Cardinals take Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love with No. 3 pick

The Cardinals made the rarest kind of roster bet in the first round: they spent the No. 3 overall pick on a running back, selecting Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love and making him the highest-drafted player at the position since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018.

In a league that has spent years treating running backs as replaceable, Arizona chose the opposite path. Love brings a résumé that explains why the Cardinals were willing to break with convention. He finished third in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries, then added 27 catches for 280 yards and three more scores. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Love ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, the second-best time among running backs, reinforcing the view that he offers rare speed to match his production.

The selection also fits the architecture of a new offense. Mike LaFleur, hired by Arizona on Feb. 2, 2026 to a five-year contract, is reshaping the Cardinals around a West Coast-style scheme that can lean on versatility, timing and backfield playmaking. Love’s ability to run inside, threaten the edge and contribute in the passing game gives LaFleur a weapon that can alter how defenses line up from the start of a series. For a staff trying to define a new identity, a back with Love’s dual-threat profile offers more than a conventional rushing option.

The cost, however, is part of the story too. Top-three picks come with major salary implications, and using that slot on a running back forces a direct judgment on positional value. Arizona’s choice says the Cardinals believe Love is not a luxury piece but a central one, worth more than the draft’s usual economics would suggest. Earlier chatter around the league had already linked Love to Arizona at No. 3, and the speculation proved accurate on April 23, 2026.

Love’s arrival gives Arizona a jolt of star power, but it also puts the front office on record. The Cardinals did not simply draft talent. They declared that, for this offense and this coaching staff, a running back can still be the foundational piece around which everything else is built.