First bets to make for Jeremiyah Love and Fernando Mendoza’s rookie seasonsplayHow Jeremiyah Love will bolster the Cardinals’ offense (0:56)How Jeremiyah Love will bolster the Cardinals’ offense (0:56)ESPNMultiple AuthorsApr 24, 2026, 08:00 AM ET
tamil yogi
The Las Vegas Raiders made official what had been expected for months by taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall, but the Arizona Cardinals provided some early excitement by taking Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, a rare top-5 selection for a running back.
With prop lines and awards futures already available for the top of this year’s class, here are three bets we’re making the morning after the first round of the NFL draft.
Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook
and subject to change.
Mike Clay’s Jeremiyah Love projection: 234 carries, 1,049 yards, 7 TDs; 88 targets, 67 receptions, 516 yards, 2 TDs (17 games)
Liz Loza: Jeremiyah Love OVER 1,000 rushing yards (-110)
Widely ranked as the No. 1 player overall in this year’s draft, Love is an every-down difference-maker with 99th percentile speed (4.36) and reliable hands, Love figures to work as the Cardinals’ primary ball carrier.
With Mike LaFleur calling the plays, the Notre Dame product should be heavily featured, carrying the rock 13-15 times per contest. Despite the clear offensive limitations, that sort of volume should result in over 1,000 rushing yards on the season — a feat that was last accomplished by a rookie in 2024 (Bucky Irving).
Pam Maldonado: Arizona Cardinals UNDER 4.5 wins (-150)
Your League, Your Rules
Create a league and customize league size, scoring and rules to play in the league you want to play in.
Create a league today!
Moving on from Kyler Murray was a reset for the Cardinals. Drafting Love at No. 3? Not a win-win move. That’s their attempt to stabilize an offense that had no run game. Arizona had just over 1,500 yards last season, second-fewest in the league. Love helps because he’ll have volume, but this is still a bad team.
The bigger issue is everything around him. The defense is bottom tier across the board, and now you’re asking a rookie running back — on a team that will likely be playing from behind often — to somehow drive a two-plus win jump for a team that finished 3-14 last season? That’s a stretch.
Love doesn’t give you quarterback stability, offensive line help, defensive improvement or flipped game scripts. It’s not a fun price, but it’s the betting option available now that lines up with what the team is right now. This is still a rebuild.
Mike Clay’s Fernando Mendoza projection: 304-of-481, 3,220 yards, 16 TDs, 11 INTs; 52 carries, 225 yards, 2 TDs (15 starts)
Tyler Fulghum: Fernando Mendoza Offensive Rookie of the Year (+400)
Love is widely considered the best offensive, if not overall, player in this draft. I tend to agree with that assessment. Love is an elite blend of size, speed, athleticism and ability. His ability to affect an offense on all three downs mimics that of Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs. It makes sense, then, that the Cardinals rookie is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+200).
Editor’s Picks
2026 NFL draft: Fantasy football outlook for Love, Tate, other first-rounders
NFL futures: NFC West teams occupy first, second and last spots on the board
But is that a good bet? Not to me it’s not. A running back having instant success in the league has more to do with environment than talent. Take Ashton Jeanty last year, for example. Jeanty was drawing dead due to the Raiders’ ineptitude. Like Maldonado does, I expect the Cardinals will suppress Love’s ability, not allow it to flourish.
Instead, I would bet Jeanty’s new teammate, Mendoza, who is being dropped into an offense that still needs improvement on the OL, but has Jeanty and Brock Bowers in place to maximize his talent. Plus, new head coach Klint Kubiak is fresh off of turning Sam Darnold into a Super Bowl champion. Mendoza should win the job early, perhaps even Week 1, and as long as he doesn’t get hurt is likely going to put up some very good numbers for a Raiders team I believe will show visible improvement in 2026.
