ESPN’s Schrager links Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson to Cardinals in final mock draft
ESPN analyst Peter Schrager predicts the Arizona Cardinals to take Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson on Day 1.
Watch: How Mike LaFleur is changing how the Arizona Cardinals are running training camp | 10 mins
A little more than 24 hours remain before the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, and speculation around what the Arizona Cardinals will do on Day 1 continues to run rampant.
The latest guess from ESPN’s Peter Schrager sees the Cardinals opt for selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall before trading for the No. 32 overall pick and taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in his final mock draft published Wednesday.
Schrager has Arizona sending Nos. 34 and 183 to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for No. 32.
The analyst’s new mock draft is a sizable pivot from his last exercise on April 7 where he predicted the Cardinals taking Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. It also involves two prospects that have been frequently associated with the franchise over the past month.
Chatter around the Cardinals making the 2025 unanimous All-American a top-three selection has only picked up since Schrager himself stated that Love is a “wild card” to watch for on April 7.
Nearly two weeks later, Schrager’s ESPN colleague Adam Schefter discussed the growing belief within league circles of Arizona sticking and picking the running back.
The selection would come with concerns about potentially making him one of the highest-paid running backs in the league behind an offensive line that struggled in run blocking last season.
However, Love has also more than proved that he can be a game-changing weapon in the backfield with 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground combined in his last two seasons at Notre Dame.
This could be a trade-down spot, and I believe Arizona is listening. Teams like the Chiefs and Saints could have interest in getting into position to take Reese. But I also think the Cardinals could just take Love. Again, forget about positional value this year — most people see him as the top player in the draft, and he could be a jolt to the Cards’ offense. Love moves the needle for a team trying to get back in the mix in a crowded NFC West.
As for Simpson, Alabama product threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns to five interceptions in 2025. He started just 15 games across four seasons at the collegiate level.
NFL Mock Draft Database projects Simpson to be selected around the No. 32 pick, and analysts like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. predict the Cardinals will be the team to take a chance on the signal caller.
Arizona met with Simpson at both the NFL Combine and on a top 30 visit.
If Schrager’s projected trade were to come to fruition, the Cardinals could add an intriguing option to the quarterback room at even value in the midst of an offseason shaped by the release of Kyler Murray and incumbent starter Jacoby Brissett asking for a contract extension.
I took you all the way to the last pick of the mock draft, but yes, I have Simpson going in Round 1. To move back two spots, the Seahawks would happily add a sixth-round pick in a year when they have only four total selections. And the Cardinals would happily give up that late-rounder to (a) get Simpson and (b) get him with a fifth-year option. Simpson is slated to be in the green room at the draft, and though it might be a long night, I think he will come off the board on Day 1.
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Comments
6 Comments
I haven't seen anywhere LaFleur says that he somehow thinks Ty Simpson is better than the plethora of QBs in next years draft, all of whom are significantly more talented, plus there's a whole lot more of them. In fact, I've heard numerous instances where the Cardinals have said that they expect to be actively shopping for a QB next season.
What with experts projecting that there are maybe 20 quality offensive lineman who will be available within the 1st 3 Rounds, picking up a RT should be easy. Simpson rode the bench his 1st 3 years at Alabama, and barely got a sniff. This previous offseason, Alabama had so little faith in Simpson, they were actively recruiting several other QBs. No Franchise QB in modern history has been at a school for 4 years and only started 1 season. NONE. AS IN ZERO. It's total insanity spending valuable draft capital trading back into the 1st Round for someone whose skill set is so lacking as Simpson. Making this disaster even worse, the "experts" who have Arizona trading back in, have Arizona getting scr..wed. Using the NFL Draft Pick Calculator, all those trades have Arizona giving up significantly more (paying a premium) than they get back. I have no faith that guys like Schrager even watch the Cardinals closely.
Hard No. on Love and a SCREAMING HARD NO on Simpson. I have serious doubts about all these projected trades involving the Cardinals because Arizona has much bigger needs and because they always have Arizona overspending when they're trading in, and then Arizona getting hosed by whomever their trading with where, according to the NFL Draft Pick Value Calculator, Arizona is getting back nothing close to value.
Not one of these experts expect Ty "The Stick" Simpson to see the field for any more than a couple games. All those experts concede that Arizona will be getting back into the QB market next year where the quality and depth is significantly better, so why are they wasting value draft capital on someone they're going to be looking to replace in a year? His is Josh Rosen all over again. While I consider Schrager moronic for suggesting Arizona take Love and then trade back in for Simpson, I sincerely hope the Arizona Front Office doesn't suffer that same malady.
Again Arizona's situation with Love is almost the exact same scenario as the Las Vegas Raiders had last year, when they selected Ashton Jenty, no doubt being influenced by "experts" like Schrager telling them that Jenty was going to be All-Pro and run for 2,000 yards. Neither came close to fruition. Next year while Love runs into the same walls Jenty found, Arizona's run defense is going to be again shredded by Division opponents like Seattle, when they could easily remedy that defect by taking Ruben Bain, the guy with the best tape of anyone in this Draft.
Guess we'll find out in a few hours.
Why aren't more people demanding they fix their offensive line? That is the only concern this year.