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NFL Draft: What if Arizona Cardinals don't land Marvin Harrison Jr.?

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NFL Draft: What if Arizona Cardinals don't land Marvin Harrison Jr.?


Everything lines up pretty well when it comes down to the Arizona Cardinals and Marvin Harrison Jr. joining forces at the 2024 NFL Draft this April.

The franchise, which holds the No. 4 overall pick, is in search of its next cornerstone and from every indication, Harrison could be just that for Arizona.

It almost seems too good to be true.

While most analysts see Harrison in the desert, anything can happen come draft night, including the wideout heading somewhere not named Arizona when the first round is all said and done.

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But just because Harrison could potentially be off the board when the Cardinals are on the clock doesn’t mean Arizona can’t walk away with an impact player (or more).

A look at some of the non-Harrison avenues Arizona could traverse this April:

The Arizona Cardinals trade the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

For the Harrison-or-bust line of thinkers, this option probably best suits you.

And honestly, it really comes down to what the Chicago Bears do with the first overall pick.

Despite 2021 first-round pick and quarterback Justin Fields currently on the roster, there’s a good chance the Bears reset at signal caller with USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. It would also mean a reset in terms of paying a quarterback on a rookie contract as opposed to having to hand Fields a contract extension not that long down the road.

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Chicago going quarterback would mean Harrison is one step closer to becoming a Cardinal, with both the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots in desperate need of signal callers.

But if Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and Fields believe they can make it work in the Windy City, that could spell the end of the Harrison sweepstakes for the Cardinals.

What better way to build confidence with Fields than by giving him a 6-foot-4 ball magnet?

If that scenario plays out — there’s obviously still a way for the first three picks to be QB-QB-QB if Chicago decides to trade the first overall pick (again) to a team in need of a signal caller — than all eyes turn to the handful of teams looking to move up to land their franchise quarterback.

They include the Atlanta Falcons (No. 8), Minnesota Vikings (No. 11), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) and Denver Broncos (No. 12).

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Much like we saw last year, moving down into that range off a top 5 pick would likely ensure not only a first-round swap and more in 2024, but an additional first-rounder in 2025 with potential for extra picks.

It all comes down to how general manager Monti Ossenfort cooks if given this scenario.

The Cardinals still find their next No. 1 wide receiver at No. 4 overall

Missing out on Harrison might sting, but the potential consolation prize at wide receiver shouldn’t be anything to scoff at.

After Harrison, LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze are the next best options at wideout for the Cardinals if they decide to go that route at No. 4 overall.

Standing over 6-foot — Odunze (6-foot-3) holds a slight height advantage over Nabers (6-foot-1) — either one of the wide receivers would give quarterback Kyler Murray another big target in a pass-catching group that is currently headlined by Michael Wilson, Trey McBride and Rondale Moore with Hollywood Brown an unrestricted free agent and Greg Dortch an exclusive rights free agent.

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Both Nabers and Odunze posted big years in 2023.

Across 13 games, Nabers averaged 17.6 yards per catch on his way to 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns on 89 receptions.

NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein’s NFL comparison for Nabers is Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson.

Zierlein writes:

He’s a bouncy leaper with the athletic ability to make the impossible catches possible. He tucks away accurate throws and displays the toughness and play strength to fight for tight-window victories over the middle. Nabers will need to address his tendency to track and play deep throws with finesse, or his early advantages will turn into 50/50 battles.

Odunze meanwhile was a big part in Washington’s national championship run, reeling in 92 balls for 1,640 yards and 13 scores. He added another touchdown and 37 yards on two carries on top of averaging 17.8 yards per catch.

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When it comes down to Zierlein’s NFL comparison of Odunze, Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald comes to mind.

A team captain with good size and elite ball skills, Odunze consistently dominated his competition. … He shines in all aspects of ball skills, including positioning, body control, hand strength, timing and mid-air adjustments. He has a tendency to cruise through routes rather than working with attention to detail and pacing. He was a decorated high school sprinter, so speed should not be an issue in the pros. … Elite ball skills are often the secret sauce for top NFL receivers, so it should not surprise if Odunze is a Day 1 starter who becomes a top-flight WR1.

The Cardinals bookend the future with an offensive tackle in the first round

You know where else the Cardinals could potentially strike gold? At offensive tackle.

With veteran starting left tackle D.J. Humphries likely out for the majority of the regular season — there’s also the potential the team moves on from the lineman altogether in a cap-saving move — adding more talent to the position could go a long way both now and in the future.

As it stands, Paris Johnson Jr. figures to be the lead candidate to slide over to left tackle, with veteran Kelvin Beachum expected to take over on the right side.

Johnson is expected to be a Cardinals cornerstone for years to come, especially after playing every snap as a rookie. Beachum, however, is nearing the end of his career and is entering Year 13. Arizona would be wise to find its next bookend of the future.

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Luckily for the Cardinals, it seems like tackles are growing on trees this NFL Draft, though there’s still two names consisntely projected above the rest in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper writes:

At 6-foot-6, 319 pounds, Fashanu has the physical traits and footwork of an elite lineman. He could have been a first-rounder in last year’s draft if he had entered. He allowed one sack in 21 career starts for the Nittany Lions. He still hasn’t come close to reaching his ceiling.

Alt on the other hand was Kiper’s “definition of a stalwart on the left side of Notre Dame’s line, where he started 33 games. He gave up just two sacks over the past two seasons.”

Added protection up front is never a bad thing.

The Cardinals find their next pass rusher with their top 5 pick

You know what else the Cardinals could use more of next season? A more consistent pass rush.

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One way to do that is by adding a talent like Alabama’s Dallas Turner to the fold.

Turner is coming off 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss across 14 games played in 2023.

Zierlein believes Turner has the traits required to be an impactful NFL pass rusher.

Turner’s first-step quickness and elite closing burst are important building blocks, but he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B. He hasn’t learned to create the space and angles needed to consistently attack the edges, but that should come with better hand development and a more diversified approach. A team would be wise to widen him out and allow him a better runway to ignite his burst and overwhelm tackles with his speed.

Arizona’s pass rush, which ranked 30th in sacks last season, was led by Dennis Gardeck and his six sacks in 2023. Victor Dimukeje and BJ Ojulari weren’t far behind with four sacks apiece. In his first season moving to full-time OLB, Zaven Collins chipped in 3.5.

Help is needed at the position and Turner at the very least would give Arizona another option to plug into the rotation, though some could consider Turner at fourth overall a bit of a reach.

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“Not in my opinion (is there a pass-rushing prospect worthy of the No. 4 pick). If you’re going to make an argument for anyone, it’s Turner, because the traits and the tools,” Miller told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke earlier this month.

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Trying to beat the heat: Addressing rising temperatures in Southern Arizona

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Trying to beat the heat: Addressing rising temperatures in Southern Arizona


The University of Arizona and Tucson are known for yearlong warm weather, but when is it too much? With temperature reaching record highs in March, the city of Tucson has already reported increased temperatures for this year. 

In the wake of the third annual Southern Arizona Heat Summit, integrating voices throughout the City of Tucson, community stakeholders and experts from UA gather to speak about possible solutions and policies to address rising temperatures and extreme heat. 

The summit strives to ensure that the lived experiences of Southern Arizona residents are voiced. The first summit commenced in 2024, in response to the declaration of an extreme heat emergency in Arizona by Gov. Katie Hobbs, as part of a larger plan called Arizona’s Extreme Heat Response Plan. 

With representation from organizations such as the American Red Cross, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, Arizona Jobs with Justice, Tucson Indian Center and many more, the summit emphasized the importance of the perspective and concerns of stakeholder groups throughout the community. 

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The summit included a variety of UA experts, including faculty representing the School of Geography, Development and Environment; the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy; the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.

One particular project, led by Ladd Keith at the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, is a part of the Southwest Urban Corridor Integrated Field Laboratory, which is funded by the United States’ Department of Energy to explore extreme heat throughout Arizona. SW-IFL works in collaboration with other national laboratories including those at ASU and NAU. 

The team works to analyze extreme heat in the southwest and rural areas, and how communities deal with heat by conducting interviews. The team has also prescribed policy to Pima County and the City of Tucson regarding more effective strategies to combat rising temperatures, such as green stormwater infrastructure. 

Anne-Lise Boyer, a post-doctoral researcher with the Climate Assessment for the Southwest, shared that the team particularly analyzed extreme heat in three parts: heat mitigation, heat management and heat governance.

Mitigation deals with prevention through strategies such as green infrastructure and planting trees, while management includes cooling sensors and heat warning systems. Governance allows these measures to be enacted through policy.

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In Tucson, some of the most meaningful work the team has engaged in has been drafting the City of Tucson’s Heat Action Roadmap in 2024, which outlines goals to mitigate and mandate extreme heat and its impacts while prioritizing community voices.  

The goals of the roadmap include informing and educating citizens of Tucson on the adverse effects of extreme heat and cooling people’s homes and neighborhoods by incorporating heat risk in regional planning. These steps are essential to practicing heat management, especially as the city of Tucson grows. 

“I think the most interesting thing about being based in Tucson is that because the heat has been here for a long time, it’s like a laboratory in itself,” Boyer said. “We have all this research and all this collaboration happening with local actors because it’s a pressing issue in Arizona.”

As the annual heat summit recurs, new ideas and perspectives continue to be shared throughout the community. Boyer shared that this year, the Southern Arizona Heat Summit focused on the youth perspective, highlighting middle school and high school students and how heat impacts their everyday lives. Many students spoke about how heat shaped their lives at home, school and sports.

“That’s one of the goals, to have community members participate and give their input in how they wish the city will deal with the heat,” Boyer said. 

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Boyer and Kirsten Lake, a program coordinator for the SW-IFL team, also shared how the impacts of extreme heat impact some neighborhoods and communities in Tucson more than others, and that their research often evaluates these factors to determine where heat management efforts would make the greatest impact.

“Its important when you’re putting into effect some of these measures, that you make sure you put it where it’s going to make the biggest difference,” Lake said.

The work of the SW-IFL team is not just locally known. The Brookhaven National Lab based in New York deployed a specialized truck to Tucson to collect information on the atmosphere and rising temperatures. The SW-IFL team hosted the Brookhaven team.

Additionally, Keith’s work has led to a guidebook called “Planning for Urban Heat Resilience” which focuses on the adverse effects extreme heat poses to marginalized communities across the country. 

“It is so different from place to place and neighborhood to neighborhood because you have to take the whole context into account,” Boyer said. “They recommend first to document the heat impacts in your communities.”

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Person accused of making terroristic threats to medical facility in northern Arizona

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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.

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“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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NFL mock draft: 4-round projections for Arizona Cardinals

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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.

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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.

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