Cardinals slammed for picking RB Jeremiyah Love: My take on the value debate

The Arizona Cardinals' front office might be happy with their selection of Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall, but one NFL analyst just slated them for doing so.

Describing the value of taking a running back that early as "one step up from taking a punter," ESPN's Seth Walder made it clear that he's no fan of the pick.

Here's what he said in full, the logic behind his argument, and why the Cardinals bet on Love's talent anyway.

What Walder said about the Love pick

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The Cardinals' selection of Love was the reason Walder gave Arizona's offseason a D grade in his article, the lowest awarded to any team.

After pointing out that Love is "an exceptional running back prospect," Walder took to SportsCenter and doubled down on his take.

"This is about the position, not the player. He's a great running back prospect, but running back is one of the least important positions on the field."

Then he really dropped the hammer.

"This is one step up from taking a punter at number three overall. He instantly becomes an expensive running back, and the opportunity cost is so high.

"You could have taken a tackle or an edge rusher or a wide receiver. Someone that's hard to find in free agency. Just a big missed opportunity for Arizona."

Love story: Why Arizona targeted the RB

While Walder is clearly not a fan of the selection, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has no regrets.

Shortly after the draft wrapped up, he outlined precisely why he picked Love where he did.

None of what he said directly counters Walder's argument, but a GM staking his reputation on a pick tends to mean something.

Arizona finished 3-14 last year, and the context that gets lost in these grades is how badly the offense needed a game-changer.

Love's potential to change Arizona's offense

Explosive as they come, Love has the speed to rip off huge chunks on any given play.

He combines that speed with elite acceleration and balance, the power to shrug off arm tackles, and, with only one fumble on 433 carries, the kind of ball security that offensive coordinators covet.

He amassed a combined 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Notre Dame, averaging a whopping 6.9 yards per carry both years.

According to PFF, among the 69 FBS running backs with at least 150 rushing attempts last year, Love had the best overall offensive grade (93.1), tied for first in yards per attempt (6.9), and ranked third in yards after contact per attempt (4.5).

And while he never topped 280 receiving yards in his three years with the Fighting Irish, he showed the soft hands and route-running ability to profile as a true dual-threat in the pros.

Still need convincing? Love came third in Heisman voting, won the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the nation, and was a unanimous All-American, all while conceding carries to Jadarian Price.

Any which way you cut it, he's an elite running back prospect.

Does Walder's value case hold up?

Christian Petersen / Staff

While Love is undeniably talented, Walder's logic isn't without merit.

The bottom has dropped out of the market for running backs, and while the salary cap keeps climbing, their earnings haven't kept pace the way other positions' have.

The CBA predetermines rookie salaries by draft slot, and Love's slot pays him $13.2 million a year, making him the eighth-highest earner at running back before he's even played a single snap.

But that's not the only issue.

Every year, we see backup running backs thrust into starting roles when starters get injured, and the drop-off in production is nowhere near what we see at premium positions that tend to go early in drafts.

And then there's the longevity argument, with running backs peaking far earlier in their careers than players at other positions.

The counter to all of this is that none of this changes what Love looked like at Notre Dame, and it won't change what he looks like once the pads come on in Tempe.

Arizona needed a playmaker and walked away with arguably the best one in this draft class, and if Love becomes the key that unlocks the offense, Ossenfort's critics will fall silent.