Arizona
Mock Draft: Cardinals Trade Out of First Round
Welcome back to Mock Draft Monday, Arizona Cardinals fans!
The Cardinals only have five draft picks currently and would certainly be interested in getting some more ammo for a draft class loaded on defense – which should be the top priority for upgrading this offseason.
Fear not, for I found a trade candidate to move down and get an extra day two pick along with a future second-round pick in 2026! The move helped me land a crucial depth player, but the slide down the board netted me the hottest name in college football right now.
Let’s dive in.
TRADE:
Arizona sends pick 16 to Cleveland
Cleveland sends picks 33 and 67 and a 2026 second-round pick
The mock saw the Browns select Travis Hunter with the second overall pick and bypass a quarterback. But, when they saw a chance to go up and get a sliding Kelvin Banks and shore up the offensive line, they pounced.
The Cardinals, who are plenty happy with Paris Johnson Jr., gladly accepted a move down to secure an early third-round pick and a second-round pick in 2026.
The man of the hour as of late, Sawyer is the hottest name in college football after his unbelievable strip-sack and subsequent scoop-and-score touchdown against Texas to seal Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win and send the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Beyond the scope of that game, Sawyer has made plays all year long and he’s put together a marvelous senior year as a swan song for his time with Ohio State. The 6’5 and 260lbs edge rusher has improved each season and is primed to crash the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Cardinals will joyfully add the veteran pass rusher to their floundering room and see an instant jump in production. Sawyer will become a fan favorite in no time.
Golden isn’t the most popular man in the desert after being one of the biggest players involved in ending the Arizona State Sun Devils season at the Peach Bowl, but he’s a damn good receiver. Like Sawyer, Golden has made himself some serious money in the College Football Playoff and he’s also on a collision course to potentially crash day one of the draft.
Texas’s passing attack took a big step forward this season with Golden stepping up as Quinn Ewers’ top target, posting just under 1,000 receiving yards and 17 yards per reception along with nine touchdowns.
Arizona needs some more depth at wide receiver and someone to take the top off the defense, something Golden can provide for both needs.
With an extra third-round selection, the Cardinals get Dante Stills a partner-in-crime from the interior of the defensive line with Sanders, who is rising up boards and can blow everyone away with a good NFL Scouting Combine showing.
On what was one of college football’s best pass rushing defenses, Sanders managed four sacks from the inside plus 51 tackles, which led all the Gamecocks’ defensive linemen and was fifth overall. In three seasons, Sanders nabbed 9.5 total sacks and 110 tackles.
Sanders will come to the desert and find himself a role as a rotational player along the defensive line. With any luck, he can quickly separate himself from the pack with his pass rushing abilities.
We mentioned the confidence in Paris Johnson earlier at left tackle, but the right tackle spot is wide open. Jonah Williams isn’t a lock for 2025, but even his return shouldn’t dispel adding depth.
Cornelius went from a no-star commit at Rhode Island to a key component of the offensive line for Oregon. A four-year starter at right tackle, Cornelius has the size profile at 6’5 and 310lbs to grow and become a stalwart on the strong side of the line.
There will be a learning curve for Cornelius, but he’s well-traveled with tons of play time. With the right coaching and development, he’ll become a starting right tackle with a decently high ceiling.
The Fighting Irish are in the CFP National Championship Game thanks to a stellar defense and Kiser has been one of its most integral pieces. The fifth-year senior recorded 85 tackles (51 solo) to pace Notre Dame. Kiser also added two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries to his resume.
Kiser found a significant role with Notre Dame’s defense in all five seasons in South Bend. He amassed 271 tackles with six sacks, seven forced fumbles, four interceptions, and two touchdowns (both in the 2021 season).
The resume speaks for itself, and Kiser could conclude his storied career with the Fighting Irish with a ring. No matter how it ends, the Cardinals need a linebacker heir to Kyzir White, who could possibly depart in free agency.
Moore entered the 2024 season with expectations of becoming a superstar pass rusher after a 14-sack season in 2023 with UTSA. Instead, Moore struggled to consistently find the field on a stacked Texas defense and failed to see those lofty expectations.
But stop me if you’ve heard this before – Moore made waves in the CFP and has re-established himself as a name to watch. Moore ended the season with 5.5 sacks, three in the postseason including two in the Peach Bowl. Once he found his rhythm, Moore started to look like what we wanted him to be.
I believe Moore could make more money by returning to Austin for his final season of college, but his late-season surge and athleticism could still place him as a climber in the draft. Moore has starting upside and is at worst a great rotational player – a.k.a. someone who is perfect for the Cardinals.
MARANA, AZ (AZFamily) — Proposals for data centers and ICE detention facilities in Marana are dividing neighbors and turning some against their local leaders.
These are two issues that some Republicans and Democrats are finding themselves agreeing on, as people try to take charge of who and what ends up in their communities.
“Well, first I think everyone on our city council needs to be replaced. What they are doing to Marana and surrounding areas is destroying our future and our kids’ futures,” a Marana resident said.
A recent proposal by the Department of Homeland Security would create an ICE detention center about 3 miles from the community center.
The property proposed for the ICE facility was a minimum-security prison with a capacity of about 500 people. The release said that renovations will increase capacity to 775, but could expand to over 1,300.
DHS officials say the facility would include more exam rooms, a dental area, and other features.
Arizona’s Family asked DHS for some clarification on those numbers and details. DHS released a statement saying, “ICE does not discuss individual pre-decisional conversations, but when a new facility contract is finalized, information will be available on ICE.gov.”
Data center concerns
Meanwhile, a rezoning application for a data center surfaced on the Town of Marana’s website last week.
It’s the second potential data center in the area and has people itching to get to public comment to voice their concerns.
“The detention center- we don’t need that here; no one wants that here. The data center- I mean, we already don’t have water and it’s awful; we don’t need another data center. Look at the ones across the country and what they’re doing,” the Marana resident we spoke with said.
Marana Town Manager Terry Rozema said nothing is set in stone.
“There’s so many factors that could come into considering whether or not something is beneficial to a community,” Rozema said.
Supporters of these projects said they will create jobs.
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The Pocket Fire burning north of Sedona and sending smoke and ash into Flagstaff has been tricky for firefighters to access because of the steep and narrow terrain through canyons and along cliffsides. These same landscape features mean that many others watching the fire’s rapid progress from afar have worried with little information about which of their favorite hiking trails and scenic viewpoints near Oak Creek Canyon may not look the same again in their lifetimes.
On June 30, the fire perimeter had exceeded 15,000 acres after growing about 4,000 acres overnight. This expansion took the shape of a finger jutting to the west from near the southern edge of the fire while the northern edge broadened along Forest Service Road 9042, where firefighter crews worked to hold it.
For residents of Kachina Village, the community most in the path of the fire’s recent growth and one known to be particularly vulnerable to fire, that northern progress being redirected east and west along the firebreak road was something to celebrate.
For others, fears and questions about singed trails, camping spots, homes and businesses remain.
What is clear is that parts of the distant edge of the popular West Fork trail, which starts at West Fork Trailhead off of U.S. 89A through Oak Creek Canyon and follows West Fork Oak Creek as it twists and turns between stunning red rock canyon walls, are within the Pocket Fire’s active perimeter. The popular panoramic vista from the “Edge of the World” viewpoint in East Pocket off Forest Road 231 was also enveloped by the fire in its early days.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean these areas are unrecoverable as scenic and beloved recreation spots. Wildfires frequently burn discontinuously through forested landscapes, as embers send out new sparks to distant forest patches. So the damage severity from the Pocket Fire in many places is not yet known.
After the Dragon Bravo fire burned 150,000 acres near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 2025, a Burn Area Emergency Response team concluded months later that only 1% of the 71,000 park-managed acres within the perimeter showed evidence of a “high severity” burn. The rest had better odds of ecological recovery.
To prevent a need for too much of that in one of the Sedona area’s most treasured spots, though, crews on the Pocket Fire have worked out a “really solid plan to protect all of our identified values and to keep fire out of the bottom of Oak Creek Canyon,” said operations section chief trainee Clyde England of the Southwest Incident Management Team in his morning briefing about the fire on June 30.
England emphasized that crews were focused on keeping the fire out of the West Fork drainage, by conducting backburning efforts and building a buffer on the east side, while limiting progress north toward Kachina Village. They are also working with the Arizona Department of Transportation to remove hazard trees along the roadway, so there is “one less risk we have to worry about” if the fire does jump down into Oak Creek Canyon.
“I want to reiterate that the threat component is still there, as fire is coming down into West Fork,” England said. “There is still a potential for the fire to find some fuels and get some alignment with the winds out of the canyon. We don’t anticipate it. That’s why we still got a big presence up there, just in case some unforeseen event pushes some fire out up on the ridge into that (eastern) corner.”
Another area the team is watching is along the southern edge of the fire in Dry Creek near Bear Sign Canyon, the site of a popular 7-mile hiking trail that passes through “a carpet of ferns with views of white Coconino sandstone cliffs,” according to a nearby business offering lodging for hikers. England said the team has been able to “insert people” into that area over the past few days to build hand lines and work with helicopters on bucket drops to help prevent the fire from spreading to the Seven Canyons area and Enchantment Golf Resort.
The historic Fernow Cabin, a former U.S. Forest Service guard station, is also safe so far, England said, thanks to defensive firing by crews over the weekend that will continue for a few more days to keep the structure intact.
On the northwest edge of the fire, a containment line along Forest Service road 231 is “looking really good,” England said, with a recent expansion of the fire map there reflecting defensive fire efforts rather than wildfire growth. That effort will help protect the power lines to communities in Oak Creek from damage. Fire retardant drops and reinforced dozer and hand lines have helped prevent the fire from progressing over the 536 or 535 roads.
“If we can get it down in this canyon, use the weather patterns, the fuels, the rocky terrain to our advantage, we can find a way to choke that out,” England said. “So our ops are all looking good, our confidence is there.”
Addressing the southwestern corner of the Pocket Fire perimeter, England struck a more somber tone, acknowledging expansion of flames across Round Top Mountain toward Secret Canyon.
That’s the reality of wildfire in the American Southwest, scientists say, in an age of the drying and warming influences of climate change combined with ever-expanding human development and juxtaposed against federal funding cuts.
“The anticipation is that some of this fire will be on the landscape for a while,” he said. “There’s just no access and no way to get folks into that country. You might see that fire and that smoke for a while.”
Joan Meiners is the climate news and storytelling reporter at The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send tips or questions to joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com or follow her work on Instagram at @joan_bikes_arizona.
Have a news tip? Contact The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com at newstips@arizonarepublic.com.
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Arizona Republic
Flags were lowered in Arizona on Tuesday, June 30, in honor of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.
Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered flags be flown at half-staff from sunrise through sunset on Tuesday to honor them on the 13th anniversary of their death.
Sparked by a lighting strike, the Yarnell fire became nationally known as an emblem of tragedy. The crew, which was part of a unique municipal-level firefighting effort, was encircled by flames reaching 2,000 degrees with no way out. All but one of them died.
The blaze was the deadliest for U.S. firefighters since 1933 and the greatest loss of U.S. firefighter life since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“Hotshot crews take on dangerous and difficult firefighting to keep Arizona communities safe,” Hobbs wrote in her a statement. “We recognize and honor the sacrifice and bravery of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. This will always be a day we mark with mourning, reflection, and deep admiration for the members of this crew, their families, and the wildland firefighting community.”
Here’s when flags are traditionally lowered in the United States and the difference between half-mast and half-staff.
What is the difference between half-mast and half-staff?
The terms “half-mast” and “half-staff” both refer to lowering a flag to honor or mourn someone, but they are used in different settings.
“Half-mast” traditionally refers to flags flown on ships or at naval stations, while “half-staff” is used for flags flown on land. In the United States, “half-staff” is the term most commonly used for government buildings and public flag displays.
When are flags flown at half-staff in the US?
In the United States, flags are lowered to half-staff on certain national observances and following the deaths of notable public officials.
According to the Arizona state website, the U.S. flag is flown at half-staff on these days:
- Memorial Day, when the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.
- Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day.
- Patriot Day.
- National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
- National Firefighters Memorial Day.
The president of the United States may also order flags to be flown at half-staff after the death of a notable public figure. In those cases, the length of time depends on the person’s role:
- 30 days from the death of the president or a former president.
- 10 days from the day of death of the vice president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice of the United States, or the speaker of the House of Representatives.
- From the day of death until the interment of an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a secretary of an executive or military department, a former vice president or the governor of a state.
- The day of death and the following day for a member of Congress.
The governor may also order flags lowered to half-staff after the death of notable current or former government officials or members of the armed forces who die while on active duty.
In Arizona, the governor can also require that the state flag be lowered at all state, institutional and educational buildings. The law also allows the state flag to be lowered on the death of an incumbent elected state officer for seven days beginning on the day following the death of the officer.
Arizona Republic reporter Laura Gersony contributed to this article.
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