When the Cardinals used the No. 3 pick on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, the move immediately invited the obvious question: was this the right place to spend such a premium selection?
That debate started before the 2026 NFL Draft, when first-year head coach Mike LaFleur’s ideas about roster building were still being sorted out. The offensive line was widely viewed as a likely priority for the offense-minded coach, but the real question was whether Arizona had a prospect worthy of that spot or should simply trust the best-player-available route.
Love barely entered the Cardinals conversation until the final month before the draft. Once he did, the pushback came fast.
Could Arizona really justify taking a running back that high when the roster still had so many other holes? The discussion only sharpened after Las Vegas took Ashton Jeanty No. 6 overall in 2025 and then got worse the next season.
Now, with the regular season nearly halfway done, the answer is still complicated. Love has been productive when healthy, but the Cardinals are 2-5, and that record keeps the spotlight fixed on what Arizona passed up.
The rookie has appeared in five games and has missed time because of a high ankle sprain. Through Week 7, he has been on the field for 34.4% of the offense’s snaps.
In that stretch, he has 67 carries for 245 yards, a 3.7 yards-per-carry average, and one rushing touchdown. He has also added 11 catches for 36 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Tyler Allgeier, brought in as a free agent, has handled part of the workload as well.
Love has shown the traits that made him appealing in the first place. At 6-foot-0 and 212 pounds, he runs upright, waits for blocks to form, and uses patience and vision to work through the defense.
He looks like a back who can stay on the field on all three downs. He also stands in to pick up rushers and can get out into routes, though that part of his game has been less consistent.
Still, among running backs with at least 50 carries, Love ranks last in tackle avoidance rate at 6.0%, according to TruMedia.
That is where the real argument begins. This is not about whether Love can play.
He has been a good player. The issue is what Arizona gave up by taking him at No.
His contract is the fourth-highest in value at the position and carries the largest guarantee among running backs. The comparison to the player taken one spot later is stark: Carnell Tate’s deal ranks No. 10 among wide receivers and is second-most on his own team.
Arizona could have gone another direction, too. If the Cardinals had taken the highest-drafted offensive tackle, Spencer Fano, or Arvell Reese, those contracts would have brought more value to the roster and, in theory, more impact on the field.
That’s the same basic tension that surrounded Jeanty in Las Vegas last year. A running back is supposed to be the finishing touch, not the foundation.
The line has to hold up, and the quarterback has to threaten defenses downfield so the box doesn’t get crowded. If those pieces are already in place, then spending a top pick on a back makes a lot more sense.
For now, Love looks like a player who will matter for Arizona throughout his rookie contract at minimum. He entered the league looking like a more patient, improved version of Travis Etienne, though it would be unfair to put a ceiling on him before the Cardinals properly address the offensive line.
The bigger picture has also shifted. The old argument against taking running backs so high has lost some of its force as teams have become more willing to extend them beyond the rookie deal.
More backs are holding up into their late 20s and early 30s, and that has chipped away at the durability concerns that used to define the position. With the run game becoming more central across the league, the value of running backs may only keep climbing.
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