Arizona’s August 22 practice gave a little bit of everything: a receiver making noise, a cornerback battle that still looks tight, and one throw from Noah Fifita that stood out above the rest.
Isaiah Mizell was one of the more encouraging names on the field. He has had stretches in practice where things haven’t come easy and a few mistakes have clearly lingered with him, but Saturday was a clean step forward.
Mizell hauled in a pass from Sawyer Anderson during 7-on-7, then the two hooked up again later for a touchdown in 11-on-11. He isn’t going to crack the top three at receiver - that part is already settled - but he is very much in the mix behind them and keeping the pressure on for snaps.
The competition at second cornerback is just as active. Tyrese Boss and Dwight Bootle are both chasing that role, and both made their presence felt in different moments.
Boss got his hands on a deep ball from Noah Fifita intended for Mizell in 7-on-7. Bootle answered later by breaking up a pass in the end zone during 11-on-11.
Right now, Bootle has the edge to start, but Boss keeps pushing, and Arizona’s depth at corner is turning into a real strength.
The most eye-catching offensive rep of the day came when Fifita found Tre Spivey on a deep touchdown. Spivey has already shown he can be a dangerous weapon in the red zone, and that didn’t change on Saturday.
The next step is getting open more consistently, but the talent is impossible to miss. Not many receivers would have come down with the catch he made, going up to meet the ball at its high point over Swayde Griffin.
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