Shock at No. 3: Why Taking Jeremiyah Love is a $40 Million Gamble for the Cardinals

General Manager Monti Ossenfort defied modern NFL drafting logic by selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick. The decision has sparked a firestorm of debate, as the Cardinals passed on elite defensive talent to hand a massive contract to a rookie ball-carrier in a post-Kyler Murray world.

This move for the Cardinals was an interesting move as many outlets had the Cardinals going offensive tackle however before that many had them selecting Oregon Quarterback Dante Moore before he decided to stay at Eugene for the 2026 College football season. Arizona also has had many questions at Quarterback this season with Arizona letting go of former Heisman trophy winner Kyler Murray this off-season. Arizona has Jaocby Brissett and Gardner Minshew on the roster and selected Carson beck with the 65th pick in this years draft class. Arizona however has had constant question marks since last season so it has been considered a questionable move Love's elite speed is undeniable, investing such high capital in a non-premium position could cripple the team's rebuild if he doesn't become an immediate All-Pro.

image courtesy of PHNX sports

Jeremiyah Love is worth the selection in my opinion he is an elite, versatile play maker who would boost the Cardinals offense from a run game that includes James Conner, Trey Benson, and Bam Knight. He is an excellent runner similar to Christian McCaffery. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry against 8 box defensive sets, he has great skills in the passing game,he was compared to Demarco Murray, a big Jahmyr Gibbs and was seen as a blue chip talent in this draft class as his high end talent is something the Cardinals cound't pass on. As we move to the upcoming 2026-2027 season we will see how well the pick ages for this rebuilding Cardinals team.