Jeremiyah Love Goes No. 3 to Arizona and It's the Earliest RB Draft Pick Since Saquon
The Arizona Cardinals just made a statement. Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame walked off the stage as the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft Thursday night, marking the highest a running back has been selected since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 back in 2018. That's eight years. Let that sink in for a second.
The Cardinals' New Era Starts in the Backfield
Love is heading to Arizona to be a centerpiece of a completely revamped offense. The Cardinals brought in head coach Mike LaFleur, and he's installing a West Coast-style scheme in the desert. This is not a retooling. This is a rebuild around a specific vision, and Love is one of the first major pieces LaFleur wanted.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe running back position has been undervalued in recent draft classes. Teams were willing to wait deep into rounds for backfield help. But Arizona just said no to that trend. They committed premium draft capital to Love in Year 1 of the LaFleur era, which tells you everything about what the new regime thinks about him and about how they plan to attack defenses.
A Top-3 Pick for a Skill Position
When you draft a running back in the top three, you're not just asking him to be good. You're asking him to be transformational. Love ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, and the Cardinals clearly believe his skill set, size, and production at Notre Dame make him different from what has come out recently at the position.
The early rounds of this draft class have been loaded with quarterback talent and defense, but the Cardinals weren't interested in waiting. Love is the statement pick of the night so far, a bet on a specific philosophy and a specific player.
What's Next
Love is ready to get to work in Arizona. The real test comes now: Can he live up to being the highest-drafted running back in nearly a decade? Can he be the centerpiece LaFleur envisioned when the Cardinals put his name on the board at No. 3?
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.