The Arizona Cardinals have plenty of options at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft. Arizona enters the draft with the third overall pick, which should land them a blue chip player. Opinions are split around the league on the Cardinals grabbing one offensive weapon at the top of the draft.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added even more fuel to the rumors that Arizona could draft Jeremiyah Love in the first round.
“I think he’s going in the top five… I believe his window starts at three,” Rapoport said on Tuesday via Fitz & Whit. “If the Arizona Cardinals take him at three, it’s sort of like they take him over some great defensive players. They take him over a tackle, Francisc Mauigoa, who’s got a bit of a back issue but I think he will be fine. They take him because he is a great player.”
However, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe shared that some teams believe the hype is all a smokescreen.
“There’s been late buzz connecting the Cardinals to running back Jeremiyah Love, but some teams believe it’s a smokescreen to generate trade interest,” Howe wrote. “The Cardinals need too much help elsewhere to select a back, especially since they don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback or enough of an offensive line to complement Love.”
Howe paired the Cardinals with edge rusher David Bailey in the same article. Love went off the board at four to the Titans.
Much of the attention around Arizona leading up to the draft has centered on drafting Alabama QB Ty Simpson. However, the rumors about the Notre Dame product have gotten steadily louder over the past two weeks.
It will be fascinating to see if these Love rumors are fact or fiction on Thursday night.
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