The Arizona Cardinals will soon enter an offseason full of uncertainty surrounding some of the most important spots on the team, including head coach and quarterback.
It's widely expected that the team will move on from starting quarterback Kyler Murray in 2026 and look for a new option there. But in his most recent mock draft, Vinnie Iyer of AllSportsPeople has the team going in a completely different direction by drafting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
"The Cardinals saw the breakdown early of pending free agent James Conner and have had an unhealthy mess of a committee trying to replace him. This may seem like a luxury pick for a team that has a lot of needs, but they can get some tackle help later and Love can be a game-changer for restoring balance and expanding the explosiveness", wrote Iyer.
There is no doubting Love's talent. He had a huge year for the Fightin' Irish, rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns this season before being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He is far and away the best running back in this class.
However, passing on a quarterback will be seen as a controversial decision. In Iyer's mock, the only quarterbacks off the board when the Cardinals select Love are Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore. That said, there are many analysts who feel those are the only two passers in this draft that should go in round one.
Under this plan, the Cardinals would either be sticking with Murray or drafting a quarterback later and likely opening the 2026 season with Jacoby Brissett under center.
The Cardinals definitely need to upgrade the running back position this offseason. James Conner is aging and Trey Benson has yet to show much and was out for most of the season with an injury, forcing the team to turn to the likes of Emari Demercado, Bam Knight and Michael Carter.
If this pick were to come to fruition, Love would be the highest running back drafted since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall in 2018.
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