GLENDALE – Despite being months removed from the 2026 NFL Draft, experts are still confused about the Arizona Cardinals first-round selection. With the third overall pick, the franchise selected Norte Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to quite a polarizing reaction. After a 3-14 season, many analysts believed Arizona would address other issues like offensive line and edge, but it decided to focus on a skill position.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The decision led to many pundits criticizing the selection, with ESPN’s Seth Walder being the latest name to throw shade. Walder compared drafting Love just above selecting a punter third overall because of positional importance to a football team.
Jeremiyah Love (4) practices during Cardinals minicamp on June 9, 2026, in Tempe. Syndication: Arizona Republic
Walder on Love being taken third:
Walder gave the Cardinals a D for their offseason moves, ranking the Love selection as his least favorite. He made it clear the low grade isn’t because of the 21-year-old’s talents, but his price tag at running back is too much. The All-American is already the seventh-highest paid running back in the NFL. Walder sees that as a problem because Arizona could’ve easily found a viable halfback in free agency for a quarter of the price.
Given the pre-draft hype, Love coming in his rookie season and being a top-seven running back in the league isn’t otherworldly. Many experts has rated Love as one of the best halfback prospects in years and has all the tools to succeed. The Cardinals did sit in the penultimate spot in rushing yards per game in 2025, so running back was in dire need of an upgrade as much as offensive line and edge rusher like Walder stated.
Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) during rookie mini-camp on May 8, 2026, at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe, Ariz.
Summarizing Love’s impact to a punter undersells how truly special the rookie’s potential can be in 2026. Arizona did spend resources to upgrade the offensive line, spending a second-round on Chase Bisontis and big money on Isaac Seumalo. The line is a capable unit and should give Love the opportunity to prove Walder’s assessment very wrong.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
