TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall selection in the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving first-year coach Mike LaFleur arguably the best offensive playmaker on the board.
There's little doubt about Love's talent, but there's also a question if he's the best fit for the Cardinals, who already have a crowded running back room with James Conner, Tyler Allgeier and Trey Benson.
The 6-foot, 212-pound unanimous All-America selection ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final season with the Fighting Irish. He also caught three touchdown passes. The 20-year-old followed his electric junior season with a standout performance at the combine, running a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash.
Love is the first running back selected in the draft's top five since 2018.
The Cardinals had been connected to Love in recent days, but many pundits thought they would be better served finding an edge rusher to pair with veteran Josh Sweat. Ohio State edge Arvell Reese was still on the board when the Cardinals picked, but the franchise elected to go with a running back that some have compared to three-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey or 2025 All-Pro Bijan Robinson.
It's a big moment for LaFleur, who was hired to replace Jonathan Gannon after three years as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona hasn't made the playoffs since 2021 and has lost at least 13 games in three of the past four seasons.
It's also an important selection for fourth-year general manager Monti Ossenfort, who has had a mixed track record on first-round selections over three seasons. He took left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the No. 6 pick in 2023, and the Ohio State star has developed into a franchise cornerstone.
Ossenfort took another Ohio State product in Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 pick in 2024 and the receiver has been good, but not great, during his time in the desert. His No. 27 pick in the same draft — Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson — has had two injury-filled, disappointing seasons.
Last year, the Cardinals took Mississippi defensive lineman Walter Nolen III at No. 16. He showed promise in limited playing time, but missed most of his rookie year with injuries.
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