GLENDALE, Ariz. — Outside, the projected high was 116 degrees. Which, I think, makes this the hottest day of my life. Inside State Farm Stadium, though, it was probably 70 or so. Here’s what we’ve got from my 16th stop on camp trail, a day spent with the Cardinals …

• The biggest jumps, the hope goes, will be from the 2024 draft class. That starts with Marvin Harrison Jr., who had 885 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie amid outsized expectations. He was given goals to play faster and more physical, and attack the ball more aggressively, and he’s responded with the benefit of having a full offseason as a pro, and the added confidence that comes with experience. Generally, bigger receivers take a year to fully adjust anyway, and the Cardinals foresee a leap coming from a guy who’s playing more than he’s thinking now, with the chance to focus on football alone. He’s also up to 220 pounds, so he’s gotten physically stronger as well. CB Max Melton’s built off a fast finish to 2024, while DE Darius Robinson is healthy (he was never 100% last year, battling a calf issue all season). On offense, TE Tip Reiman’s looming as a nice complement to Trey McBride, RB Trey Benson is going to be more involved and RG Isaiah Adams is one of the more important guys in this camp (we’ll jump into that in a second). Bottom line, if Arizona’s a playoff team in ‘25, this group needs to be a big reason why.

• There’s confidence that between having McBride (who’s probably one of the three best tight ends in football, capable of attacking a defense on all three levels) and Harrison as focal points in the pass game, a rejuvenated Zay Jones and solid young guy in Michael Wilson as complementary pieces, and James Conner and Benson running the ball, the skill positions are in good shape. That leaves the offensive line as the swing factor. The good news is Paris Johnson Jr. has improved his anchor and become more complete at left tackle, and Adams is promising at guard. The bad news is the depth is a sizable question mark, and Arizona is relying on some guys with injury histories (namely Jonah Williams). So it’s paramount that the development keeps going with the young guys, and the group stays healthy.

• Murray looks comfortable and confident going into Year 7, his third running OC Drew Petzing’s offense. The key now will be balancing all the splash plays he’s capable of with the routine, mundane stuff—which has always been the challenge—so the offense can stay on schedule and avoid the big mistakes you saw toward the end of 2024 (turnover margin was a big part of how a 6–4 record heading into the bye crumbled into a 2–5 finish). Another thing that would help is the middle of the line—with Adams, Hjalte Froholdt and Evan Brown slated to start—coming along.

• Defensively, the middle of the secondary gives DC Nick Rallis a foundation to build on, with veteran safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson and young nickel Garrett Williams all having really nice summers. From there, there are questions on how things come together at the corner spots. Melton likely will start on one side, and second-round pick Will Johnson is trending toward starting opposite him—Johnson already looks like a veteran with his savvy for the position and high football IQ. Fellow rookie Denzel Burke’s also showed his athletic upside and positioned himself well to have a role. And Kei'Trel Clark has started games for the Cardinals, too. So there are options. How they come together is the question.

• The front seven could, by the end of the year, be a real team strength. Josh Sweat’s presence as a run defender, coming over from Philly, is already being felt, and Baron Browning’s had a nice camp on the opposite edge. Behind them, veteran Mack Wilson Sr.’s transition from the “Will” to the “Mike” linebacker spot has been smooth. His experience—he’ll wear the green dot as the defense’s signal-caller—from that spot should help everyone. From there, the question will be how the interior of the defensive line comes along. There’s talent there, with Robinson and vets Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell in the mix. And then, there’s rookie 3-technique Walter Nolen, who had a very solid spring. Arizona expects him to be a force, but lost him for camp with a calf injury. Whether he makes it back for the opener is very iffy, and from there Arizona will have to get him in football shape. So the hope is, as the year wears on, he becomes a real force in the middle, even if it doesn’t happen right away.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cardinals Training Camp 2025: Marvin Harrison Jr. Looks to Build on Rookie Year.

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