With yet another 2026 NFL Mock Draft pegging Jeremiyah Love to the Arizona Cardinals, a firestorm has erupted over the Notre Dame football team’s star running back. There’s no doubt that he’s talented enough to go Top 3. Most analysts think he’s the best player in the draft. What is in debate is whether a team that’s bad enough to have a Top 3 pick should select a running back.
ESPN’s Peter Schrager just released his own mock draft days ahead of Thursday’s big day. He’s the latest to predict the Cardinals selecting Love. However, he hedged his bets a bit when explaining this particular spot in the draft.
Concerns have been raised that selecting Jeremiyah Love may not be the best choice for the Arizona Cardinals.
“This could be a trade-down spot, and I believe Arizona is listening. Teams like the Chiefs and Saints could have interest in getting into position to take Reese. But I also think the Cardinals could just take Love,” Schrager wrote about the Notre Dame star. “Again, forget about positional value this year -- most people see him as the top player in the draft, and he could be a jolt to the Cards' offense. Love moves the needle for a team trying to get back in the mix in a crowded NFC West.”
The talk since Love to the Cardinals began has been less about what he can do for the historically awful franchise and more about how they need to avoid the mistake of the Fighting Irish star.
Notre Dame star should go somewhere besides the desert
The argument can be boiled down quite simply, as Justin Carter of Fansided wrote recently. “DO. NOT. DRAFT. A. RUNNING. BACK. IN. THE. TOP. FIVE. UNLESS. ALL. YOUR. DUCKS. ARE. IN. A. ROW. FIRST. Seriously — Jeremiyah Love is great, but those two teams in particular drafting him would be dooming themselves to mediocrity, and dooming Love to five years of losing before he could leave for greener pastures.”
Other analysts have the same outlook, some saying the Cardinals should “eat their vegetables” before taking Love. Those who don’t believe the Notre Dame star should go to Arizona are all in basic agreement. He’s a stellar player, but the Cards have too many holes to draft a position that isn’t a huge need.
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