2026 1st round pick #3 is Jeremiyah Love RB

[HairZach]

Well, we spent our 1st rounder on a guaranteed good player. How often can we say that?

 

[FB94]

Algiers and Love, thunder and lightning backfield. I think ML can make this happen

 

[Dayman]

Looks like Love initially had a weird heart test at the combine, but it is supposedly fine now.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...ah-love-had-abnormal-ekg-at-scouting-combine#

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

So stupid, going to have entire payroll devoted to wilson, mhjr, mcbride, and love

What's wrong with that?
The Colts paid a lot to Manning, Harrison, Wayne.

Rams paid a lot to Faulk, Holt, Bruce

You need weapons to win.

 

[Goldfield]

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Stick and Pick

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Looks like Love initially had a weird heart test at the combine, but it is supposedly fine now.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profo...ah-love-had-abnormal-ekg-at-scouting-combine#

Immediately after the Cardinals made running back Jeremiyah Love the third overall pick in the draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared a previously unknown nugget.

Cue the NFL insiders who knew about it all along but who decided not to do, you know, their jobs.

Love, per Rapoport had an abnormal EKG at the Scouting Combine. Further testing cleared the issue, and it obviously didn’t impact Love’s stock.

Regardless, if people knew about it (and Rapoport presumably didn’t find out in the handful of seconds after Love was picked), they should have shared it. It’s relevant information, no different than the constant rush to Twitter to break news of transactions that teams are about to announce.

 

[Denny Green Fan]

Well, we spent our 1st rounder on a guaranteed good player. How often can we say that?

Yeah with nobody to block for him

 

[elindholm]

This pick has made it incredibly embarrassing to be Cardinals fan among other NFL fans. I'm getting roasted for this pick far more than for any of our loses last year. This is going to be a universally panned pick.

Hopefully Mike has an awesome run blocking scheme that he can teach and Love balls out.

Who doesn't love balls out?

 

[Syracusecards]

For the people that don’t like the pick. I think it’s pretty obvious by how much they ran the clock down that they were trying their hardest to trade down, but obviously couldn’t get a trade partner. that being said, who would you have picked at #3 if you HAD to pick at 3?

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Jeremiyah Love
RB
6'0"212 lbs Notre Dame

Pre-Draft Analysis

Love is coming off of two extremely productive seasons. He is an explosive runner who possesses great burst and acceleration, with the ability to create separation early and the top-end speed to take it the distance when he finds green grass. He is extremely light on his feet with great quickness and agility to maneuver through high-traffic areas. Love has fluid hips and the suddenness to also make defenders miss in the open field. He displays patience as an inside runner; Love has good vision, though he will miss an occasional running lane. He has good core strength and contact balance to break tackles and consistently runs with determination and effort. He is an extension of the passing game -- he has receiver-like ball skills and is a good route runner out of the backfield. He also brings value in pass protection, showing toughness and willingness to square up defenders at the point of attack. Overall, Love was an extremely productive back at the college level and has the complete skill set to be a playmaker at the next level. -- Scouts Inc.

Matt Miller's pro comp: Reggie Bush


Read more: Rise of RBs sharing carries, what it means for the NFL draft

Post-Draft Analysis​

The Cardinals didn't have the biggest need at running back, with Tyler Allgeier signed in free agency and James Conner back for one more year. Then again, only the Raiders averaged less yards rushing per game, so flooding the zone with ball carriers makes sense. Love is arguably the best player in the draft, and whenever the Cardinals get their quarterback of the future -- whether later in the first round, or otherwise -- having a strong running game will ease his onboarding process. -- Ben Solak

More from Josh Weinfuss: Analysis of every Cardinals pick

Read more: Pros, cons of this pick

Read more: Fantasy football spin

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/rounds

 

[Mainstreet]

Reportedly teams didn't have much interest in moving up to #3.

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[GatorAZ]

Just as much of a reach as taking a mid defensive player that tested well. Glad Petzing is gone.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Reportedly teams didn't have much interest in moving up to #3.

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Lot's of smoke about this leading up to today

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Glad Petzing is gone.

We all are

Not sure why we kept Rallis

 

[Dayman]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2026-nfl-draft-grades-tracker-live-round-1-analysis/

Grade: C+
Love is a special talent at the running back position and will immediately transform the Cardinals rushing attack. This grade isn't an indictment of the caliber of player the Cardinals got, but the value for a team not built to contend without a quarterback. They'll burn the most productive and cheap years for a player at a position with an already short career length.

 

[PDXChris]

I hope I'm wrong. I love the player. I just feel were going to waste his prime. We just purchased new rims and wheels for our Fiat!

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[eastcoastDave]

I’m more than surprised the Cards selected Love. But the woulda, coulda, shoulda Cardinals did the right thing. The team may not win many games, but fans will turn out to see Love and that will put $$$ in the coffers. That, in turn, will keep the team above water financially and help pay for aggressive moves down the road.

 

[oaken1]

The choice was simple.

Pick Love.
Or settle for a tier 2 B grade player.

His comp on ESPN was Travis Etienne. I know this is supposed to be a weak draft, but this still seems way too high. The pick has Michael Bidwill written all over it.

 

[Mainstreet]

I hope I'm wrong. I love the player. I just feel were going to waste his prime. We just purchased new rims and wheels for our Fiat!

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Hopefully he can take some pressure off whoever starts at quarterback.

I wanted a trade down, but apparently there weren't ant good offers out there.

 

[Shane]

I’m more than surprised the Cards selected Love. But the woulda, coulda, shoulda Cardinals did the right thing. The team may not win many games, but fans will turn out to see Love and that will put $$$ in the coffers. That, in turn, will keep the team above water financially and help pay for aggressive moves down the road.

This team was never in any danger of going below water financially lol…. There’s this thing in the league called profit-sharing. Also, Arizona fans are so freaking fickle very few. We’re gonna start paying their ticket prices that they’re charging now to go see Love play they’re gonna need to start winning.

 

[oaken1]

I hope I'm wrong. I love the player. I just feel were going to waste his prime. We just purchased new rims and wheels for our Fiat!

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Really??
So your saying you don't think we can put together a team in the next 5 to 7 years?

If that's the case it doesn't really matter who we draft, does it?

So we might as well bring in some excitement

 

[PDXChris]

Really??
So your saying you don't think we can put together a team in the next 5 to 7 years?

If that's the case it doesn't really matter who we draft, does it?

So we might as well bring in some excitement

If we keep Monti, no.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Well..... Looks like we are trying to be the first overall next year because this is exactly how you accomplish that. Wonder what team we will trade him too (a sure fire SB contender) when we decide he's not worth the new contract number.

No matter who they picked..... this what they are up against.

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[Dayman]

Looks like Trey Benson is going to end his time with the Cardinals with fewer than 500 yards. Lol.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

For the complainers, who would you have taken?

Fano?? Don't say Styles.