Jeremiyah Love wasn't yet 2 years old when the Cardinals went into the 2007 NFL Draft with the No. 5 pick decided to take tackle Levi Brown and pass on running back Adrian Peterson.
History did not repeat Thursday night, when, picking at No. 3 overall, the Cardinals decided to take Love – the running back who most considered the best player in this year's class.
He is the first running back taken in the top 5 since the Giants took Saquon Barkley No. 2 in 2018.
"I have the opportunity to really set a new standard for running backs," Love said on a conference call from the draft in Pittsburgh. "We've already had Saquon, we've had Bijan (Robinson, picked 8th in 2023), we've had Ashton Jeanty (6th in 2025), and now you have me. It's my job and my duty that when I set foot in Arizona I do what I gotta do to represent in the right way."
After the Raiders took quarterback Fernando Mendoza first and the Jets snared pass rusher David Bailey. The Cardinals looked into a potential trade but ultimately decided that sticking with 3 and taking the universally loved Love was the best choice.
Love averaged 6.9 yards a carry with 17 touchdowns rushing in 2024 and followed up in 2025 with another 6.9 yards per carry, 18 more rushing touchdowns. He also averaged more than 10 yards on his 27 receptions with another three touchdowns.
The Cardinals just signed Tyler Allgeier to a two-year free-agent contract and worked out James Conner's deal to keep the veteran in Arizona. They still have 2024 third-round pick Trey Benson. But Love will jump to the top of the depth chart as a dynamic backfield option for first-year coach Mike LaFleur and his new offensive scheme.
"I expect them to have a great plan for the offense," Love said. "So no matter if it's 20 carries (for me) or 15 carries or 10 carries, no matter what it is, we're going to do great things."
Love to the Cardinals had been pushed nationally hard over the past few days. It was no smokescreen. Love said he was not surprised the Cardinals took him, noting he had "great dialogue" with GM Monti Ossenfort as the two clicked.
Once the Jets took Bailey, Love was confident his name would be next, thanks to his Ossenfort conversations.
"I love him, he loves me, and we're going to make this relationship work," Love said. "We're going to do some great things."
The Cardinals, with injuries to Conner and Benson last season as well as much of the offensive line, struggled to run the ball all season. They averaged 4.3 yards a carry but gained just 93.1 yards a game.
That will change with a running back room now filled with Love.
"I'm still on the hunt for something for something greater than this," Love said of his draft status. "That hunt is never going to stop."
More to come on azcardinals.com after Ossenfort and LaFleur meet with the media.
