Cardinals reportedly want this amid Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson rumors

Rumors surfaced recently suggesting that the Arizona Cardinals could make Notre Dame Fighting Irish star running back Jeremiyah Love the third overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft and then trade back into the first round to grab Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson.

It sounds like those running the Cardinals are hoping that a team that covets Love will make a trade to acquire the ball-carrier before the draft's third pick has to be spent on Thursday night. 

Cardinals willing to draft Jeremiyah Love if no trade arises? 

"There is growing chatter in league circles that Love is truly in play at the high end of that range with Arizona," ESPN's Adam Schefter shared Monday morning. "Ideally, the Cardinals would like to find a team willing to trade up so they can acquire more picks, and there have already been 'exploratory' calls, as one source described it, regarding the No. 3 selection. But if the Cardinals hold on to their pick, some around the league believe they could pull an early draft surprise and select Love in a slot slightly higher than he has been projected to go."

It's unclear if any team likes Love enough to give up multiple assets to get him. While some analysts have Love rated as the second-best overall prospect in this year's draft class, those individuals have also questioned whether or not any team would take an offensive weapon who doesn't play a so-called "premium" position with such a high-value draft pick. 

How far could Jeremiyah Love slide down the draft order? 

According to Schefter, the Washington Commanders at pick No. 7 "would seem to be" the floor regarding how far Love could slide down the draft board on Thursday night. 

"Last spring," Schefter explained, "the Commanders planned to pursue Aaron Jones Sr. before he returned to the Vikings. This offseason, Washington added Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to join Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but the team still does not have much money invested in the position. If the opportunity presents itself, some expect the Commanders would rush to turn in the card for Love, giving Washington a great offensive tandem with him and Jayden Daniels."

It remains to be seen if the Commanders will be able to give Daniels arguably the draft's most talented playmaker as the quarterback looks to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season.