The Arizona Cardinals found themselves at a critical crossroads as they navigated Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. With the franchise currently entrenched in a rebuilding phase, the selection of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has sparked a fierce debate among analysts.
Cardinals’ Selection of RB Jeremiyah Love Draws a Strong Reaction
On a recent episode of PFSN’s “Football Debate Club,” draft expert Jacob Infante debated whether the selection of a running back at third overall was still “too rich” for most teams or if it was just right for a player of Love’s caliber.
Love became the highest drafted running back since Saquon Barkley was selected second overall in 2018. Infante weighed the modern devaluing of the position against Love’s undeniable, game-changing talent.
“I will say this isn’t the pick that I would have made if I were Arizona factoring in positional value,” Infante admitted, acknowledging the familiar criticisms of heavily investing draft capital in a running back. However, he quickly pivoted to emphasize the prospect’s elite evaluation in a vacuum. “But I think when you look at my board specifically, which doesn’t factor in positional value, I have Love as the second overall player in this class.”
The data from PFSN’s prospect profile certainly backs up that lofty claim. Boasting an outstanding grade of 90.37, Love is ranked as the No. 4 overall player and the No. 1 running back in the 2026 class.
Standing at 6’0″ and 212 pounds, Love’s scouting report highlights his “superlative short-range and long-range dynamic ability.” Evaluators describe him as an “elastic, turbocharged long-strider” with top-tier athletic traits, including elite explosiveness (9.6), long speed (9.5), and agility (9.0).
During his three-year collegiate career at Notre Dame, Love was highly productive, amassing 2,882 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on just 433 carries, averaging a staggering 6.7 yards per attempt.
His dominant 2025 campaign alone yielded 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Drawing highly favorable comparisons to former Pro Bowlers like DeMarco Murray and Ahman Green, Love also excels as a receiving threat and yards-after-catch weapon, cementing his status as a bona fide RB1 with true All-Pro potential.
For a struggling Cardinals franchise, Infante argued that acquiring a foundational blue-chip talent should supersede rigid positional dogmas. “If you’re talking just pure, hey, we’re a really bad football team. We play in a really tough division. We’re not anticipating to compete anytime in 2026 let’s just get a really good football player and not overthink it.”
Furthermore, Infante highlighted a shifting paradigm across the league that could play directly into the rookie’s skill set. “I think Love has the potential to be an impact running back right out of the gate, and as you’re seeing the NFL start to trend a little more towards the run game, where you have all these lighter linebackers and sub-packages… I think a lot of NFL teams are taking advantage of that,” he noted.
“To have a player like Jeremiyah Love, who’s so well-rounded, who has that breakaway speed, who has that toughness, I think that’s a difference maker.”
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While significant questions remain about the overall ceiling of Arizona’s current roster, infusing the offense with an elite playmaker could provide immediate dividends. “That Arizona offense isn’t going to be amazing partially because of who’s at quarterback,” Infante concluded, “but I think Love is definitely an impact player for that offense and an upgrade at running back for sure.”
Ultimately, prioritizing a running back early in the draft might invite heavy criticism from positional-value purists, but for an Arizona team desperately searching for cornerstone players, adding a dynamic, elite talent like Love could be the precise spark needed to revitalize the locker room.
