While the New York Jets got the conversation started during the 2026 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals took the shock and awe factor to a new level, drafting former Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love third overall. He becomes the highest running back drafted since the New York Giants drafted Saquon Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at how the draft selection changes the Cardinals’ running back depth chart.
Arizona Cardinals RB Depth Adds Major Addition Drafting Jeremiyah Love Third Overall
This is an intriguing draft pick given Arizona’s current roster construction. At the moment, the Cardinals seem intent on starting Jacoby Brissett at quarterback after parting ways with the former 2019 first overall pick, Kyler Murray, in the offseason.
They also see veteran running back James Conner return from a foot injury sustained in Week 3 of the 2025 season, which forced him to undergo surgery.
Running back at 3 👀@NDFootball’s Jeremiyah Love gives the Cardinals a legitimate playmaking weapon. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/y0uileqgOO
— PFSN (@PFSN365) April 24, 2026
It will also be interesting to see where Love slots into the depth chart after Arizona signed former Atlanta Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier to a two-year, $12.25 million contract in March 2026, which included $8 million guaranteed. While expected to be the RB2 when signed ahead of Trey Benson and Bam Knight, the Love selection puts Allgeier on notice this preseason and season.
In three seasons with Notre Dame, Love rushed for 2,882 yards and 36 touchdowns, with 1,372 yards and 18 TDs coming during the 2025 season in just 12 games. According to PFSN’s Draft team, Arizona’s selection of Love earned an A grade.
While the high selection is shocking, at 6’0″, 214 pounds, Love is a bit lighter and leaner, but he nonetheless plays above his weight class in terms of physicality, and he’s an elastic, turbocharged long-strider whose blend of short-area quickness, throttle freedom, and breakaway speed routinely leaves defenders in the lurch.
As an athlete, Love has superlative short-range and long-range dynamic ability, which he maximizes with sharp vision, patience, spatial IQ, and manipulative tendencies, setting up gaps.
And while he’s not the heaviest, he’s able to work through contact nonetheless with his balance, lower-body action, and fearless tenacity. Overall, Love is a bona fide RB1, who also excelled as a receiving threat and RAC weapon in 2025. He bears a resemblance to Ahman Green and has a productive career with All-Pro potential ahead.
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While Allgeier has had to play second fiddle to Bijan Robinson since the Falcons drafted the latter in the 2023 NFL Draft, he did rush for over 1,000 during the 2022 season. He also rushed for a career-high eight touchdowns in 2025. While Love may start by competing with Allgeier, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him climb the depth chart and overtake Conner for the lead spot by the time the 2026 season ends.
