The 2026 NFL Draft featured surprising picks, notably Jeremiyah Love by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3. This choice has sparked significant debate among analysts and fans.
Key points
2026 NFL Draft featured surprising picks
Jeremiyah Love picked by Arizona Cardinals at No. 3
Controversy surrounds Love's selection
First round took place on April 23
Pre-draft narratives often fade during the draft
Jeremiyah LoveArizona Cardinals
Every NFL draft class has a way of quickly laying waste to long-held expectations.
All the rankings, projections and mock drafts that fill out the monthslong pre-draft process tend to quickly fall by the wayside once the picks start coming in. And when this year's first round began on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh, it didn't take long for the pre-draft narratives to fade away as the order took shape.
Still, some moves left teams' decision-makers subject to some justified second-guessing.
When word first began trickling out this week that the Cardinals were zeroing in on Love, it seemed like classic pre-draft misdirection.
How could a team that lacked any sort of resolution along its front or behind center skip ahead in a roster build and take a top-tier running back? With Arizona also broadcasting its interest in trading back, perhaps the team was simply trying to gin up interest in a deal that would better position the front office to take an offensive tackle later in the order.
No smokescreen here. Now, a team not far along in its reset finds itself in possession of a ball carrier who enters the league as one of the highest-priced players at his position.
On its face, that's bad business in an event in which teams typically mine for cost-controlled young talent at premium positions.
But the decision becomes even harder to square when accounting for the Cardinals' current offensive composition. Yes, Arizona finished 31st in rushing last year and couldn't generate the explosive plays for which Love has become known. But a rookie back alone has exceedingly little control over fixing a ground game on his own, as the Raiders' woes with Ashton Jeanty last year reinforced. Some might tout Love as a supposed all-purpose "offensive weapon," but how much additional value can he provide to an attack that already runs through and should be bringing along and ? And with set to return as the starting quarterback, running room might be tough to come by.
Q&A
Why was Jeremiyah Love's pick by the Arizona Cardinals controversial?
Jeremiyah Love's selection at No. 3 raised eyebrows due to the high cost and expectations associated with such an early draft position.
What were the most questionable picks in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The article highlights five questionable picks, with Jeremiyah Love's selection being the most notable.
When did the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft take place?
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft occurred on Thursday, April 23.
How do pre-draft rankings compare to actual NFL draft picks?
Pre-draft rankings and projections often become irrelevant as teams make unexpected choices during the draft.
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Good thing Love has mastered the hurdle in the open field. He's probably going to need it.
Love very well could become a highly productive back. Still, there might not have been a team in the top 10 in a worse position to take advantage of what he can offer. This felt like a dessert-first kind of move for a roster suffering from malnutrition.
When the Rams secured this pick from the Falcons a year ago, it seemed as though it might provide a prime opportunity for Sean McVay and Les Snead to secure a successor to Matthew Stafford. Then, the quarterback class thinned out to Fernando Mendoza and little else. And along the way, Los Angeles affirmed its commitment to gearing its resources toward another Super Bowl run for the reigning NFL MVP.
In some respects, Simpson is a sensible solution for a team that lacked a transition plan behind center. The Alabama signal-caller displays the clean footwork one would expect of a coach's son, and his lack of experience (15 starts) won't prove as troublesome in a situation where he can sit and wait for a year or more.
But the fit here is still strange in myriad other ways. At 6-1 and 211 pounds with arm strength that's middling at best, Simpson profiles as a physically limited offensive catalyst. Pursuing and embracing Stafford as the team's triggerman was a direct effort to move outside of that box.
Maybe this works out and the Rams avoid the rebuild phase that so many other contenders have to endure. But the Rams might feel themselves bumping up against Simpson's ceiling not long after he takes over, and the opportunity cost here was significant.
Equipping Brian Flores with a 6-6, 327-pound missile off the line of scrimmage might seem like a surefire way for Minnesota's defense to up its chaos quotient. Ultimately, the move might end up doing that in the wrong way.
When he's healthy and locked in, Banks is easily the most talented and disruptive defensive tackle in this class. He's a load for any offensive tackle to keep at bay, and he's nimble enough to put himself in position to finish off plays in the backfield rather than just throw them off course.
Part of the problem: He rarely actually does so, with missed tackles an all-too-common problem. That's just one facet of the inconsistency that has come to define Banks' game. His subpar hand usage and leverage also allow less athletically gifted opponents to neutralize him without much trouble. And with two significant foot injuries sidelining him for much of the last year, his ability to stay on the field will loom large over his pro future.
Las Vegas Raiders – QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft brings franchise‑defining moments as teams make their selections from the top of the board.
See how picks 1 through 32 came off the clock as the next generation of NFL talent enters the league.
New York Jets – OLB/DE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Arizona Cardinals − RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Tennessee Titans − WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
New York Giants − LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns) − CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Washington Commanders − LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
New Orleans Saints − WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs) − OL Spencer Fano, Utah
Giants (from Cincinnati Bengals) − OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins) − S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys) − OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) − QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
Baltimore Ravens − G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Tampa Bay Buccaneers − DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) − TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Detroit Lions − OT Blake Miller, Clemson
Minnesota Vikings − DL Caleb Banks, Florida
Carolina Panthers − OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
Philadelphia Eagles (from Green Bay Packers via Cowboys) − WR Makai Lemon, USC
Pittsburgh Steelers − OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
Los Angeles Chargers − DE/OLB Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)
Cowboys (from Eagles) − DE Malachi Lawrence, Central Florida
Miami's new regime literally went big with its first pick.
At 6-7 and 352 pounds, Proctor is a truly mountainous blocker. He can eradicate opponents in both the run game and aerial attack when everything is truly clicking for him.
This past season, however, laid bare what happens when there are lapses. Proctor can easily get out of sync, allowing defenders to snake past him. His weight management has also been a point of contention in his career, and former Alabama coach Nick Saban raised some eyebrows with his pre-draft remark that Proctor was "not really a self-starter."
New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan this offseason cited left tackle Patrick Paul and center Aaron Brewer as two of the core pieces in the Dolphins' rebuild. He might envision Proctor as a third along the front, but he's nowhere near reliable enough to earn consideration as such right out of the gate.
Take this as a vote of confidence in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to get the most out of a player who's yet to fully deliver.
While drawing double teams and operating in a capacity that didn't always position him to make plays, Woods showed sporadic flashes of promise early in his career at Clemson. That led many to bill him as a potential top-five pick entering the 2025 campaign. Then, things went sideways for Woods and his teammates, as he and the rest of the defense didn't take the step forward so many had envisioned for them.
Woods can be utilized more effectively at the next level by Spagnuolo, who can be a force multiplier on stunts. But the Chiefs were due for true difference-makers along the defensive line, and they looked well-situated to grab one with either of their two first-round picks. With his short arms and lack of development as a pass rusher, Woods doesn't clear that bar.