The Arizona Cardinals' running back room was a glaring roster weakness last season, suffering one injury after another. With James Conner, Trey Benson, and Bam Knight all going down with season-ending injuries, this team was practically bringing fans down from the stands to run the ball.
Arizona averaged 93.1 rushing yards per game, ranking 31st ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders. Fortunately, they should be drastically better in that department next season, turning this from a weakness to a strength.
Not only did Arizona invest a coveted No. 3 overall selection into Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, but they also brought in Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier, arguably one of the most underrated backs in the league.
Cardinals suddenly have one of the best running back rooms in the NFL
Say what you will about the opportunity cost of spending a top pick at the running back position, but there's no denying Love's talent. In fact, he currently has the best odds to win Rookie of the Year (+400) on DraftKings Sportsbook, even ahead of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza (+425).
Arizona is assembling one of the most talented groups of skill players in the league, as their running back room has finally caught up to their elite group of pass catchers. Will that be a winning formula? Probably not.
They still need to address their offensive line and, most importantly, the quarterback position with Jacoby Brissett still holding out. It's somewhat of a backward approach to roster building. Still, the hope is once the Cardinals land their quarterback of the future, he'll immediately be put in a position to succeed with all these weapons at his disposal.
It also helps that Love is a true three-down back given his pass-catching abilities. Game script is something that won't be in Arizona's favor anytime soon, but they should still be able to get Love involved as a weapon if they have to play from behind.
Another reason for optimism is the relatively increased value of running backs around the league. We've seen Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Saquon Barkley almost singlehandedly change their respective offenses in their new homes. It's not far-fetched to say Love could soon find himself in that tier of elite and game-changing running backs sooner rather than later.
Between Love and Allgeier, hopefully it's a similar one-two punch to what was formed in Atlanta, with Allgeier offering a change of pace to Bijan Robinson. Barring injury, the Cardinals should have one of the best running back groups in football. A drastic yet pleasant change to the struggles they had last season.
Now, it's only a matter of building a playoff contender while they still have this group. Running backs have short shelf lives, and the Cardinals need to find a way to optimize this window.
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