Cardinals Select RB Jeremiyah Love Third Overall in 2026 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, adding a dynamic offensive talent to their roster amid questions about depth at the position.

Love, a 20-year-old unanimous All-American standing 6 feet tall and weighing 212 pounds, emerged as the consensus top running back prospect in his class. In his final season with the Fighting Irish, he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns while catching three touchdown passes. Over his two years as the starter, Love amassed 2,497 rushing yards at an average of 6.9 yards per carry, along with 35 rushing touchdowns, 55 receptions for 517 yards and five receiving scores. He recorded zero fumbles in his college career and impressed at the NFL Combine with a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. This marks the highest a running back has been drafted since Saquon Barkley went second overall to the New York Giants in 2018.

The selection provides first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, who joined the Cardinals after three seasons as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and replaced Jonathan Gannon, with a versatile playmaker. LaFleur inherits a...