Jeremiyah Love

NFL player. Position: RB. Team: ARI.

Quick Facts

Position: RB
Team: ARI (Arizona Cardinals)
Bye week (2026): 14
FantasyPros PPR rank (pulled 2026-05-21): 34

2026 Outlook

Clear 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts with "wide gap" to 1.02, per Sharp Football Analysis (Hribar), who calls Love "a special player capable of having multiple elite RB1 seasons." Went 3rd overall in 2026 NFL Draft (highest RB pick since Saquon Barkley). FantasyLife's Rookie Super Model ranks him 91.8 — 5th all-time. PFF puts him as the clear #1 dynasty rookie despite a sub-optimal Cardinals landing spot.

Mid-range RB2 with RB1 upside for 2026 redraft per Freedman, who has Love as his RB10. Rookie deal includes $50.5M guaranteed — a record for an RB. Workhorse 6'0"/212 frame, 4.35 forty.

Love posted 9.1 yards per carry against light boxes (six or fewer defenders) in 2025, the highest rate for a top-10 RB prospect in the last decade. His 4.2 yards after contact led this draft class, as did his 10.0 yards per rush when contacted beyond the line of scrimmage. Sharp Football Analysis calls him "a complete player" with exceptional athleticism (96th-percentile speed score) and elite mileage advantage (lowest career carries in his peer group). (per 2026 Fantasy Rookie Running Back Profiles: Pre-Draft Tiers)

The Cardinals landing spot is the wrinkle: Tyler Allgeier signed a 2yr/$12.3M deal, James Conner returns, and the team ranked bottom-10 in points scored and 4th-lowest in run-block grade (55.3) in 2025. PFF flags this as a real concern. Freedman projects 63% rush share, weighted toward historical top-10 pick trends. (per Rich Hribar's 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings)

Top-5 draft capital signals Arizona's clear intent to feature volume work, though the committee risk with Allgeier and Conner remains. The core question is how quickly Love becomes the engine driving the offense rather than a rotating piece. Despite the landing spot challenges, he's the cleanest redraft rookie RB bet in the 2026 class because of that capital and role clarity (per Top NFL Draft picks that will impact 2026 Fantasy Football). CBS Sports' post-draft mock valued Love as Round 3, pick 29 (RB15 overall), projecting him as high-end RB2 rather than top-10 back; competitive timeshare with Allgeier and Conner will suppress ceiling. (per 2026 Half-PPR Mock Draft: Post-draft rookie values) FOX Sports pegged Love as the obvious #3 overall pick with highest rushing upside (40 TDs over last two college seasons) but flagged Arizona's weak supporting cast and bad team script as ceiling risks—likely won't get Barkley-2018 volume on a 4-5 win team. (per 2026 NFL Draft: The 10 Rookies Who Could Make the Most Fantasy Football Impact)

However, FantasyPros highlights the environment risk: Arizona projects to play from behind often due to offensive line concerns and QB uncertainty, which could frustrate weekly workload patterns. Love likely delivers some massive fantasy performances, but the weekly ride could be frustrating—a cautionary tale similar to Ashton Jeanty's 2025 year where strong season-long numbers masked inconsistent weekly production. The comparison suggests Love may be a tougher evaluation than his draft capital initially suggests (per 11 Fantasy Football Busts to Avoid in 2026 Drafts).

Role / Depth Chart

Projected lead back in committee with a strong receiving role. Allgeier could siphon goal-line work — that's the TD-ceiling risk. Receiving game offers another lane: ranks 2nd among the draft's top-20 RBs in PFF receiving grade (79.2). Landing with Mike LaFleur (Jets OC 2025 who had Breece Hall averaging 5.8 yards per carry before Hall's mid-season ACL tear) is a positive coaching tie. CBS Sports calls it "either Jeremiyah Love or his former Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price" for All-Rookie RB, giving the edge to Love because of the Mike LaFleur system fit. Love is the consensus All-Rookie team RB selection (per 2026 NFL All-Rookie Team: Browns, Jets dominate early predictions of first-year standouts).

Love's ball security is elite: zero fumbles on 495 career touches (including one caught fumble he recovered himself vs. Boise State). PFF's overall grade of 95.2 ranks 2nd among top-10 RB prospects ahead of him, behind only Ashton Jeanty (96.1). Forced a missed tackle on 32.5% of contact-behind-the-line runs — highest in his comparison group. (per 2026 NFL Draft: How Jeremiyah Love stacks up against recent top-10 running backs)

Injury Status

Healthy.

Recent News

2026-05-14 — Los Angeles Rams 2026 schedule: Tough opening stretch highlights primetime-heavy slate... (Los Angeles Rams 2026 schedule: Tough opening stretch highlights primetime-heavy slate...)
2026-05-17 — 2026 NFL Schedule Release: 5 Storylines To Watch In Rams-Seahawks Christmas Game On FOX (2026 NFL Schedule Release: 5 Storylines To Watch In Rams-Seahawks Christmas Game On FOX)
2026-05-11 — Fantasy football buzz: Which players benefit most from Njoku, Jennings signings? (Fantasy football buzz: Which players benefit most from Njoku, Jennings signings?)
2026-05-28 — 2026 NFL Preview: Which 10 Players Are Most Likely To Benefit From Coaching Change? (2026 NFL Preview: Which 10 Players Are Most Likely To Benefit From Coaching Change?)
2026-05-15 — Saints 2026 schedule features tough start, Monday night home game with Falcons (Saints 2026 schedule features tough start, Monday night home game with Falcons)
2026-03-30 — NFC South Check-In, Post-Free Agency Rush: New Orleans Saints (NFC South Check-In, Post-Free Agency Rush: New Orleans Saints)
2026-05-26 — 2026 Schedule: Analyzing the Cowboys' 6 NFC Opponents - Dallas Cowboys (2026 Schedule: Analyzing the Cowboys' 6 NFC Opponents - Dallas Cowboys)
2026-05-27 — See Arizona Cardinals' 2026 organized team activities in photos (See Arizona Cardinals' 2026 organized team activities in photos)
2026-05-31 — 8 NFL Trades We’d Like To See After June 1 (8 NFL Trades We’d Like To See After June 1)
2026-05-28 — SI's 2026 Ranking of the NFL’s Coach-QB Duos (SI's 2026 Ranking of the NFL’s Coach-QB Duos)

Draft Evaluation & Team Interest

Multiple teams expressed serious interest in Love pre-draft. The New Orleans Saints sent their full coaching contingent to Notre Dame pro day in March 2026 to evaluate him, including HC Kellen Moore, OC Doug Nussmeier, and running backs coach Joel Thomas. Love met formally with Saints staff and expressed strong interest in joining the organization, noting he had "a lot of great conversations with all of them." However, Saints' signing of Travis Etienne in free agency signaled they did not expect Love to fall to the No. 8 pick. Love himself expressed confidence about his top-5 projection during the pro day interviews (per Running Backs Share Spotlight as Saints Staff Observe Notre Dame Pro Day and Saints' Latest Checklist: Run Game, Guard and Derek Carr).

Love's articulated career vision extends far beyond 2026: he emphasized wanting to play through three NFL contracts, earn multiple Pro Bowls, and eventually receive Hall of Fame consideration. This mindset suggests he's thinking long-term franchise fit and organizational culture fit (per Running Backs Share Spotlight as Saints Staff Observe Notre Dame Pro Day).

Open Questions

Does Allgeier eat into goal-line carries enough to cap Love's TD ceiling?
Can the Arizona offense generate enough volume to support a top-10 RB?
Does Carson Beck (3rd-round rookie QB) start any games and tank scoring?
Would Love have been a better fit on the Saints or a playoff contender than the Cardinals?

Sources

Worst draft ever The Athletic 2026 fantasy football dynasty mock draft
Fantasy Points brain trust 2026 favorite rookie landing spots
Freedman's Favorites 10 players to target for 2026 fantasy football
FantasyLife 2026 post-draft rookie rankings (Tier 1-5)
PFF 2026 dynasty rookie rankings Superflex (Post-Day 2)
Big Blue View 2026 rookie landing spots (Tyson best)
Steel Curtain top 2026 rookie fantasy team fits