It’s anyone's guess on what the Arizona Cardinals will do with the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft, as there are more weaknesses than strengths on their roster.
For starters, the team needs to determine what the plan is regarding their decision on a new head coach. Granted, a lot of the candidates they’d want to interview are still coaching in the playoffs, but there are also candidates on their list that are more than available to be interviewed as soon as…right now. Players won’t want to come to Arizona if there is no coach, and it’s up to Monti Ossenfort to get this done.
Aside from the head coach, the team has questions at quarterback, running back, and offensive line. There are also smaller needs, like adding a second linebacker or safety.
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Cardinals select Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
The Cardinals saw three season-ending injuries to their running back room across the 2025 season. First, they lost their lead back, James Conner, to a severe leg/foot injury in Week 3. The team also lost Trey Benson and Bam Knight to injuries of their own.
With how beat up this group is, it makes sense for them to find a new, fresh running back to lead the group. And there is no better way to meet that goal than by selecting Jeremiyah Love, the best running back in this year’s draft class.
Love, 20, finished with 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in his junior year, earning him a third-place finish in the Heisman Trophy Award voting.
Bob Rang, who created the mock draft, said the following on why the Cardinals would draft Love.
“Losers of nine consecutive games to end the season and seemingly ready to move on from Kyler Murray, the Cardinals are a dark horse candidate for a splashy trade up for a quarterback, but I can’t ignore the more immediate impact that a stellar running back like Love could provide.”
It goes without saying that it is risky to take a running back so high in the draft, as they are easily replaceable and burn out pretty quickly. However, if you use Saquon Barkley (2018), Jahmyr Gibbs (2023), or Bijan Robinson (2024) as examples, it is easy to see why general managers take these risks.
Will Ossenfort follow this approach? Only time will tell.