Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey, and Jahmyr Gibbs are three elite backs who are equally as dangerous in the passing game as they are as explosive runners.
The Arizona Cardinals are hoping rookie Jeremiyah Love is the next game-changing three-down back to join that group. They essentially need him to, in order to return value on the steep No. 3 overall draft investment at a position typically viewed as relatively replaceable.
Jeremiyah Love isn't your typical running back
Love showcased that three-down skill set at Notre Dame, so much so that the Cardinals front office was willing to overlook the positional value in pursuit of franchise-altering talent.
As a junior at Notre Dame, Love finished with 1,372 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns on just 199 carries, averaging a Madden-like 6.9 yards per carry.
He wasn't quite as utilized in the receiving game, totaling 27 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns. In total, 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns.
He even finished third in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting, behind quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia. Mendoza won the award and rightfully so, but the fact that Love is right there behind him not only in voting but also in the draft shows these are the two standout offensive players in this 2026 draft class.
Say what you will about the opportunity cost of addressing a more valuable position. Still, game-changing backs like CMC, Robinson, and Gibbs have shown that running back can be an incredibly valuable position if the back is versatile enough.
The Cardinals' patience will pay off
Love has been relatively quiet through his first two weeks with the Cardinals. Not only was he coming back from a high-ankle sprain suffered in the preseason, but head coach Mike LaFleur has also made it a point of emphasis to preserve the Cardinals' steep draft investment.
Even at full strength, he won't be utilized as a bell-cow back, with former Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier already playing a key role, averaging 11 carries per game early on in the season.
That's ultimately the right decision, as the Cardinals, with no realistic playoff aspirations, want to be patient with Love and make sure he's healthy when they actually have a roster built for a deep postseason run.
That's one downside of this draft selection: the injury risk at running back compared to other investments Arizona could've made. But early on, it looks like LaFleur and the rebuilding Cardinals have the right approach to prioritize Love's future.
Love could be the league's next elite running back
It's also already encouraging that, through two games, Love has showcased that three-down skillset, giving him the potential to be one of the league's next elite running backs. That's a huge and much-needed upgrade for the Cardinals, who ranked 31st in rushing yards per game last season.
In the short term, that gives the Cardinals a dynamic one-two punch of Allgeier as more of the bruiser and Love more of the finesse back. Not to say Love can't do that as effectively as Allgeier; he'd arguably already be better at it. But to preserve Love, it makes sense for Allgeier to take the wear and tear through the regular season while Love provides the dimension Allgeier can't in the passing game.
While Cardinals fans and fantasy managers are eager to unleash Love, that would be a myopic decision for a rebuilding team that continues to play the long game. When the timing is right, we can see the Cardinals shift to Love as more of their bell-cow back.
We've seen that this season around the league. Gibbs is thriving in Detroit with David Montgomery out of the picture. Robinson is finding similar, if not more, success in Atlanta without Allgeier.
That time will eventually come for Love, solidifying his place in that tier of elite running backs capable of changing the game both on the ground and through the air.
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