INDIANAPOLIS – When Mike LaFleur was in his first year as offensive coordinator with the New York Jets in 2021, his leading running back was Michael Carter.
That's the same Carter that, at least for now, is part of the roster LaFleur inherited when he became head coach of the Cardinals, and the same Carter who led the injury-ravaged Cardinals with 333 yards rushing in 2025.
In his time as an NFL assistant, LaFleur's teams have had a number of different running backs who have led the offense. In Atlanta, it was Devonta Freeman, who had 1,000 yards when the Falcons made the Super Bowl. When he was winning with the 49ers, San Francisco used a combination of Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida. Carter was joined by rookie Breece Hall in LaFleur's second season with the Jets. And with the Rams, Kyren Williams was a 1,000-yard find in the fifth round, and Blake Corum also shined.
None of those players were first-round picks, although LaFleur did watch Christian McCaffrey dominate in the NFC West last season.
"It's a great question," LaFleur said. "I do think through experience, I take it as they come in all shapes and sizes. You try to pigeon-hole yourself, I need this one-foot-slash guy, certain size, certain speed, it's that one particular position … they come in all shapes and sizes for the running back position, I've really kind of taken to that over the years."
The Cardinals have their own questions at the position before the draft even arrives. For a multitude of reasons, the running game fell off sharply in 2025, in part because 1,000-yard rusher James Conner was lost in Week 3 with a serious foot injury which he is still rehabbing.
Carter is due to be a free agent, as are fellow running backs Emari Demercado and Bam Knight. Trey Benson has had both of his first two seasons cut short with injuries. Conner has been the heart and soul of the offense and the locker room, but he heads into the final year of his contract not only coming off the injury but turns 31 in May – a confluence of factors that inevitably leads to front office discussion.
"We've had some injuries in that room," GM Monti Ossenfort said. "Those guys are in the same bucket – they are in the facility, they are rehabbing, they are all in different stages of recovery. That's true for J.C., that's true for Benson. When they are ready to get them back on the grass, they'll be out there."
How the Cardinals build their running back roster for 2026 is to be determined. The Cardinals just spent a third-round pick on Benson in 2024. Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is the top running back in the 2026 draft class, but he will not be the Cardinals' pick at 3 and he won't be around by the time the Cardinals pick again in the second round.
Dane Brugler, The Athletic's draft analyst, said this year's class is light at both running back and quarterback – a rare occurrence when both happen – and he only has six of those two positions combined in his top 100 players.
He also said there was a "huge dropoff" from Love to the rest of the running back class.
There had been some speculation the Cardinals might chase Hall in free agency, given his ties to LaFleur and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, but Jets GM Darren Mougey said this week New York will use either the franchise or transition tag to make sure they keep the running back.
The top running back scheduled to be available would be Seahawks Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, although spending top dollar on a free-agent running back seems unlikely. Among other options are Travis Etienne and Kenneth Gainwell.
LaFleur hasn't said exactly what his offense in Arizona will look like, not surprisingly. The Cardinals must decide on who their QB1 will be, to begin with. LaFleur noted too when the Rams opened the season last year, there was no way of knowing they would evolve into tight end-heavy 13 personnel, and the Cardinals need to see where the offense "organically" goes.
There will be a need for an uptick in the running game, however, whoever is in the room with him this time around.
The Cardinals have some "fun pieces" on offense, LaFleur said, but "our job is to continue to add even more pieces."
