer, but it's truth, you just want to draft the best football player that's going to fit your team and what you're looking for, regardless of the position," LaFleur said.

"So yeah, there's always going to be the ones that you're going to talk about, the premium positions and all that, but what's been cool about the way I know he's [Monti Ossenfort] approached it and seen it from afar, is, 'hey, do these guys love the game? Are they smart football players? And are they tough? And so if that position is a punter, and that's going to help us out, then let's roll. Hopefully we don't have to use them, except for holding [extra points]."

While a punter surely won't be the third overall pick, it sure feels like a running back could arrive to the desert — even if the two prominent minds in Arizona's war room won't directly say it.