Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was asked about how No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love is progressing in the new offense, to which he responded, "I mean, he's definitely a rookie."
That raised an immediate red flag about whether this steep draft investment was going to be worthwhile, when Arizona clearly has other, more important positions of need left to address following a three-win season.
According to Darren Urban of ArizonaCardinals.com, Love eased some of those concerns when the Cardinals were able to play 11-on-11 on Tuesday. As Urban highlights, Love looked particularly effective when playing alongside the Cardinals' first-unit offense.
Cardinals get a better sense of Jeremiyah Love during 11-on-11
New head coach Mike LaFleur mentioned that the Cardinals won't be able to tackle until their first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 6, but he did add that Arizona was finally able to get a better sense of its offense in pads now that players were able to hit.
Underrated offseason signing Tyler Allgeier continues to be the starter in the first-unit, though it would be surprising if that remains the case when the Cardinals play meaningful regular season games.
Despite Hackett's comment, the Cardinals know they have a special talent on their hands in Love, and running back is typically one of the easiest positions in terms of a plug-and-play transition from college to the NFL.
For LaFleur, the challenging decision doesn't lie in determining the Week 1 starter -- it's how much he wants to use Love in his rookie campaign.
How much will the Cardinals rely on their rookie?
It's a unique position where they invested a No. 3 pick into a position that they are suddenly stacked in, between Love, Allgeier, James Conner, and Trey Benson. It's worth noting that Conner still isn't working 11-on-11, though Urban reported that Benson looked surprisingly good coming back from injury.
Love is talented enough to be a true bellcow to start the season, but he's also one of the most important players on this entire roster going forward. Given their lack of playoff expectations and depth at the position, you could also make a case to approach this season with more of a committee, preserving Love until the Cardinals are ready to make a playoff push.
Maybe the most realistic route is a combination of the two -- relatively limiting Love's touches to start the season and gradually bringing him into that bell cow role by year's end.
Regardless of what LaFleur decides, it's nice to have that luxury after the injury-riddled season the Cardinals just endured.
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