Imago
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Heisman Trophy candidate running back Jeremiyah Love of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish poses with the Trophy during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before the 2025 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 13, 2025 in New York City. Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 13 Heisman Trophy Ceremony EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25121321777
Imago
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Heisman Trophy candidate running back Jeremiyah Love of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish poses with the Trophy during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz before the 2025 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on December 13, 2025 in New York City. Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 13 Heisman Trophy Ceremony EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25121321777
With the clock winding down and the NFL world buzzing about a potential trade, the Arizona Cardinals’ draft room was in a quiet panic for a reason nobody could have guessed. Many fans and analysts thought the Cardinals were trying to trade the pick. But according to the team’s GM Monti Ossenfort, the truth was far simpler, and far more embarrassing
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“If you want me to tell the honest-to-God truth, we had the wrong phone number,” Ossenfort said to the media after the first day of the NFL Draft. “The phone number that we were given was the wrong one, so that was a little bit of the delay.”
Arizona corrected the phone number and finally contacted Jeremiyah Love to draft him with their pick. They told him that he had been selected and would start his NFL career with the Cardinals. This was a big moment, as Love became the highest-picked running back since the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.
After the draft, Monti Ossenfort explained that the team was not seriously trying to trade the pick. He said they only had “surface-level conversations” with other teams. He also made it clear by saying, “Nothing that came anywhere close to getting us to move off the pick,” meaning no offer was strong enough for them to even think about giving up their selection.
NEW: Arizona Cardinals GM on why it took so long to submit their pick of RB Jeremiyah Love:
“We had the wrong phone number.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/I4pGrpbdaN
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) April 24, 2026
Some analysts disagreed with Arizona’s decision because the team had greater needs at other positions. But the Cardinals believed Jeremiyah Love was a special player who could be a true difference-maker on offense. Despite joining a crowded running back room, Jeremiyah Love is not worried about his playing time.
“I’m not really worried about what the media’s saying, or anything like that, where I’m projected to go,” Love said. “I really don’t care. I just want to go and work and build relationships with people. I want to connect with my fans. I want to connect with the team itself, ownership, coaches, and players. Just build connections with people. Because when this game is over, that’s all you’re going to have left, is your connections with people.”
Cardinals are also eyeing a quarterback
The Cardinals’ need for a quarterback in 2026 was dire, as the team had moved on from long-time starter Kyler Murray. This left them with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew—reliable veterans, but not the long-term franchise leaders a team in transition desperately needs.
A potential target on Day 2 could be Carson Beck, who is coming off a stellar 2025 season at Miami, where he threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns. His experience leading a team to the national championship game, combined with his pedigree as a backup during Georgia’s title runs, makes him an intriguing prospect for a rebuilding team like Arizona.
Other quarterbacks like Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, and Diego Pavia are also still available as the draft moves to the next rounds. Only Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson are off the board at this moment.
