The contract numbers were among the reasons the Cardinals’ pick was looked at. Furthermore, for a team coming off a 3-14 season, conventional wisdom suggests Arizona has plenty to fill. The RB room wasn’t exactly considered one of those with James Conner and Trey Benson returning and Tyler Allgeier joining as a free agent.
In the end, general manager Monti Ossenfort and rookie head coach Mike LaFleur couldn’t pass up such a special talent as Love.
In his final two seasons at Notre Dame, Love scored an FBS-leading 40 touchdowns with 3,014 scrimmage yards and 7.2 yards per touchdown.
Love’s selection matched Garrison Hearst (No. 3; 1993) as the highest draft pick in franchise history during the Common Draft Era.
Just the sixth pick taken in the top 10 of the last 10 drafts, Love must make a case for full-time value with his talent, while also looking to lift the Cardinals out of the cellar and live up to sky-high public expectations.
One thing he doesn’t have to worry too much about is paying the bills. Twenty years old took care of those who were already in historical fashion.