New NFL Mock Draft From Dane Brugler Reveals Jeremiyah Love Landing Spot, Full Round 1 Predictions

The start of the 2026 NFL draft is just hours away, and one expert unveiled his final predictions for how Thursday night's first round will play out.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler dropped his final mock draft, notably predicting that Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love would land with the Arizona Cardinals at the No. 3 pick. The full top 10 from Brugler's mock draft is as follows:

1. Las Vegas Raiders- Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. New York Jets- Arvell Reese, LB/Edge, Ohio State
3. Arizona Cardinals- Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
4. Tennessee Titans- David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
5. New York Giants- Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
6. Cleveland Browns- Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
7. Washington Commanders- Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
8. New Orleans Saints- Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
9. Kansas City Chiefs- Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
10. New York Giants (via Cincinnati Bengals)- Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

The running back position has been devalued in the NFL for quite some time, but Love is considered a can't-miss prospect. He's ranked as the No. 2 prospect in this year's draft class in the B/R NFL Scouting Department's big board. If Arizona selects him with the third overall pick, he would be the highest running back selected since the New York Giants picked Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department predicted in its mock draft that the Cardinals would use the No. 3 pick to select Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. While Brugler acknowledged that Arizona has multiple areas of need, he declared that Love is too talented for the team to pass on the chance to add him.

"We can debate whether the Cardinals are at the right point in their roster construction to take this type of swing," Brugler stated. "But on the other side of that coin, they have a chance to add arguably the best player in the draft — and a weapon who would make a greater impact than anyone else they could take here."

Cardinals fans would certainly be pleased with adding a game-changing player like Love to the team, so it will be fun to see if Brugler's predictions come true during the NFL draft on Thursday night.