TEMPE, Ariz. — The 2026 NFL draft began in Pittsburgh on Thursday and will conclude Saturday after Rounds 4-7.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick.
Here’s a list of the Cardinals’ selections and what you need to know about them.
Round 1, No. 3: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
My take: Drafting Love showed that the Cardinals were committed to taking the best player available. Love was considered by some to be the best prospect in the entire 2026 draft class, and general manager Monti Ossenfort stuck with his plan to take the best players available, even if the selection doesn’t fit the team’s top needs. But this draft isn’t necessarily for this season, but rather a buildup to 2027. Love can help take new coach Mike LaFleur’s offense to another level this season.
Will he start as a rookie? Yes. A team doesn’t draft a running back third, granting him the most guaranteed money of any running back in history, for him not to start. This isn’t a position where Love can sit and learn from James Conner — but he can learn from him every day in practice and in the meeting room. Love will instantly be a core player in the Cardinals’ offense, which now features him, Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride and Michael Wilson.
Key stat: The Cardinals averaged 93.1 rushing yards per game last season, second fewest in the NFL. Arizona’s nine rushing touchdowns were tied for the second fewest in the NFL. Arizona was the only team in the NFL last season whose running backs had less than 300 carries total. There’s a reason why: Conner got hurt in Week 3 and Trey Benson got hurt in Week 4, and neither returned for the season. Love, alone, averaged 114.3 yards per game last season and rushed for 18 touchdowns during his last season at Notre Dame.
Round 2, No. 34: Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
My take: The Cardinals may have just found their next right guard or right tackle in Bisontis. Both are positions where they would be open to a new starter. Bisontis played the last two seasons at left guard but started his collegiate career at right tackle. He said the transition back to right tackle would be an easy move, if that were asked of him.
Key stat: Bisontis didn’t allow a sack in the last 18 games of his Texas A&M career, which he attributed to film study. Arizona needs to stop more defenses from getting to the quarterback and Bisontis is the type of player who can help the team do that.
Round 3, No. 65 overall: Carson Beck, QB, Miami
My take: Taking a flier on Beck, the former Georgia and Miami quarterback, in the third round is a low risk, high-reward decision. Beck can sit and learn behind veteran quarterbacks like Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II without the Cardinals having the pressure to play him if he had been a higher draft pick. And Beck has six years of college experience, which includes 43 starts, to refer to as he learns how to play in the NFL.
Will he start as a rookie? Not at first. The goal of drafting Beck wasn’t to make him the starter but to let him learn. But depending on how the season plays out, there is a possibility that Beck sees the field at some point after Thanksgiving at a minimum to see what the Cardinals have in him as they enter a quarterback-heavy draft in 2027.
Round 4, No. 104 overall: Kaleb Proctor, DT, SE Louisiana
My take: Proctor has some of the tangibles — and intangibles — to make an impact at the NFL level, but his size — 6-3, 280 — will be his biggest question mark as he attempts to earn time for a defense that needs a boost. However, as the Cardinals have targeted all draft, Proctor plays big in big games, finishing with two sacks and three TFLs against LSU last season.
Round 4, No. 143 overall: Reggie Virgil, WR, Texas Tech
My take: Virgil will start his career as a bottom-of-the-roster player who will try to win snaps during training camp. He finished his collegiate career with 1,583 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, but his production last season took a dip.
He finished last season with 57 catches for 705 yards and six touchdowns after generating 816 yards and nine touchdowns on 41 catches in 2024. Virgil will also be joining a very crowded and talented receiving room led by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
Round 6, No. 183 overall: Karson Sharar, LB, Iowa
My take: Sharar will come in as primarily a special teams player, who could see time at linebacker depending on his production and how injuries across the unit plays out. He doesn’t have a ton of college experience, starting just one season out of five at Iowa, but he led the Hawkeyes last season with 83 tackles and finished with four sacks.
Round 7, No. 217 overall: Jayden Williams, OT, Ole Miss
My take: Williams is a project for the Cardinals. If he works out, he could end up as a starter in a year or two. If he doesn’t, he could be a practice squad player. He needs work to fine-tune some of the skill that comes with being a right tackle in the NFL, but he has one thing that can’t be taught: Size. He’s 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds — a good place to start building.
