There is a lot of smoke about Jeremiyah Love to the Arizona Cardinals . What chaos should we expect when the 2026 NFL Draft begins?
Judging by much of the reporting at the start of the week about the 2026 NFL Draft , one thing has become very apparent: Chaos is on the horizon, and there are very few certainties when the games begin on Thursday night. With so many conflicting reports surfacing, soon we will know what was real, what was posturing, and what was false altogether.
Two of the biggest topics of conversation centered around the Arizona Cardinals and their interest in former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love . In a report from ESPN Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, he discussed the Cardinals ' high interest in Love and the potential for them to take him at No. 3 overall.
Schefter also commented on the Cardinals' intrigue in potentially trading back from the pick, a scenario that many had already theorized about. With so many holes on the roster for head coach Mike LeFleur and general manager Monti Ossenfort , adding some additional draft capital would make a lot of sense.
"There is growing chatter in league circles that Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is in play with Arizona at No. 3 overall," Schefter wrote. "Ideally, the Cardinals would like to find a team willing to trade up so they can acquire more picks, and there have already been "exploratory" calls, as one source described it, regarding the No. 3 selection. But if the Cardinals hold on to their pick, some around the league believe they could pull an early draft surprise and select Love."
After Schefter reported the Love interest and the potential for Cardinals movement, A to Z Sports Titans reporter Easton Freeze and I began reaching out to verify the legitimacy of that report. According to sources both in the league and near the Love camp, there is a lot of fire here.
In speaking with one team picking in the top-5 of the NFL Draft, A to Z Sports was told Arizona's supposed interest in Love is being treated as very real in their front office. Their rookie coach is the offensive play caller, the owner needs to sell jerseys and build excitement, and it's easy to argue he's simply the best football player in the draft.
An additional source close to the Love camp verified the interest on their side. The Cardinals have been aggressive in their communication, having had multiple touchpoints with the former Fighting Irish star. Along with the Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders , among others, the Love camp has been swamped with a ton of interest around the league. They are preparing themselves for that No. 3 overall selection, the beginning of the window for where Love could come off the board.
If the Cardinals decide to stick at No. 3, the interest in Love feels very, very real. Freeze and I have both been able to verify that the Cardinals are indeed exploring trade back options. While they like Love, and there appears to also be an affinity for Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa , it is very possible that they just aren't comfortable with those options with the No. 3 selection.
It seems their GM's top priority remains trading out of the pick, the original team source emphasized. The loud chatter about Arizona's determination to move back is legit.
One additional source for a team inside the top-15 verified that the Cardinals appear to be eyeing a move. There are already some feelers being put out there. While there is no guarantee that a trade will happen, especially in a 2026 class that lacks elite talent at premium positions, there is clearly an intention to see what options may be out there.
Even if you don't follow the draft closely, you know that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is going to go with the No. 1 overall selection to the Las Vegas Raiders . With the New York Jets at No. 2, it is going to be between Ohio State defender Arvell Reese or Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey . Those are the things we know right now.
When Arizona gets on the clock, all bets are off. They could stick and pick someone like Love, or a trade could happen. They could also go off the wall and select someone we aren't expecting. Nobody seems to have a strong gauge on what the Cardinals are planning to do.
If the Cardinals pass on either Reese or Bailey, whoever is available, then that player will become the favorite for the Titans with the No. 4 selection. It will be interesting to see how far Love could slide if that does happen. There are so many hypotheticals to consider and unknowns about where Ariozna could go. They really do hold the key to some early chaos on Thursday night.
