In the end, the Cardinals wanted the game-changer.
Yes, Monti Ossenfort knows about “premium” positions, and trying to find key players like tackles and edge rushers. And who knows, maybe if David Bailey had been on the board this might be a different conversation. But the Cardinals didn’t draft running back Jeremiyah Love in a vacuum. “We talked about the position,” Ossenfort said. “(We) understand all of that.”
The Cardinals were able to throw the ball last season with Jacoby Brissett. They just couldn’t run it effectively, and injuries to both the O-line room and the running back room were part of that. Quarterback is still a question — more on that in a second — and you’d still think QB will be a pick sometime Friday or Saturday.
But to think the Cardinals took Love without drilling down on all the pros and cons, that’s just disingenuous. Not with the kind of money that Love will earn. They believe this is the first step in a leap forward on offense.
— Ossenfort addressed the report that Brissett is looking for a contract upgrade. Brissett has not been at voluntary workouts yet — Ossenfort emphasized it is only voluntary — and with Ty Simpson going in the first round to the Rams, it becomes that much more likely the 2026 QB will be Brissett (although the Cardinals aren’t saying whether Brissett or Gardner Minshew will start.)
“Both Mike and I have had good dialogue with Jacoby,” Ossenfort said. “Obviously, this is the voluntary portion of everything. We’ll continue to have conversations with Jacoby, but things are in a good spot.”
— Love will arrive soon in Arizona and have his press conference Friday morning. As for who his new teammate might be when the Cardinals pick second in the second round today? That’s a fascinating question. If you go by NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s top 10 players left at the moment, you have four defensive backs, two off-ball linebackers, two edge rushers, a defensive lineman and a wide receiver.
Going defense for a unit that could use front seven help makes sense. Those defenders on Jeremiah’s list in order of best first include Clemson edge T.J. Parker, Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald, and Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
The next two offensive linemen on Jeremiah’s leftover list are Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis and Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon, but they are 20th and 24th on the rundown. Will be interesting to see what Ossenfort does.
