Cardinals’ Jeremiyah Love joins 6 other top-10 RB picks in last decade

The Arizona Cardinals made the first shocking move of the 2026 NFL Draft by taking Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love third overall. Love is inarguably the best running back in this year’s draft class, and the dynamic player will surely boost the ailing offense.

The Cardinals’ decision to draft Love early in the 2026 NFL Draft is another instance of teams defying conventional draft logic regarding running backs. Over the last few years, it’s become less and less common for teams up high in the draft to take a running back. Most draft experts don’t think that burning a top-10 pick on an RB is worth it.

However, there have been a total of seven running backs taken in the top 10 over the last few years, with Love being the latest name on that list after being picked by the Cardinals. These players are Ezekiel Elliott in 2016, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey in 2017, Saquon Barkley in 2018, Bijan Robinson in 2023, and Ashton Jeanty last year, per Adam Schefter.

In addition, Love is only the third running back in the last 20 years to go in the top-3. The other two running backs to be picked that highly are Barkley and Trent Richardson in 2012. These two players have completely different career trajectories, which might worry some Cardinals fans about how Love will perform.

Love led all FBS running backs last season in production. He finished the year with 1372 rushing yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 18 rushing touchdowns. The Cardinals are hoping to see a similar output from Love once he’s in the pros. The Cardinals’ running back room was decimated last season with injuries, and Love should be an upgrade for them at the position.

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