Cardinals Reportedly 'Love' Top NFL Draft Prospect

The Arizona Cardinals move into the future with this one draft prospect practically ready to be their pick.

Arizona Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur at a news conference on Feb. 3, 2026, at Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals are just hours away from being on the clock.

The 2026 NFL Draft is here, and the team's third overall pick is wildly up for grabs as the Cardinals look for the best way to improve their roster.

By all signs and indications, it just might be Jeremiyah Love.

The Notre Dame running back is widely seen as one of the best prospects of the draft, as he was a Heisman finalist last season and is a dynamic contributor in both the run and pass. For a first-year head coach like Mike LaFleur, Love's arrival could help smooth the transition and transform the Cardinals' offense overnight.

That's a sentiment echoed by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, who has typically been plugged in well with the Cardinals' organization. In his latest mock draft, he says Arizona is

"I’ve heard Mike LaFleur and the new coaching staff love … Love. And for ownership, getting a sellable star as they go through another reset would be good," Breer wrote this morning.

The Cardinals would love (no pun intended) Love's presence in the desert for a few reasons.

The football reasons were highlighted above, even in a top heavy running back room that features new free agent signing Tyler Allgeier and returning vet James Conner. Previous Day 2 pick Trey Benson is also on the roster.

Yet the allure from Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill to get more season tickets and jerseys sold + generating excitement for 2026 does loom large. While Love would add another playmaker to the mix, it's also hard to ignore Love's presence in a business manner as well