Cardinals select Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love with No. 3 pick as they start rebuild under LaFleur

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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals bucked recent draft wisdom when they selected Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, making him the highest selected running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018.

Love said he wasn't surprised at all — particularly after a talk with Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort last week that made him feel like the desert was a real possibility.

“I’m not going to get into the specifics of it, but we had a great conversation,” Love said. “I love him. He loves me. And we’re going to make this relationship work.”

The Cardinals and first-year coach Mike LaFleur picked up arguably the best offensive playmaker on the board when they selected the Fighting Irish star. The 6-foot, 212-pound unanimous All-America selection ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final college season while also catching three TDs.

The 20-year-old followed that electric junior year with a standout performance at the combine, running a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. Now he joins a short list of running backs selected in the top 10 over the past decade that includes Barkley, Leonard Fournette, Bijan Robinson and Ashton Jeanty.

“It is my job and it is my duty to make sure that when I step foot in Arizona that I do what I got to do to represent the running backs and represent Arizona in the right way,” Love said.

Arizona finished with a 4-13 record last season, but now has an intriguing group of young skill position players that includes Love, All-Pro tight end Trey McBride and receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.

There's little doubt about Love's talent, but there's also a question if he's the best fit for the Cardinals, who already have a crowded running back room with James Conner, Tyler Allgeier and Trey Benson.

The Cardinals had been connected to Love in recent days, but many pundits thought they would be better served finding an edge rusher to pair with veteran Josh Sweat. Ohio State edge Arvell Reese was still on the board when the Cardinals picked, but the franchise elected to go with a running back that some have compared to three-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey or Robinson.

Reese ended up going to the New York Giants at No. 5.

It's a big moment for LaFleur, who was hired to replace Jonathan Gannon after three years as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona hasn't made the playoffs since 2021 and has lost at least 13 games in three of the past four seasons.

It's also an important selection for Ossenfort, the fourth-year GM who has a mixed track record on first-round selections over three seasons. He took left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the No. 6 pick in 2023, and the Ohio State star has developed into a franchise cornerstone.

Ossenfort took another Ohio State product in Harrison with the No. 4 pick in 2024 and the receiver has been good, but not great, during his time with the Cardinals. His No. 27 pick in the same draft — Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson — has had two injury-filled, disappointing seasons.

Last year, the Cardinals took Mississippi defensive lineman Walter Nolen III at No. 16. He showed promise in limited playing time, but missed most of his rookie year with injuries.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL