Arizona
What’s Cardinals’ Biggest Challenge This Season?
ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals have a plethora of questions to answer ahead of training camp – which begins Tuesday when players report.
The Cardinals’ 4-13 finish left gaps to fill on both sides of the ball following last season, and while the front office did their best to cover most up to some degree, hope around the desert of improvement will only carry true if the reinforcements can make good on their potential.
NFL.com says Arizona’s biggest challenge resides on the defensive line:
“Arizona was bitten by the injury bug up front last year, but finishing at the bottom in run defense can’t happen again. Neither can finishing bottom three in sacks,” wrote Eric Edholm.
“The team signed veterans Justin Jones , Bilal Nichols and Khyiris Tonga to shore up the interior and drafted Darius Robinson and Xavier Thomas to add juice on the edges. But is it enough? Further development from within also is needed.
“The Cardinals have a slew of capable role players, but it would be nice if Dante Stills took another step forward and someone from a deep group of edge rushers (Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, Victor Dimukeje, Jesse Luketa, Cameron Thomas and BJ Ojulari) emerged as a difference-maker.
“Still, the depth and versatility up front appear to have been upgraded this offseason.”
Edholm is on the money with essentially everything he said.
The Cardinals suffered major problems last year up front, though general manager Monti Ossenfort believed an entire new lineup was needed in the trenches after what he did in the draft/free agency.
It’s comfortable to believe the Cardinals will improve along the defensive line, though it is a question of exactly how much better they’ll be in 2024.
In terms of challenges, Arizona’s ability to control the line of scrimmage will dictate how everything else plays out – whether that’s making running lanes free for linebackers, helping edge players get one-on-one matchups or applying pressure to help out the secondary in the pass game – if the Cardinals can make strides right where the ball is snapped, everything else will have a better chance to fall in place.
Arizona
Person accused of making terroristic threats to medical facility in northern Arizona
PAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — A person accused of making terroristic threats toward a northern Arizona medical facility was arrested Friday morning.
Just after 10:30 p.m., police received a report of a person calling the facility and threatening to kill staff and Native Americans, according to the Page Police Department.
Authorities said staff placed the facility on lockdown until officers identified the suspect and arrested them outside their home.
The suspect was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, threatening and intimidating, and making terroristic threats. Police have not publicly identified the person.
“The Page Police Department is grateful for and supports the medical staff’s decision to put the medical facility into lockdown until the suspect was arrested and the situation was rendered safe,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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Arizona
NFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals
In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Arizona
Detroit Lions NFL Draft Injury Report: Arizona State CB Keith Abney
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
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