Love’s draft stock rises
Scouting chatter has Jeremiyah Love’s draft stock rising, with some analysts floating the possibility he could go as high as No. 3 to the Cardinals. (Social‑media draft buzz and GM mock reactions tracked Love’s climb and positional valuation debates.) (Those conversations also included advice to ignore positional scarcity when evaluating top defensive backs this year.) (x.com)(x.com)
Jeremiyah Love has moved into top-five NFL draft territory, with multiple analysts now connecting the Notre Dame running back to Arizona at No. 3. (nfl.com) National Football League Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah mocked Love to the Cardinals with the third pick on March 17, and ESPN reported in early March that Love had “cemented” top-five status after the scouting combine. Arizona owns the No. 3 selection in the 2026 draft after a 3-14 season. (nfl.com) (espn.com) (nfl.com) Love’s case starts with production and speed. He ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games for Notre Dame in 2025, finished third in Heisman Trophy voting, and then posted a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the combine. (cfbstats.com) (sports-reference.com) (nfl.com) The draft argument is less about whether Love is the top running back in this class than whether a team should spend a premium pick on the position. ESPN’s draft projections called him the only 2026 running back in that outlet’s BackCAST model to clear a 40 percent success threshold. (espn.com) Arizona’s roster gives that debate a real team context. The Cardinals reworked James Conner’s deal to keep him for 2026, but ESPN and the team’s official site both reported the move as a one-year arrangement for a 30-year-old back entering his ninth National Football League season. (espn.com) (azcardinals.com) (spotrac.com) Not every mock sends Love to Arizona. CBS Sports also placed him in the top five this week, while Fox Sports published a mock six days ago with Love sliding lower in the first round, a split that reflects how teams weigh running backs against quarterbacks, tackles and pass rushers. (cbssports.com) (foxsports.com) The Cardinals’ own draft buzz has pointed in more than one direction. ESPN’s Arizona draft notebook said the club has seven picks and is still being discussed around several positions, while Yahoo’s Cardinals coverage described a path where Arizona could trade down instead of taking Love at No. 3. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) What has changed is that Love is no longer being discussed as a late first-round luxury pick. With the draft set for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, the question is now whether Arizona — or another team picking early — treats him like one of the class’s best players, not just its best running back. (nfl.com) (espn.com)
