Arizona
Second Year Arizona Cardinals Who Must Step Up in 2025
In the process of rebuilding the Arizona Cardinals from the husk left over at the end of the Steve Keim-era, general manager Monti Ossenfort has poured his energies into building a talented, young team through the draft.
The most critical component of that process could well be the twelve player class from 2024 that is now entering their second year in the NFL.
Much is made every offseason of the need for second year players to take a “leap” forward in their play and it is a fairly well-documented and accepted reality that the most noticeable difference in quality of play for many athletes occurs between their rookie and second years as they are still in their athletic prime but getting more used to the speed of the professional game.
From the mentioned 2024 draft class there are four players in particular who will need to put forth higher quality play this season for the Cardinals to have success as a team.
1. WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
The biggest name, and the one who entered his rookie year with the highest expectations, is undoubtedly Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr. was immediately thrown to the wolves as a young player as the clear cut No. 1 receiver for the Cardinals and the inherent pressure of that designation clearly impacted him in some capacity and opposing defenses did not hold off at all.
As a superstar receiver from Ohio State he entered the league with a standing reputation and a star pedigree as the son of Colts legend Marvin Harrison.
It is important to note that Harrison Jr.’s rookie season was not bad, it just fell short of what were admittedly unfair expectations for a player’s first year as a pro.
Still, the point remains that he was drafted to be a star and the bedrock of the Cardinals passing game. If the team truly wants to improve that area of their offense, and they absolutely must to have sustained success in 2025 a lot of that runs through the anticipated improvement of Harrison Jr.
2. DE Darius Robinson
The second of the Cardinals first-round picks in 2024, Darius Robinson is starting this season in a different place than the other players on this list.
Last season was a rough one for Robinson. Dealing with an injury kept him off the field the majority of his rookie year, which compounded with the unexpected passing of his mother, led to low-impact output from the 27th overall pick.
Coaches have spoken about 2025 as a sort of extension of Robinson’s rookie year with the added benefit that he has seen an NFL field and already has a feel for what the game is like at this level. This has raised expectations that his emergence in a full-time roll this season should be without many of the normal rookie growing pains.
Hopefully, there is truth to this because the Cardinals defensive line needs a player like Robinson who can emerge as a potential long-term solution and anchor that group. The team put a lot of resources into that area in free agency by bringing in Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell, but as older vets they will not be around forever.
A successful season from Robinson does not necessarily require a gaudy stat line but he does need to establish himself this year as a keystone of the Cardinals defensive line.
3. CB Max Melton
The loss of Sean Murphy-Bunting for the season makes the improvement of Max Melton even more imperative for the overall success of the Cardinals secondary.
Melton got a lot of playing time as a rookie, coming in and out of the lineup but appearing in all 17 games. In those appearances he exhibited the gamut of what is expected out of rookie cornerbacks adjusting to the NFL but he finished with a very respectable 51 tackles and 5 passes defensed.
Now, Melton looks to be slotted in for a starting role on the outside opposite of rookie Will Johnson. That is a lot of pressure for two very young players at what is arguably the toughest position in football outside of quarterback.
Thankfully, slot corner Garrett Williams has emerged as one of the truly elite players in the league at that spot but success for Arizona’s defense will require high level play out of Melton who will hopefully be able to not only take a big step forward in his own development but help out the young Johnson on the other side.
4. Isaiah Adams
The Cardinals did not re-sign Will Hernandez this offseason (as of this writing) which does leave a question mark at starting right guard.
After Hernandez’s injury in 2024, then rookie Isaiah Adams found himself on the field quite a bit finishing the year with over 400 snaps. In those early appearances there were some evident issues with his play, most notably in pass protection that slowly did improve throughout the year.
Now, ahead of 2025 it seems like the starting right guard spot is Adams’ to lose as coaches have been praising his offseason training, noting his improved strength and dedication to improving on his weaknesses.
With the other four starting offensive line spots filled by veterans who been around the block, the biggest question for the position group is at right guard and it is imperative for the success of that unit that Adams, the supposed frontrunner for that spot, grows tremendously from year one to year two.
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed armless airplane pilot and a leading advocate for disability-led innovation, will be inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame on Friday, May 15, 2026. The induction ceremony, hosted by Rightfooted Foundation International in collaboration with the Pima Air & Space Museum, will take place at the museum from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cox’s recognition honors both her historic achievement in flight and her ongoing work expanding access and opportunity for people without arms. Through her leadership at Rightfooted Foundation International (RFI), Cox has championed mentorship, education and practical innovations that help aspiring pilots and families reimagine what’s possible in aviation and beyond.
“Saying I’m proud of her can’t fully encompass what I feel,” said Patrick Chamberlain, Cox’s husband and RFI’s Inclusive Engineering Director. “Jessica’s induction into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame recognizes both what she has accomplished and what she continues to do. She has helped shed light on the many pilots with disabilities in aviation and shown the world that disability does not mean inability.”
The 2026 induction class also honors two military aviators: Frank Schiel Jr., a Phoenix-born Flying Tigers veteran credited with seven enemy aircraft destroyed in World War II, and James K. Johnson, a Phoenix-born U.S. Air Force colonel and Korean War double ace credited with ten aerial victories.
The Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame, established in 1985 and housed in the Dorothy Finley Aerospace Gallery at Pima Air & Space Museum, pays tribute to Arizonans who have made significant contributions to aviation and aerospace history.
Since the Arizona Cardinals want to trade back from the No. 3 picks, here are three deals that could work.
The Arizona Cardinals have the third pick in the 2026 NFL draft, which begins this week on Thursday. All the reports coming out are saying that they want to trade out of the pick to acquire more draft picks.
But what does a trade look like and who could be involved?
The Kansas City Chiefs are involved in talks at some level. ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects trade talks to heat up this week.
NFL teams use a variation of a trade value chart when it comes to draft picks. Now, what a team actually is willing to give up can be influenced by potential competition with other teams, but we can’t count on that.
Here is the general trade value chart teams use.
Here are some potential deals that could be done.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have two first-round picks, which would be appealing to the Cardinals, who reportedly want to make a move for quarterback Ty Simpson, and the 29th pick might be just the spot to get him.
The third overall pick is worth 514 points.
The Chiefs’ picks at No. 9 (387 points) and No. 29 (202 points) together are worth 589.
To make up the difference, the Cardinals could give up No. 65 (78 points) for a total of 592 points.
One deal could be:
- Cardinals receive get No. 9 and No. 29 (589 points)
- Chiefs receive No. 3 and No. 65 (592 points)
Another could be:
- Cardinals receive No. 9, No. 29, No. 74 and 2027 third-round pick (653 points + value of future third-round pick, which is 36-78 points)
- Chiefs receive No. 3 and No. 34 (689 points)
The Cardinals keep their third-round pick and the Chiefs essentially move back five spots from No. 29.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th picks but no pick in the second round.
Pick No. 12 is 347 points and No. 20 is 269 for a total of 616.
This deal is close:
- Cardinals receive No. 12, No. 20 (616 points)
- Cowboys receive No. 3, No. 65 (592 points)
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are perhaps a dark horse to move up, although they do not have two first-round picks. They have the No. 8 pick, worth 406 points. Their second-round pick, at No. 42, is worth 142 points.
This deal could work:
- Cardinals receive No. 8, No. 42 (548 points)
- Saints receive No. 3, No. 104 (547 points)
Then the Cardinals could use their two second-round picks to then move back into Round 1 to get Ty Simpson.
They could trade No. 34, No. 42 and No. 65 (395 points) for No. 28, No. 38 and No. 106 (398 total points).
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.
PHOENIX — Breezy winds kicked up a blanket of dust across the Valley on Sunday, and forecasters say more is on the way this week.
Visibility in Phoenix became so bad on Sunday that Sky Harbor airport stopped flights for over an hour
The wind and dust peaked Sunday afternoon and gradually improved into the evening, said Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
“You might’ve seen the mountains a bit obscured in the distance,” Graves told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday. “A lot of haze in the air.”
By Monday morning, skies had largely cleared and dust levels near the ground had dropped significantly.
Expect more gusty, dusty days this week
The relief may be short-lived.
ADEQ is watching for increased afternoon breezes Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, this time from the west and southwest. Though the winds are expected to be weaker than Sunday’s, Graves said forecasters cannot rule out dust.
“I wouldn’t say windstorm,” Graves said. “I would just say we’ve got some waves coming in. They’re going to increase our afternoon breeziness.”
It’s enough to kick up dry, exposed dirt, which could create pockets of dust. There is a slight chance of broader regional dust transport, Graves said.
It will impact people with asthma, COPD or respiratory conditions the most. Graves advised those with issues to monitor conditions and stay indoors during the dustiest hours.
“If you’re going to be outside, be outside during the times when it’s less dusty or hazy,” Graves said.
Graves noted that spring weather systems typically pass to the north of the Phoenix area, delivering wind and slight temperature drops but little to no rain, a pattern likely to continue.
KTAR News reporter Kellen Shover contributed to this report.
-
New York3 minutes agoN.Y.P.D. Narcotics Unit Under Review After a Beating Is Caught on Tape
-
Detroit, MI33 minutes agoMI Healthy Climate Conference in Detroit focuses on green funding and strong future
-
San Francisco, CA45 minutes agoCalifornia’s New Hotel Edit: The Best Places to Stay Across the Golden State in 2026
-
Dallas, TX51 minutes agoThe Brandon Aubrey Deal | DZTV
-
Miami, FL57 minutes agoRanking the Miami Heat’s Top Trade Targets
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoFormer Massachusetts doctor faces 81 new sexual assault charges
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoHouston County murder suspect returns to face charges after her arrest in Denver
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoWest Seattle Tool Library to host annual tool sale this Saturday, April 25 | The White Center Blog