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Tuesday, April 22, 2025

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Everything Texans QB C.J. Stroud said on first day back of voluntary workouts  

While the NFL draft is still three days away, the Houston Texans are getting ready to welcome seven new players who will improve their roster.

How so? They're back in the building for voluntary workouts, setting the tone for the upcoming season. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud met with the media for several minutes to discuss the offseason workouts, newest additions and news surrounding the upcoming draft.

Here were the highlights from Monday's presser:

Q:On if this is the time in the offseason where they start to build the 2025 team

C.J. Stroud: "Most definitely, yeah. You’ve got to – I think these last two years were very foundational. And to have wins under our belts was great. But just learning from those years and pushing our agenda and our foundation, which is that S.W.A.R.M. mentality, on the new guys and the guys who are coming into Year 2 or Year 3. So, it’s exciting just to get another year under our belt. And it’s always cool to see new guys, new faces and it’s a better feeling being in the locker room and not just on your own. So yeah, it’s been dope."

Q:On the difference in his preparation this offseason compared to his first two seasons in the league

Stroud: “Just the experience. Just more games on my belt. Not only games, but just an offseason, free time, OTAs, Draft schedule, things like that. Just comfortability with those types of things. So, it’s been the most – probably the best thing is just being used to how things go, trades and all types of stuff. It’s nothing you get comfortable with completely, but you find comfort in it more as you get more experience, I feel.”

Q: On what the conversations have been like between him and Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley

Stroud: "At first, it was just an introduction. Now we’re starting to get in the scheme of things. But just more feeling each other out as people. Seeing where he comes from being from Canton, Ohio, not far from Columbus, Ohio where I played ball in college. Just a lot of similarities when it comes to family. Just how much we love our families and how much we love ball. And he’s very personable, very – somebody that I’ve found respect for already just on how he approaches the game, how much he loves it. So, just very introductional, but also, as we’ve come into OTAs and we’ve been able to get on the phone a couple of times to talk about certain things. It’s been nice.”

Q:On his thoughts on his new weapon in WR Christian Kirk

Stroud: "I’m excited to be able to play against him the last two years, he’s somebody that you definitely have to prepare for if you’re playing against him. Now, it’s the other side where we get to work together. Somebody who I’ve heard amazing things. [Player Development Advisor] Mikado [Hinson] being from Texas A&M and being with him there said that he’s a great person. That’s all I’ve seen being on the phone with him, texting him. Now, meeting him in person for the first time other than being opponents. But yeah, he brings a tenacity, a raw ability just to run routes, fill the game, YAC, run after catch. I think he’s a very polished route runner and a leader, which is something that I’m very excited to work with him about.”

Q:On if he was surprised about the changes to the offensive line

Stroud: "That’s something I feel is not my pay grade. It’s just – I’m just a quarterback. But at the same time, you build relationships with guys and [Laremy Tunsil] LT, of course, who I know you’re talking about and Shaq [Mason], those are two of my best friends that I’ve come into the league with. So yeah, it hurts. Our front office knows that and they know how I felt about it and – but I totally understand and I’m not against it at all. I totally think that we’re heading to the right side of things. And I think something I’ve learned about Nick [Caserio] is that he has a plan. No matter what happens, he always has something up his sleeve. So, of course, sometimes you don’t know what that is, but you just have that trust and that’s something that I’ve – we actually talked about the other day having blind trust and having earned trust. And for Nick, he’s gained my trust in both areas. So, I’m excited, but I’m always going to be best friends with those guys and rooting them on and I still talk to them daily.”

Q: On seeing players like CB Derek Stingley Jr. and S Jalen Pitre sign contract extensions

Stroud: "It’s amazing, put a smile on my face. It’s not the goal, of course the goal is to be all-pro, to be one of the most respected, but that’s what comes with that. So, those two guys have done those things as some of the two most respected players in the NFL and to have them on my team and to see them get what I felt was due was just amazing. Me and 5 were actually just talking about that. I was in the building a couple months ago and we were talking about it and he really wasn’t sure. But I was like, ‘Bro, just – you put it on tape, man. Now you just leave it to the people you entrusted to do your contract.’ And to see it go out and see him be the highest paid nickel ever is just super dope and same thing for Sting. We all knew that, though. That dude’s a baller. So, yeah, it’s dope to see.”

Q:On how important it is to have Quarterbacks Coach Jerrod Johnson coaching him through the offensive changes

Stroud: "Yeah, I think it’s very important. Jerrod is somebody who has been with me since my rookie season, but also has known me since I was in high school, since I was 16 years old. So, for him to be here and seeing me in those different lights and those different points of my life, it’s been cool. So, I think it’s been great for him and [Offensive Coordinator] Nick [Caley] because Jerrod is specialized in quarterbacks and I think Nick is going to lean on him a lot in that area. And he’s going to give him a lot more responsibility, which I think Jerrod is due for and I think he’s going to do great with it and I told him, man, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with. Just the way he thinks, the way he operates, the fact that he played and really, just the human being he is and I’m excited to see him elevate as a coach and to be more hands on is going to be amazing.”

On what his relationship is like with WR Emeka Egbuka

Stroud: "Me and Mek, we were very close at Ohio State. And it’s just time goes on, you stay connected but it’s just different not being in the same building and stuff. But, man, that dude, he can call me any time, that’s my brother for life and I’m super proud of him, just the man he’s become, a man of God, first and foremost, and just that leadership that he’s brought and I remember him being this number one recruited receiver coming into our school and he came in and just wanted to work. And so, I know that he'll do the same thing coming into the league and he’s not going to have any problem adjusting. I think he's going to be a long-time vet, just somebody who is going to make a lot of plays, reliable, going to block, going to do everything that you ask him to do, but first, he’s going to be a leader."

Q:On where he hopes to lead the team and where the team is at the moment

Stroud: “For me, I believe in servant leadership. Servant leadership in any way that I can. My coach in college taught me the most important jobs, the only job really that a quarterback has is to make everybody. Whatever that looks like that's what I want to do. It's been nice, now that I feel like I got another year under my belt. More experience, more comfortability with just how the NFL works, how the league works, how the city works, everything.  Just being a “quarterback in the NFL” is something that no one can teach you about, it. You got to experience it. Got to make mistakes, you got to fail. You have to do good, and you have to do bad. That's what I plan to do, is just use those experiences to help others, and be a servant to one another. It says in the Word that iron sharpens iron, another man sharpens another. That is what I plan to do.”

Q: On how he feels about the new offensive direction and how it fits him

Stroud: "Yeah, he comes L.A. and New England and he is going to bring some of that swag over here. So, that kind of is what I'm used to. Taking control and being a little more presnap, having tools to put my guys in the best position. That is something that we really didn't work on these last two years. Even those principles I learned from, and it made me better because it added a new element to my game. We will be able to just get better and learn from what he did with New England and L.A. and will definitely help me because those are two schemes I am used to in a sense. That is kind of what I ran in Iowa State, kind of how New England does a little bit. L.A. is kind of what we ran here these last two years. So, I will be able to put my swag on it, have fun with it. He is all about me taking full ownership, running the show, and that's what I want. So, it's really been really cool just to see that he's bought into me and he doesn’t really know me well yet. He talked about today having blind trust and I have a lot of trust in him already. Just how he talks and how he presents in the room is really cool to see.”

Q: On what it was like to see the city get behind the Houston Rockets?

Stroud: “I'm excited to see them, in this game too. Just to see Houston live, I remember my first playoff game here against the Browns, it was cracking and turnt. It was like that in there, the crowd was ready to roll. It takes time for young guys, me being a young dude, I know it's different sport, but it's the same type of environment. It takes a little adjusting. The court looks a little different. For us, the field looks a little different. The stands, the lights are a little brighter. It takes time to get adjusted. Speed is a little more, you are playing against some of your childhood favorite players. For me, it was going against Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, it was like I am really going against some legends. I think for them, they will slow down, they will start to make their shots. For them to only lose by 10 and have a close game. I know I am sounding like an NBA coach, but for them to ekep it that close. I think they were like 4-and- twenty something for shooting. They will find their shot, in my opinion, I think they will be fine. I think Jalen [Green] is going to take over I love the whole team. I love Fred [VanVleet], Fred is nice. I love Jabari [Smith], they are all hard. I am excited to watch.”

Q:What he learned from Bobby Slowik in past seasons that he can bring with him in his career?

Stroud: "Bobby has taught me a lot about just ownership, taking real ownership on your job, and making sure that you what you need to do, play in and play out. That's something I got better at as I kept on learning what everybody's doing. Motions, different formation, just all the nine. I think it's just cool, just to have somebody who came from San Francisco and came here and learn more. To see him open up our second year here and to see him try to learn new things and stuff. It was dope to see. I am always going to be a fan of Bobby Slowik. I think he has a lot of great things that he has done and will do in his career in coaching, and I am excited to see. I am really appreciative of our time together and definitely rooting him on.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: Everything QB C.J. Stroud said on Day 1 of voluntary workouts

 

Hurricanes Offering Parking Discount For Game 2 Early Arrivers  

The Carolina Hurricanes haven't had the most favorable game assignments to start the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Game 1 was a 3 p.m. local time start on Easter Sunday and now Game 2 is slated for 6 p.m. on a Tuesday, right in the middle of the work week.

This obviously creates problems in just getting to Lenovo Center due to work commitments and then you add post-work traffic and congestion on top of it.

All around, it's just not a great situation.

But to try and help alleviate some of those problems, the Canes are petitioning local businesses to let employees out a bit earlier on Tuesday.

Per Hurricanes team president Doug Warf, Lenovo's North American president Ryan McCurdy is leading the charge, allowing employees with tickets to leave work early.

"I love that Lenovo's NA Pres, Ryan McCurdy, said his team could leave early if they have tickets," Warf wrote on his X account. "I did the same at MDO Holdings as I was usually leading the charge to the tailgate - much like Ryan tomorrow."

"Let me know if I can also email your boss for you - happy to help."

- Carolina Hurricanes team president Doug Warf has offered to help fans find a way to leave work early for the Canes 6 p.m. game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

In addition, the team is offering a 50% discount on parking (normally $45 if you pay onsite, $32 if prepaid through Parkwhiz) for those that arrive between 1 and 3 p.m.

Keep in mind though, that the promotion only applies for fans enter who enter through Gate E off of Edwards Mill Road.

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Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!

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Seahawks GM John Schneider discusses Charles Cross' 5th-year option  

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider held his annual pre-draft news conference on Monday. One of the topics discussed was the upcoming decision regarding left tackle Charles Cross' fifth-year contract option. Schneider was noncommittal.

"We'll answer that at a later date," Schneider said when asked.

Asked whether he anticipates picking up the fifth-year option for LT Charles Cross, Schneider said, "We'll answer that at a later date." Over The Cap projects the cost to be $17.56M for Cross, the ninth pick of the 2022 draft. The deadline is May 1.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) April 21, 2025

The deadline to exercise or decline Cross' fifth-year option is May 1st, mere days after the 2025 NFL draft. The fifth-year option for 2026 for Cross is a fully guaranteed $17.56 million, according to Spotrac. That qualifies as a fair price, with approximately 13 left tackles currently averaging more than that per season.

The Seahawks are entering the 2025 NFL draft with massive needs across their offensive line. The left guard spot was left vacant by the disappointing Laken Tomlinson. Jalen Sundell and Olu Oluwatimi are currently slated to battle for reps at center, with Oluwatimi holding the obvious advantage. Right guard could feature a trio of contenders, with Anthony Bradford still on his rookie contract, and Sataoa Laumea and Christian Haynes entering their sophomore years. At right tackle, depth is needed behind the oft-injured Abe Lucas.

Cross has started 48 of a possible 51 games in his three completed campaigns with the Seahawks. The former Mississippi State standout was available for every snap in 2024. The Seahawks should exercise his fifth-year option.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Will Seahawks exercise Charles Cross' 5th-year option?

 

Dream targets for Bucs at 19th overall in the NFL Draft  

The NFL Draft is an exercise in hope. Fans flock to the draft every year, believing that the players their teams select hold the tickets to the next Super Bowl. The prospects waiting for their names to be called represent pure potential, their futures unclouded by the reality awaiting them in the fall.

The Buccaneers’ dreams lie in a deep postseason run. Tampa Bay has failed to get past the divisional round since their 2020 Super Bowl run, thanks in large part to their inability to rush the passer and cover receivers over the middle of the field.

The Bucs hope that a defensive star can be found midway through the first round. In a dream scenario, the top prospects pinball their way down the draft board to pick 19. Though the flippers of reality are sure to catch these fantasies before landing in Tampa Bay, it can be nice to dream every so often.

These are the dream draft prospects for the Bucs at pick 19 in this year’s draft:

Abdul Carter

Landing this draft class’s most promising pass rusher would instantly make the Bucs a Super Bowl contender. Joining a rotation with Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby, Carter would instantly make Tampa Bay’s pass rush the most potent and credible it has been since 2020. Unfortunately, Carter is not likely to make it past the top three picks, so this is pure fantasy for Tampa Bay’s defensive front.

Travis Hunter

Speaking of pure fantasy, Colorado’s two-way superstar would make the Bucs one of the scariest teams in the league. As a cornerback, Hunter would be an ideal fit for Todd Bowles’ off-zone coverage scheme and would bring ball skills to a secondary that has not had a player record more than three interceptions in over a decade. As a receiver, Hunter could play just a quarter of the offense’s passing snaps and still make the Bucs’ receiving room far and away the most talented in the NFL. Alas, like Carter, Hunter is not escaping the opening trio of picks, so Tampa Bay will just have to imagine him in red and pewter.

Jihaad Campbell

The Alabama linebacker is a slightly more realistic if still fanciful target for the Bucs. After Devin White’s career crashed and burned at the end of his tenure in Tampa Bay, the Bucs were left without a succession plan for the legendary Lavonte David. Campbell is a more well-rounded prospect than White, showing ability to blitz, cover and most especially tackle. 

Campbell could fall to Tampa Bay. However, the lack of other top-end linebackers in this year’s class will make him a coveted prospect for similar linebacker-needy teams ahead of Tampa Bay in the draft order, such as Dallas, Indianapolis and Atlanta.

Tyler Warren

Tight end is not a major need for Tampa Bay, but Penn State TE Tyler Warren is the kind of prospect that overcomes the notion of need at a certain point. Warren is the prototype for the ideal Y tight end: he is an excellent blocker who also happens to have some of the best hands in the entire draft class. Adding Warren to Tampa Bay’s already stacked offense would make them all but impossible to defend. Unfortunately, the Bucs have too many needs on defense to honestly consider drafting Warren, who is unlikely to make it past Indianapolis at the latest.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Who are dream targets for the Bucs if they stay at 19 overall?

 

SEC Baseball Power Rankings after Week 6 of conference play  

For the first time since March 24, only two Southeastern Conference teams found themselves inside the top five rankings in the country.

To the haters of the SEC, laugh it up. The league is still, from top to bottom, the best in the country. Even if the ACC, which has long since abandoned its perch in basketball, can claim three teams in the top 10, the SEC counters with six. Or seven in the top 11. Or eight in the top 13.

Eight teams in the top 13 in the country. That's half the SEC, right there. And just because each team may be ranked in a certain spot doesn't mean they're going to fit into that same order here. Power rankings attempt to qualify a team's recent hot streak - or cold streak, depending - alongside its season as a whole. That's why the top five hasn't changed much since these began.

It's also why the bottom two haven't, either, and it's tough to imagine the No. 16 team doing enough to move out of that spot with a month left in conference play.

But for now, with that month here and with national seeds in play and hosting duties after that, the final four weeks of SEC baseball should be a treat. Here's how they stack up after six weeks.

16. Missouri Tigers

Last week: 16

Six weeks of SEC play. Still winless. Can Missouri achieve the impossible (OK, improbable)?

15. South Carolina Gamecocks

Last week: 15

Out of nowhere, the South Carolina baseball team came up with its first series win of the SEC season. Over Ole Miss, too, of all teams. It isn't too surprising considering the Gamecocks were supposed to middle of the pack this year, but with just two SEC wins entering the weekend, this was something of a shock.

14. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Last week: 13

A week after knocking off Alabama in two out of three, Mississippi State took a step back to where it was before, falling in two out of three to Florida. In fairness, Florida is the more talented team. The Gators just hadn't played like it. Now the Bulldogs will have to fight to stay out of the bottom spot in the league standings by season's end.

13. Florida Gators

Last week: 14

Most of the time, you figure a team that wins five out of six games in the SEC jumps more than Florida has over the last two weeks. But those wins were against aforementioned Mizzou and the team they just leapfrogged one spot. Not exactly the big bad bruisers. It is something, though.

12. Texas A&M Aggies

Last week: 12

You spell resurrection "A" and "M," apparently. The Aggies look as close to the team they were projected to be before the season began as they have at any point this year. Two out of three against Arkansas in Fayetteville? For a team with a sub-.500 record? Mercy. No wonder they were the preseason No. 1 team in the country.

11. Alabama Crimson Tide

Last week: 9

Last week, there was consideration to dropping Alabama to 10th instead of ninth. Maybe this is a make-up. The Crimson Tide lost Game 2 to LSU by just a run or else would have come out with that series over the weekend. In most leagues, .500 isn't ideal. In the SEC, you're sitting pretty.

10. Kentucky Wildcats

Last week: 11

A week after nearly knocking off the top team in the SEC in two of three, Kentucky knocked off the defending national champions in two of three. The Wildcats may be a game below .500 in league play, but they remain one of the scariest teams in the nation.

9. Oklahoma Sooners

Last week: 10

The Sooners have won five of their last six SEC games. Of course, most recently, Mizzou was the object of demonstration. Take two of three from Georgia this upcoming weekend and we can start to have a real conversation about the Sooners hosting a Regional.

8. Ole Miss Rebels

Last week: 7

You could argue to flip Ole Miss and Oklahoma (or even drop the Rebels further), but that isn't going to happen here this week. With consecutive series against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma upcoming, it's hard figure much more than a trio of teams who very well could split everything 3-3 against one another.

7. Auburn Tigers

Last week: 6

Ouch. So much for the Tigers' joining the league's elite. Texas' sweep of Auburn showed a distinct difference. That doesn't mean AU is bad, far from it. But the ego could use a massage with Mississippi State upcoming.

6. Vanderbilt Commodores

Last week: 8

Last week, these power rankings stated: "Vanderbilt is a good baseball team. But how good?" The Commodores have since won four straight games, including a sweep of Georgia, a team that once ranked No. 2 in the nation not long ago. UGA isn't that anymore - and wasn't heading into the Vandy series - but the Nashville bunch is getting hot.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Last week: 4

Georgia started 8-1 after three weeks of SEC play. After three more weeks, they've gone 2-7. Which team are the Bulldogs? Our bet is closer to the former than the latter (see the series win against Arkansas as best evidence), but no doubt things are rough in Athens right now.

4. LSU Tigers

Last week: 5

LSU found its way back into a tie for third in the SEC by taking two out of three from Alabama. The Tigers needed it following a sweep at the hands of Auburn the week before. Next up comes a series at Alex Box Stadium against the No. 3 team in these rankings.

3. Tennessee Volunteers

Last week: 3

Another series loss for Tennessee, and the Volunteers find themselves four games out of first place in the SEC with only four baseball weekends left. That doesn't mean Tennessee has any less a chance at a national title, though. Only an SEC one.

2. Arkansas

Last week: 2

A rough weekend against Texas A&M didn't ultimately hurt the Razorbacks too much. Yes, they fell in the national rankings two spots, but that's largely ceremonial (as are these power rankings). Arkansas remains a lock for a national seed with about a month left in the regular season.

1. Texas Longhorns

Last week: 1

Texas leads the SEC by two full games over old Southwest Conference rival Arkansas. And speaking of rivals, those Hogs are up in two weeks. Before? None other than the team that beat Arkansas this weekend the Longhorns' biggest enemy, Texas A&M.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: SEC Baseball Power Rankings after Week 6

 

UFC 314 'Fight Motion': Paddy Pimblett's destruction of Michael Chandler in super slo-mo  

UFC 314 earlier this month in Miami was arguably the most highly anticipated pay-per-view of the year so far.

Former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski recaptured the newly vacant title in the main event, and Paddy Pimblett saw his star continue to rise with an utter destruction of Michael Chandler. And there were tons of other big moments, too.

The UFC 314 "Fight Motion" video cameras caught all the highlights in Miami in super slow motion. You can check out the bloody action above.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 314 'Fight Motion' super slo-mo highlights video

 

Watch the final episode of Bo Nix’s ‘Grit & Glory’ pre-draft documentary  

As the Denver Broncos come up on the start of the NFL draft in just two days, let's take a look back at the Broncos' first-round draft pick from last year, University of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.

Last year, Nix's media team produced a three-part docuseries on the quarterback's journey to the Rocky Mountains. Part 1 covered Nix's early years to practicing just before the NFL draft; Part 2 dove into Nix's pro day and throwing session with the Broncos. We now take a look at the final part of Nix's journey to the NFL draft.

Part 3 of the series documents the moments leading up to when Nix was drafted 12th overall by Denver. The highlight from the 12-and-a-half-minute video may be the first words Nix spoke after he got "the call" from Broncos general manager George Paton: "You wanna win a Super Bowl?" After being drafted, Nix and his family took time to reflect on the struggles and journey it took to get to the NFL.

Nix went on to have a historic rookie season for the Broncos, setting several franchise and NFL records along the way. Nix will look to continue his strong start to his young career in 2025.

You can watch Part 3 of the docuseries from Bolt TV below:

This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Relive Bo Nix's selection in 2024 NFL draft

 

How the NFL Draft Screws Over Players  

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Free Agent! I hope your team's "arm barn" is holding up alright.

It's NFL Draft week, and if you're heavily invested in this, it's probably a sign your team sucks and needs the help. We'll talk about how NFL Draft picks are getting screwed, and you'll view those images of draftees smiling next to Commissioner Roger Goodell in a weird new light. Then we'll move on to a possible new NFL stadium, a marathon record, and an awesome TV show.

Locker Room Links

• After a rocky start and much ink spilled over how to fix the NBA, regular season TV ratings were down a modest 2 percent. Meanwhile, NHL attendance hit a new record.
• How pickleball took MLB teams by storm.
• Congress is heading for a showdown with the World Anti-Doping Agency over Chinese influence.
• Revenge for the 4 Nations Face-Off: The U.S. women beat Canada in hockey to take gold at the annual IIHF Women's World Championship—see the winning goal here.
• The Professional Women's Hockey League is expanding—not to Detroit, like it should, but to Vancouver. (Possible team names here.)
• Oregon wants to spend $800 million on an MLB ballpark.
• Elsewhere in Reason: "What Happens When Presidents Defy Court Orders?"
• Matt Strahm is a national treasure.
  

  Phillies' Matt Strahm has been called a Nicolas Cage look-a-like throughout his MLB career.

  Ahead of Wednesday's game, the reliever showed off his custom glove with the Declaration of Independence printed on it.

  "I stole it, then made a glove out of it." pic.twitter.com/eO7bPuvdxc

  — Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 17, 2025

The Pick Is In Screwed

When Cam Ward (almost certainly) gets drafted first overall by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night, he'll earn a contract worth $43 million over four years. Must be nice! But that value is dramatically lower than top draft picks were getting 15 years ago.

In 2009, Matt Stafford agreed to contract terms with the Detroit Lions the day before the draft—he went first overall and then signed a deal with a total value of $78 million. The next year, Sam Bradford went first overall to the then–St. Louis Rams and inked a deal worth a maximum of $86 million (or about $117 million in today's dollars, thanks to inflation). Those deals had $42 million guaranteed for Stafford and $50 million guaranteed for Bradford.

But then draft pick salaries fell off a cliff. The following year's top pick, Cam Newton, got just $22 million for four years (fully guaranteed). The 2011 collective bargaining agreement stripped away almost all the negotiating power draftees had with teams. From then on through at least the end of the current labor agreement, rookies could either agree to the preset salary system or they could skip a year—and then have to get drafted again and get stuck with a preset salary again.

The money went from drafted players to older players. Who do you think negotiated the 2011 collective bargaining agreement for the players union? Future players like Ward, who was 9 years old at the time, obviously didn't get a say.

The other major professional sports leagues do versions of this too. Whoever gets to pick Cooper Flagg first in the NBA Draft gets to keep his rookie salary down to just $13.8 million. When NHL draft picks get to the show, they sign entry-level contracts with a maximum salary under $1,000,000 (length varies from one to three years depending on their age). MLB rules are a mysterious fog that lead to "service time" manipulation to keep players from reaching free agency too quickly.

With little negotiation power, it's no surprise some NFL draft picks, like Caleb Williams last year, don't have an agent (this would ruin the Cush plotline in Jerry Maguire). Since the average NFL career is between three and four seasons, many players never get to negotiate for their worth in a contract.

The system works out well for the league's owners, who get to keep a below-market ceiling on a large portion of their player contracts. It works well for veteran players, who get to soak up a bigger portion of the salary-capped pie. It doesn't work out for young draft picks—and it's a surprise more of them don't speak out about it.

Who's Taking Your Money This Week?

The Washington, D.C., government and the Washington Commanders are closing in on a deal for a new stadium and an accompanying development. When the entire project is estimated to cost $3 billion, with $2.5 billion coming from the team, the deal sounds downright benevolent. The city government's $850 million cost seems small in comparison.

But $850 million is still a lot of money—$1,250 per resident, if you estimate D.C.'s population at 680,000. The city is full of die-hard Redskins Commanders fans, but I bet most residents would rather see their $1,250 share spent on something else. (Frankly, being forced by government to pay that much for a stadium and not even getting a free ticket out of it is offensive.)

Even if the Commanders come to an agreement with Mayor Muriel Bowser, other political challenges lie ahead. "It's unclear how DC has the money to do this," as stadium financing expert J.C. Bradbury posted. The city already has $515 million committed to Capital One Arena. Congress also has to approve the city's budget and might balk at the spending. Amazingly, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is one of the few local politicians in the country who has the right line on taxpayer dollars and sports: "I have said many times that I support a stadium and welcome the return of our football team, but without the investment of public dollars," he told NBC News4. (But he still voted to "invest" public dollars in Capital One Arena.)

The team's current stadium, Northwest Stadium (formerly FedExField, and yes, it apparently was all one word) is in terrible physical condition and was horribly managed by former team owner Dan Snyder. Perhaps upgrades by the new ownership group have changed things since my last game, but the sorry state of affairs doesn't mean the D.C. government should subsidize a new stadium—sports are just entertainment, not an industry that should or must be supported by government spending.

Boo Commanders. Boo owner Josh Harris. Boo Washington, D.C., government.

A Record for Humanity

I get mixed feelings about a lot of record-breaking achievements in sports, but new records in running always bring a smile to my face. They feel like achievements for all humanity, not just the individual.

When records fall in other sports, we get arguments about different playing eras, offensive styles, and quality of opponents. Running records are more about beating the clock than beating your opponent—and records are falling more and more often. They show how much humanity has figured out about health, nutrition, physics, and athletics, each lesson building on top of another. Even technological improvements in running shoes have played a part.

With that in mind, congratulations to Sharon Lokedi for crushing the Boston Marathon's course record for women by more than two minutes. She spent hours learning and training and it all came together in the race—I, personally, had nothing to do with it, nor did most people. But she couldn't have done it without all the lessons we've learned about how to run 26.2 miles faster and faster without dying. It's a small example of another barrier that humanity can break down when people have the drive, resources, and freedom to pursue their dreams.

Never Lose Again

I get it. It's playoff time, but your NHL team is dusting off their golf clubs instead of sharpening their skates. You wish you wanted to watch but putting the playoffs on makes you sigh.

Thankfully, Shoresy is here to help you. It's the best TV show about hockey you'll ever see. It's what Brockmire was for baseball except the fourth season doesn't suck and it's still going strong. It's Letterkenny but with a plot. Anyone who's ever felt a sports-induced emotion will love it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll start quoting it every single day, you'll see the best TV romance you've seen in years.

Just don't let any kids watch it, or they'll start telling you to give your balls a tug.

Replay of the Week

Sean Casey's not the only one to get thrown out at first base from left field anymore.

This will go in the books as a groundout to left field pic.twitter.com/1HGbZUEaIT

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 17, 2025

That's all for this week. Enjoy watching the real game of the weekend, Arsenal against Olympique Lyonnais in the Women's Champions League.

The post How the NFL Draft Screws Over Players appeared first on Reason.com.

 

What prospects are attending 2025 NFL Draft? Here's a running list  

The 2025 NFL Draft's guest list is about as exclusive as it gets.

Millions of people dream of playing in the NFL. Hundreds of people get the opportunity to enter the league every year. Only a select few will get the chance to walk across the stage on draft night.

There are just 15 prospects attending in 2025 after Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams and Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons backed out. Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston has since joined the list of green room attendees.

That means there are 242 players that won't have the luxury, or experience, of getting to walk across the draft stage when their name is called.

Here's a look at the list of prospects that will.

2025 NFL Draft attendees

• Tyler Booker, G, Alabama
• Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
• Will Campbell, OT, LSU
• Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
• Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
• Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
• Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
• Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
• Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
• Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
• Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
• Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
• Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
• Cameron Ward, QB, Miami (FL)
• Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

When is the 2025 NFL Draft?

The 2025 NFL draft is slated to begin on Thursday, April 24 and will wrap up on Saturday, April 25.

• Thursday, April 24: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET
• Friday, April 25: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET
• Saturday, April 26: Rounds 4-7, Noon ET

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NFL Draft green room: Which prospects are attending?

 

Tennessee signs top-five prep recruit Nate Ament to polish up Rick Barnes’ latest class  
 

A sixth Kansas State basketball player has decided to enter the transfer portal  

Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang's retention-first plan has all but evaporated.

Tang, who had expressed a desire to build his 2025-26 roster with a foundation of returning players instead saw another one depart Monday when CJ Johnson became the sixth Wildcat to enter the transfer portal.

Only three players remain from last year's team. However, two super-senior guard Max Jones and midyear transfer forward Tyreek Smith could be back if they receive eligibility waivers from the NCAA.

Jones, a 6-foot-3 point guard, spent just one season at K-State after transferring last year from Illinois-Chicago. He was the Wildcats' most experienced remaining player after appearing in all 33 games with nine starts and averaging 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.

Related: Kansas State basketball big men Ugonna Onyenso and Baye Fall enter transfer portal

Related: Kansas State basketball wraps up a busy day by adding UNCW forward from portal

Jones entered the portal one day after Tang received a commitment from Akron do-it-all guard Nate Johnson. Johnson, the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, was K-State's third portal addition.

Still, with Jones gone, the only players left from the 2024-25 roster now are sophomore forward Taj Manning, sophomore wing Mobi Ikegwuruka, and freshman point guard David Castillo. Tang now has at least four and as many as six scholarships to fill through the portal, with the biggest need at the forward and center positions.

Kansas State basketball roster tracker

Outgoing transfers

• Macacleab Rich, sophomore forward
• Brendan Hausen, junior guard (Iowa)
• Dug McDaniel, junior guard
• Ugonna Onyenso, junior center
• Baye Fall, sophomore forward
• CJ Jones, junior guard

Incoming transfers

Abdi Bashir, sophomore guard (Monmouth)

Khamari McGriff, junior forward (UNC-Wilmington)

Nate Johnson, junior guard (Akron)

Incoming freshmen

• Exavier Wilson, guard

Returning players

• Taj Manning, sophomore forward
• Mobi Ikegwuruka, sophomore guard
• David Castillo, freshman guard

*Starting guard Max Jones and midyear transfer forward Tyreek Smith are seeking a waiver from the NCAA for another year of eligibility

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball loses another player to the transfer portal

 

Osaka’s clay-court season starts with a loss in 1st round of Madrid Open  

MADRID (AP) — Naomi Osaka's clay-court season started with a loss in the first round of the Madrid Open against Lucia Bronzetti on Tuesday.

Japan's four-time Grand Slam champion stumbled on match point as Bronzetti completed a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win before checking Osaka was OK as they approached the net for a post-match handshake.

The 55th-ranked Osaka was unseeded in Madrid for her first match in almost a month since reaching the fourth round of the Miami Open. Italy's Bronzetti will play fifth-seeded American Madison Keys in the second round.

Alexandra Eala will get a rematch with Iga Swiatek in the second round in Madrid after stunning the Polish player as a wild card in Miami last month. The 19-year-old Eala won her first-round match 6-3, 6-2 against Viktoriya Tomova.

Caroline Dolehide of the U.S. won 6-4, 6-4 against Elina Avanesyan to set up a second-round meeting with Liudmila Samsonova.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

 

5 players to watch at Penn State's Blue-White Game  

Penn State football's annual Blue-White Game is set to take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday in a "non-traditional" format, according to head coach James Franklin.

The matchup will showcase the team's roster in some capacity, giving fans their first look at the Nittany Lions inside Beaver Stadium since Dec. 21 against SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Though it likely won't resemble previous iterations of the spring game, it'll provide an updated look at returning players and a first look at freshmen and transfers, several of which arrive with high expectations.

Here are five players to watch.

Devonte Ross

The Troy transfer wide receiver arrived in Happy Valley with high expectations, fresh off a 1,000-yard season with the Trojans.

Though he's small in stature, listed at just 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Ross' speed allows him to create separation from defenders and rack up yards after the catch. Ross is a threat on short yardage passes and jet motion plays, something Penn State will look to utilize.

Ross projects as a starter for the Nittany Lions, and fans will have a first look at his speed on Saturday.

Kyron Hudson

Another transfer wide receiver, Kyron Hudson arrives from USC after three seasons where he totaled 57 receptions for 655 yards and five touchdowns.

Hudson has big-play ability, as displayed by a one-handed highlight-reel snag against LSU last season. Hudson also projects as a starter, and may make some impressive grabs on Saturday.

Cooper Cousins

Head coach James Franklin has previously stated offensive lineman Cooper Cousins will be "hard to keep off the field."

Though he never cracked a starting role last season, Cousins saw playing time in a rotational role as a true freshman and was praised for his work ethic by coaches and teammates.

With the departure of guard JB Nelson via the transfer portal, Cousins will likely be a starter this season. Getting a look at the 6-foot-6, 308-pound lineman in Beaver Stadium will be fun for the fanbase.

Corey Smith

Established starters typically don't see much time in spring games, and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are as established as it gets.

That leaves the door open for backups like Corey Smith to jump into the spotlight, showcasing his ability in front of the fanbase.

The coaching staff has said this spring one of the goals for the season is to establish a clear RB3, as Singleton and Allen will depart for the draft after 2025. Smith appears to be next in the pecking order and will likely see plenty of playing time.

Audavion Collins

Though he didn't garner much attention last season in a rotational role, cornerback Audavion Collins is in the mix for a starting spot this season.

Collins has impressed throughout the winter and spring, earning praise from the coaching staff and showing significant improvement throughout the offseason.

Fans will get a chance to look at the new and improved cornerback, who may be starting come the fall.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Blue-White Game players to watch

 

CJ Stroud gives thoughts on Emeka Egbuka and other Ohio State teammates  

Former Ohio State and current Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud knows a thing or two about what it takes to play in the NFL. The second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud took the league by storm earning several Player of the Month awards, was a Pro Bowl selection, and was named the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. While he took a step back in year two, he is a well-respected professional even after just two years in the league.

Stroud was recently asked about one of his former receivers at OSU, Emeka Egbuka, and his potential at the next level. As you might imagine, Stroud had nothing but glowing comments about his former teammate in Scarlet and Gray. Stroud and Egbuka only spent two years together but it didn't take long for the former Buckeye quarterback to see greatness. Even though Egbuka came to Ohio State as the No. 1 rated receiver in the nation coming out of high school, he didn't take anything for granted and was immediately one of the hardest workers on the team, a trait Stroud believes will ensure success in the NFL.

Stroud also takes a few moments to reflect on many of his former teammates who will be playing on Sundays come next fall. It is interesting to see the bond that was formed in such a short time. This must be what they mean when they talk about the Brotherhood. Check out Stroud's comments below.

Asked CJ Stroud about the Ohio State pipeline and his relationship with former teammate and potential 1st round pick Emeka Egbuka. pic.twitter.com/VlDkXFH8MP

— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) April 21, 2025

The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday evening and will run through Saturday afternoon. At least 15 Buckeyes are projected to hear their names called over those three days as they will find out where they'll start their professional careers.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka gets high praise from CJ Stroud

 

Kristian Winfield: Knicks will lose in Round 1 if they don’t maximize Karl-Anthony Towns  

Karl-Anthony Towns went to the Western Conference Finals last season. In fact, he elevated his level of play on the brink of elimination for the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring 25 points on 13 shots in a win-or-go-home Game 4, then 28 more points in the Dallas Mavericks’ close-out Game 5.

Towns knows what it takes to make a deep playoff run. And he’s both talented and capable enough of a scorer and play-maker to turn a game with his individual gifts.

Which is why it’s inexplicable he didn’t take any shots in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 100-94 Game 2 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday, and he only took three shots in the second half altogether. The lack of concerted efforts to get a marquee talent the ball for stretches on end is both puzzling and concerning.

“I don’t know,” Towns said of his lack of shot attempts in the fourth quarter. “I was executing what we said we wanted to do.

“Just trying to have the game do what it does, just executing what we talked about. I thought we got some great shots, some great looks, you live with those kinds of great shots and great looks, especially when you’ve fought back in the game.”

Towns scored six points on three-of-three shooting from the field in the first quarter alone and walked into halftime with 10 points on five-of-eight shooting from the field. The Pistons have used a combination of wings (Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr.) and bigs (Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, who sat Game 2 due to injury) to show Towns different looks on the defensive end.

“I let the defense tell me [what to do]. Obviously, I’m always trying to get involved as much as possible,” said Towns. “Whether it’s post-up, I feel like I’ve worked tremendously hard on my game to have and outside-inside game, I think I’ve proven that to the world year in and year out. Just being aggressive, getting to spots I can do what I do best.”

Towns went on to attempt just three more shots in the third quarter, then took none in the fourth. He finished with 10 points in 33 minutes on the floor.

“He’s getting touches. He’s making the right play,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “If he’s getting double-teamed, I don’t want him to shoot the ball over three people. That makes no sense to me.”

What makes no sense is New York failing to utilize the player it rebuilt its entire identity upon on both ends of the floor. If the Knicks don’t get Towns involved — and fast — they will lose this first-round series as heavy favorites over a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since David Fizdale was Knicks coach.

Towns said he was comfortable with how the team generated offense. But the Knicks don’t need to just find Towns. Towns needs to demand the ball. He is too talented, too gifted of a player to be comfortable accepting what the defense gives him.

In his first year in New York, Towns earned his first career All-Star starter nod and averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds on 52.6% shooting from the field and 42% shooting from downtown.

Towns had 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field plus five assists in Game 1. He recorded no dimes in Game 2. The Knicks were outscored by 10 points in the 33 minutes Towns played on Monday. For comparison, the Knicks were plus-three in the 20 minutes backup center Mitchell Robinson spent on the floor.

“I don’t know. I was executing what we said we wanted to do. Just maybe, you always wish you could get one of those long rebounds, loose balls. It was something that got us, they got those 50/50 balls,” Towns said, explaining his shotless fourth quarter. “We just didn’t get that today. It put us in a tough spot, we fought back, we put ourselves in the game, gave ourselves a chance, took some good shots.

“You trust everyone in this locker room to take those shots and make them. Nothing to feel bad about getting those kids of shots.”

Knicks captain Jalen Brunson also said he needs to do a better job of getting the ball to his co-star. He couldn’t be more spot-on.

Brunson, who was largely responsible for the brunt of the scoring load last season, inherited a new job description when the Knicks traded both for Towns and Mikal Bridges during the offseason.

Now, he must find the balance between creating shots for himself and getting his teammates in rhythm. It’s where his monthlong absence recovering from an in-season ankle sprain reflects the most.

“Definitely taking each possession at a time and trying to figure out the best course of action. It’s very tough when there’s definitely one ball. We have a lot of great players on this team, and definitely it’s on my shoulders,” he said after the game. “I’m not gonna point fingers and say some people do that and this. It’s on me to make sure I set the table. So I’ll go back, and I’ll figure out what I need to do. We’ll have conversations and we’ll figure out what we need to do for Game 3.”

Brunson has to find Towns. Towns has to find the ball. And Thibodeau has to find the happy medium. If that doesn’t happen, the Knicks will not make it out of the first round against a feisty Pistons defense hellbent on spoiling New York’s 51-win season.

 

2025 Draft Mid-round picks the Bucs could target  

Every year, NFL draft coverage focuses on the top prospects, in particular players with real chances to be taken in the first round. This covers only a fifth of the draft class at best. In truth, the bones of NFL rosters are built in the middle rounds, where reliable starters and key depth are found.

Like most good teams, the Buccaneers' 2020 Super Bowl team relied heavily on mid-round picks like Ali Marpet, Carlton Davis III and Chris Godwin. This year, the Bucs will be on the lookout for future starters and rotational pieces to help maintain their dominance of the NFC South and take the next step towards Super Bowl contender status.

These are the mid-round picks the Bucs could select in the 2025 NFL Draft:

CB Nohl Williams

Cal CB Nohl Williams fits Tampa Bay's established requirements for an outside cornerback: big and long. He also has something the Bucs' current cornerback room lacks: ball skills. Williams recorded 14 interceptions in college, including seven in 2024. While he does not possess top-end speed, he is savvy enough in coverage to disrupt routes and position himself to make plays on the ball. Williams is also a solid run defender and has radically improved as a tackler, missing just 5.3% of his 2024 tackle attempts after missing 19.4% in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams's lack of speed and age may prevent him from being a top-50 pick, but the Bucs may not be able to wait beyond their second-round pick to acquire him.

WR Jaylin Lane

While the Bucs are largely set at wide receiver, they may be looking for a deep option beyond Trey Palmer, who has done little as either a receiver or a returner. Virginia Tech WR Jaylin Lane is shorter than Palmer at 5'9" but is just as fast and overall is a more explosive athlete. While he was not particularly productive at Virginia Tech, much of that could be blamed on the offense around him. Lane's more multifaceted athleticism would definitely threaten Palmer's place on Tampa Bay's roster. Lane's small stature and lack of college production may push him to Day 3 of the draft, which should suit the Bucs fine if they are looking to add him to their roster.

S Marques Sigle

With Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards again off the roster, the Bucs will be on the lookout for a safety to pair with Antoine Winfield Jr. Marques Sigle converted from cornerback to safety after transferring to Kansas State, though he played mostly nickel corner. He is sticky in coverage and is usually looking for an angle on the ball in the air, recording seven career interceptions and 16 pass breakups. Sigle compares favorably to Edwards, though Sigle is faster if a bit lighter than Edwards. Sigle could be available as late as round five or even six, which a small price to pay for a potential ballhawk.

OLB Bradyn Swinson

Even with the addition of Haason Reddick, the Bucs are all but guaranteed to draft an edge rusher this year. If they choose to wait until after the first round to take one, they could do much worse than LSU's Bradyn Swinson. Although he is on the lighter side at 255 pounds, he has decent length at 6'4" with an 81-inch wingspan. Swinson also has decent bend and burst, certainly enough to make him a threat to either shoulder of NFL offensive tackles. As an older prospect with just one full season of starting experience, Swinson's upside comes with a bit of a clock, though that shouldn't deter the Bucs if he's available in the third round.

DT Ty Robinson

At some point, the Bucs will need to find a successor to long-time defensive lineman Will Gholston. Nebraska's Ty Robinson shares some key traits with Gholston, namely his incredible strength and relentless motor. Robinson is not as long as Gholston, though few players are, but he is long enough to leverage offensive linemen and hold the point of attack. Like Gholston, Robinson is not likely to light up the scoreboard with sacks, but he would be an immediate asset in the run game and help compress the pocket in passing situations. As a fringe top-100 player, the Bucs may not be able to wait until Day 3 to select Robinson like they did with Gholston.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Who are some mid-round targets the Bucs could draft in 2025?

 

Browns NFL draft picks 2025: Full list of Cleveland’s draft picks for every round  
 

Packers 2025 draft preview: Rebuilt safety position has everything it needs  

he Green Bay Packers will go into the 2025 NFL draft with eight draft picks and plenty of roster needs to address after limping to the finish line of an otherwise promising season in 2024. Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur believe their team is ready to start competing for championships, but the Packers still need to find more early contributors and long-term foundational pieces in this year's draft.

Can the Packers use the 2025 draft to solidify their status as one of the NFC's top contenders?

Packers Wire’s position-by-position draft preview continues at safety:

On the roster

• Xavier McKinney: 25 years old, signed through 2027 season
• Evan Williams: 23 years old, signed through 2027 season
• Javon Bullard: 22 years old, signed through 2027 season
• Kitan Oladapo: 24 years old, signed through 2027 season
• Zayne Anderson: 28 years old, signed through 2025 season
• Omar Brown: 24 years old, signed through 2025 season

Short-term need

Low. The Packers signed Xavier McKinney and drafted three safeties in 2024, completely rebuilding the position in one offseason. McKinney was an All-Pro in his first season in Green Bay, while Javon Bullard and Evan Williams both started games and Kitan Oladapo looked capable during late-season snaps. Throw in Zayne Anderson, a core special teamer who also played well at safety down the stretch, and Omar Brown, an undrafted rookie who is worth developing, and the Packers have a terrific mix of young, ascending talent at the position. This might be the most stable position on the roster.

Long-term need

Low. The Packers have four safeties under contract through the 2027 season. While there's no guarantee Williams, Bullard and Oladapo will continue developing as young players, all four safeties signed over the next three seasons have a terrific chance to play out their contracts in Green Bay. Also, Brown is team controlled as an exclusive rights free agent past 2025.

Chances of drafting position

Low. Adding competition never hurts, regardless of the position, but the Packers have to consider the likelihood of a draft pick making the 53-man roster in 2025 when determining whether or not to take a safety. Would a Day 3 pick beat out Oladapo or Anderson for a roster spot? That's a hard sell. But the Packers could see an opportunity to continue building out the position long-term in this draft, especially if the team sees Bullard as a nickel corner moving forward.

Depth of draft class

Fine. The Packers probably feel good about their investment at safety last year because the 2025 class isn't nearly as good. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has 21 safeties with a draftable grade, but only eight in the Day 1-2 range, and not many ideal Packers fits on Day 3.

Potential options, and last S drafted

• Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin
• Craig Woodson, Cal
• R.J. Mickens, Clemson
• Kitan Crawford, Nevada

Last S drafted by Packers: Kitan Oladapo -- fifth round, 2024 draft

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers 2025 draft preview: Rebuilt safety position has everything it needs

 

Bucs NFL draft simulator: ESPN analytics predicts the first round of the NFL Draft  

The 2025 NFL Draft is just three days away. After months of speculation, we will finally have answers to the questions surrounding each team's pick. Some teams, like the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Vikings, and Browns, are among those holding the draft hostage by not knowing what they will do. Meanwhile, teams like the Titans, Patriots, and Bears, where we have a better idea of what they may do.

Despite that case for both instances, we still need to practice and, in this case, simulate scenarios for the draft.

An exercise we want to do this week is to use all the best NFL Draft simulators at our disposal before the big day on Thursday. We will use them to project what their algorithm has gathered in terms of information and projections leading up to Thursday. From there, we will then share those projections here as a first-round mock draft courtesy of the simulator.

Today's tool is ESPN's analytics simulator.

1) Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)

2) Cleveland Browns - Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

TRAVIS HUNTER, ARE YOU KIDDING!? 😱

THIRD TD OF THE DAY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6yTD1nk1Cq

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 29, 2024

3) New York Giants - Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

4) New England Patriots - Mason Graham, DL, Michigan

5) Jacksonville Jaguars - Will Campbell, OL, LSU

6) Las Vegas Raiders - Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

7) New York Jets - Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia

8) Carolina Panthers - Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

9) New Orleans Saints - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Shedeur Sanders DART to Will Sheppard for a 47 yard TD 🎯@ShedeurSanders x @WillShep20

📺: @CFBONFOXpic.twitter.com/Kp7z5re6hV

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 28, 2024

10) Chicago Bears - Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

11) San Francisco 49ers - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

12) Dallas Cowboys - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

13) Miami Dolphins - Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

14) Indianapolis Colts - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

15) Atlanta Falcons - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Texas' CFP standout Matthew Golden just ran a 4.30u 🤘

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/lHzyCUcICG

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025

16) Arizona Cardinals - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

17) Cincinnati Bengals - Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia

18) Seattle Seahawks - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

20) Denver Broncos - Nick Emmanwori, SAF, South Carolina

21) Pittsburgh Steelers - Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

Jaxson Dart downfield accuracy on throws outside the numbers.. pic.twitter.com/Yxj7Q3Carj

— Adam Carter (@SmartFootbalI) April 19, 2025

22) Los Angeles Chargers - Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

23) Green Bay Packers - Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M

24) Minnesota Vikings - Josh Connerly Jr., OT, Oregon

25) Houston Texans - Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon

26) Los Angeles Rams - Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

27) Baltimore Ravens - Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

28) Detroit Lions - Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan

29) Washington Commanders - Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

30) Buffalo Bills - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

No block, no rock.

Emeka Egbuka's blocking was all over the MSU tape. That won't go unnoticed by NFL scouts. pic.twitter.com/3lE2Yfmb7g

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 1, 2024

31) Kansas City Chiefs - Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College

32) Philadelphia Eagles - Malaki Starks, SAF, Georgia

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: ESPN's new analytics predict round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Bucs pick

 

Wisconsin relies on new QB and coordinator to boost an offense that has struggled under Fickell  

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards’ offseason bonding activities with his new teammates included accompanying a few offensive linemen on an ice-fishing trip to nearby Monona Bay.

They apparently got there just in time.

“There were like three inches of ice and it was like 50 degrees outside, so it was a little sketchy, but we made it work,” center Jake Renfro said. “It was the last day you could actually walk on ice without it breaking.”

Consider it a metaphor for a team coming off its first losing season in more than two decades. If the Badgers don’t bounce back, plenty of people could be on thin ice.

After going 5-7 last year and missing a bowl for the first time since 2001, Wisconsin enters coach Luke Fickell’s third season preparing to face a brutal schedule including five teams that finished 17th or higher in the Associated Press Top 25.

The Badgers are relying on a new quarterback and a new scheme to help them return to form. As they prepare to finish spring practice this week, they're working to rejuvenate an offense that never really got off the ground the last couple of seasons.

“This league is different,” Fickell said. “It’s a grown man’s league. You’ve got to be able to prepare that way. You’ve got to develop that way.”

Fickell started his Wisconsin tenure by hiring Air Raid disciple Phil Longo as offensive coordinator, but the Badgers averaged only 23.5 points in 2023 and 22.6 last season. Before 2023, Wisconsin hadn't finished a season with such a low scoring average since 2004, when the Badgers went 9-3 despite accumulating just 20.8 points per game.

Longo was fired with two games left in the 2024 season, and he now is the head coach at Sam Houston. Wisconsin's new offensive coordinator is Jeff Grimes, who previously had the same position at Kansas, Baylor and BYU.

Grimes is going back to what worked here in the past.

“We talk all the time as a team about being tough, nasty and disciplined,” Grimes said. “Wisconsin has won a lot of football games over the years with that mentality.”

Grimes points out that Wisconsin’s offense will still have to be balanced.

“It doesn’t just mean we’re going to run the football,” he said. “That grittiness, that toughness applies to a receiver who’s catching a contested slant when he’s running toward the middle of the field and he’s got to make that catch, and he’s got a corner draped all over his back and then he’s got a linebacker running out to make contact as soon as he touches the football. That’s toughness — to make that catch. One of the toughest things in football is the quarterback getting hit and popping up. All those things are a part of what’s at our core. I think we’re building that.”

The first step was finding the right quarterback. Edwards comes to Wisconsin after completing 65% of his passes for 2,881 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions for a Maryland team that went 4-8 last season.

After its top quarterback got injured each of the last two years, Wisconsin made sure to grab two 2024 starters out of the portal this time in Edwards and former San Diego State quarterback Danny O’Neil.

Edwards is the clear-cut No. 1 guy. He leads a backfield that also features Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones at running back.

“Throughout my college career, I’ve just tried to seek opportunity, and then at that point it’s kind of up to me to kind of go take it and make the most of it,” Edwards said. “I felt there was a really good one here. And I think a lot of guys — not even in the quarterback room, at every position, especially on the offensive side of the ball — feel the same way.”

Those guys are learning an offense that uses misdirection to keep defenses guessing.

“Disorientation is a huge part of our offense, and you can see it when you’re watching it,” guard Joe Brunner said. “Guys are running everywhere. The defense half the time doesn’t know where the ball is.”

The offense took a couple of hits this spring.

Projected first-team left tackle Kevin Heywood tore his anterior cruciate ligament. One of Wisconsin’s main transfer pickups was former Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol, who caught 94 passes at his old school last year but didn’t finish spring practice with the Badgers before returning to the portal.

But after closing last season with five straight losses, the Badgers believe they’re tough enough to withstand adversity this year, thanks in part to the mentality Grimes has instilled.

“He brings a physical nature to Wisconsin, and that’s what we need,” Brunner said. “That’s what we’ve been asking for.”

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

 

“It’s all good fun!” – Manchester City summer target jokes transfer fee is going down with every shot in training  

A reported summer transfer target for Manchester City appears very relaxed over the remarkable sums that are being mentioned in the media ahead of the summer market.

That concerns the future of Southampton’s highly-rated prospect Tyler Dibling, who has emerged as a leading star in a season of disappointment for the side recently relegated from the Premier League into the Championship for next season.

The 19-year-old is expected to be one of a number of names from the south coast club that are targeted by potential suitors from the Premier League hoping to take advantage of Southampton’s drop into the second-tier of English football.

Dibling managed to showcase exceptional on-the-ball abilities throughout a challenging season alongside his teammates, whilst also providing four goals and three assists across the Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup to date.

And among the clubs to have been linked with transfer interest for a player that some reports indicate could be worth £100 million to Southampton is Manchester City – who are expected to be one of the busier sides in the upcoming summer window.

Speaking during a recent conversation with the wider media, Southampton’s Tyler Dibling has revealed that with every missed shot in training, his teammate and goalkeeper at Saint Mary’s, Aaron Ramsdale jokes that his price tag is reducing.

“Rambo (Aaron Ramsdale) loves it. I’ll miss a shot in training and he’ll just go: ‘£90million! £80million!’ as it keeps going down. It’s all good fun,” Dibling admitted.

The in-demand Southampton starlet continued, “There’s a few nicknames going around. It’s all jokes. Nobody takes it seriously. It’s just a number. It’s all fun. I don’t try to think about it and just try and go into train every day and work hard and train the best I can.

“At the end of the day, I love Southampton. I have been here since I was eight. It is such a great team and I am working to do big things with them.”

Given the talents of Tyler Dibling, it is certainly not expected that City will be alone in any efforts to sign the player this summer, with first reports suggesting that the Etihad club were showing the most concrete interest within the Premier League, alongside Tottenham.

Additional reports from English media in March claimed around 14 Premier League clubs – led by Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool, and City – had inquired about Dibling, with strong interest in Germany from RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

 

5 players the Eagles would love to see fall to them in the 1st round of the NFL draft  

The 2025 NFL draft is quickly approaching, and the Super Bowl champion Eagles have no control over it, picking in the final slot of the first round. Every team's draft board is different, and each year, a talented player slides down the first round into a dream scenario for playoff teams.

 Eagles GM Howie Roseman is a master manipulator of draft capital and never shy about trading up or down the board.

Philadelphia enters the draft process with plenty of pressing needs and a retooled roster that will need to replace six key defense contributors.

Roseman, known for never sitting still, has always been an active draft night trader and will likely make a move or two during rounds 1-3. Roseman has conducted over 45 draft-day trades over the past ten years, not including the 2015 draft when coach Chip Kelly snatched personnel control.

With the selection process quickly approaching, we're looking at five players Philadelphia could target in a trade-up scenario or dream situation where they fall to No. 32.

Jalon Walker, Edge/LB, Georgia

Walker, a player who could be the second coming of Zack Baun, had 6.5 sacks in 2024, despite splitting time in the middle of the field at off-ball linebacker. Philadelphia could deploy Walker in a hybrid role since it needs a boost at both linebacker and edge rusher.

Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M

Stewart has been mocked anywhere from pick No. 9 to late in the first round. In his three seasons at Texas A&M, Stewart recorded 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He also added four passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, and two forced fumbles. Stewart brings good size, length, and frame for the position, but needs to be more consistent.

Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

Green spent the last two seasons at Marshall after transferring from Virginia following his freshman season. While at Marshall, Green played in 26 games and recorded 127 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, and 21.5 sacks. He also added two passes defensed, one fumble recovery, and four forced fumbles in his two seasons. Last season, as a redshirt sophomore, Green led the FBS in sacks (17.0), tackles for loss (22.5), sack yardage (144), and tackles by a defensive lineman (84).

His 17 sacks established a new Sun Belt Conference record.

Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

Nolen can be a game-wrecker on the interior and is athletic enough to be a viable and versatile pass rusher for the Eagles and Vic Fangio.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound dynamo led the Ole Miss defense in 2024, logging 48 tackles (career-high), two pass deflections (career-high), one fumble recovery, and 6.5 sacks (career-high).

Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Philadelphia drafted a cornerback in Round 1 last spring. After watching Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Isaiah Rodgers, and Avonte Maddox all depart, the Eagles could look to move up if Johnson starts to fall. Johnson has strong ball skills (nine career interceptions, including two pick-sixes in just six games last season) to pair with his great 6-foot-2 size. 

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

Warren would never fall past the top 15, but with Dallas Goedert likely to depart, this would be a dream draft pick. Enter Warren, who had 200+ yards rushing and 700 of his 1,233 receiving yards come after the catch last season.

Will Campbell, OL, LSU

Campbell is an athletic marvel who can play multiple positions, something the Eagles covet. During Campbell’s 37 games at LSU, he allowed only 45 pressures and only three sacks, with one coming in his first game and one coming in his last game. Campbell was awarded LSU’s coveted No. 7 this year, which is given by the coaching staff each season to the player deemed the team’s best playmaker (because of NCAA rules, Campbell wore No. 66 with a No. 7 patch on his jersey).

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: 2025 NFL Draft: 5 Eagles dream picks in the first round

 

Vikings NFL draft simulator: ESPN analytics predicts the first round of the NFL Draft  

The 2025 NFL Draft is just three days away. After months of speculation, we will finally have answers to the questions surrounding each team's pick. Some teams, like the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Vikings, and Browns, are among those holding the draft hostage by not knowing what they will do. Meanwhile, teams like the Titans, Patriots, and Bears, where we have a better idea of what they may do.

Despite that case for both instances, we still need to practice and, in this case, simulate scenarios for the draft.

An exercise we want to do this week is to use all the best NFL Draft simulators at our disposal before the big day on Thursday. We will use them to project what their algorithm has gathered in terms of information and projections leading up to Thursday. From there, we will then share those projections here as a first-round mock draft courtesy of the simulator.

Today's tool is ESPN's analytics simulator.

1) Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)

2) Cleveland Browns - Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

TRAVIS HUNTER, ARE YOU KIDDING!? 😱

THIRD TD OF THE DAY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6yTD1nk1Cq

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 29, 2024

3) New York Giants - Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

4) New England Patriots - Mason Graham, DL, Michigan

5) Jacksonville Jaguars - Will Campbell, OL, LSU

6) Las Vegas Raiders - Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

7) New York Jets - Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia

8) Carolina Panthers - Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

9) New Orleans Saints - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Shedeur Sanders DART to Will Sheppard for a 47 yard TD 🎯@ShedeurSanders x @WillShep20

📺: @CFBONFOXpic.twitter.com/Kp7z5re6hV

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 28, 2024

10) Chicago Bears - Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

11) San Francisco 49ers - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

12) Dallas Cowboys - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

13) Miami Dolphins - Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

14) Indianapolis Colts - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

15) Atlanta Falcons - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Texas' CFP standout Matthew Golden just ran a 4.30u 🤘

📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/lHzyCUcICG

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025

16) Arizona Cardinals - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

17) Cincinnati Bengals - Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia

18) Seattle Seahawks - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

20) Denver Broncos - Nick Emmanwori, SAF, South Carolina

21) Pittsburgh Steelers - Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

Jaxson Dart downfield accuracy on throws outside the numbers.. pic.twitter.com/Yxj7Q3Carj

— Adam Carter (@SmartFootbalI) April 19, 2025

22) Los Angeles Chargers - Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

23) Green Bay Packers - Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M

24) Minnesota Vikings - Josh Connerly Jr., OT, Oregon

25) Houston Texans - Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon

26) Los Angeles Rams - Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

27) Baltimore Ravens - Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

28) Detroit Lions - Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan

29) Washington Commanders - Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

30) Buffalo Bills - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

No block, no rock.

Emeka Egbuka's blocking was all over the MSU tape. That won't go unnoticed by NFL scouts. pic.twitter.com/3lE2Yfmb7g

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 1, 2024

31) Kansas City Chiefs - Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College

32) Philadelphia Eagles - Malaki Starks, SAF, Georgia

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: ESPN's new analytics predict round one of the 2025 NFL Draft

 

Which SEC basketball teams are winning the portal? Kentucky and Auburn top the list  

Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the USA TODAY NETWORK's newsletter on SEC sports. Look for this newsletter in your inbox Monday through Friday. Today, Knox News' Tennessee athletics reporter Mike Wilson takes over:

Kentucky forward Andrew Carr issued a recruiting pitch to potential transfers in his final act in a Wildcats uniform.

“If you’re in the transfer portal and looking for a place to go, go to Kentucky," said Carr after Kentucky's season ended in the Sweet 16 against Tennessee. "I’ll tell you that much. Go to Kentucky.”

From Carr's lips to the hearts of transfers: The Wildcats have cleaned up in the portal better than any SEC team through the first stretch of the mayhem.

Here's who is having the best success in the portal:

1. Kentucky

Mark Pope built a roster out of the portal in his first season as coach and is using it incredibly again.

The Wildcats got Jayden Quiantance, a former UK commit, from Arizona State. He is one of the biggest gets in the portal for his defensive abilities alone, although he is coming off ACL surgery. Jaland Lowe was one of the best point guards available after leading Pitt with 16.8 points and 5.5 assists. Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen brings a national title with him to Lexington and should be a great shooter in Pope’s high-scoring system.

ABERDEEN: Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky basketball: What to know about transfer portal guard

Quiantance, Tulane forward Kim Williams and Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate give the Wildcats a hearty dose of physicality.

2. Auburn

Coach Bruce Pearl has players coming in from junior college, Division I and power-conference teams. For this ranking, it’s about the latter two — and the Tigers have plenty to like after another Final Four appearance.

Keyshawn Hall led UCF with 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds. KeShawn Murphy was Mississippi State’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer. Both fit what the Tigers do well under Pearl.

Elyjah Freeman is a super intriguing prospect from Division II Lincoln Memorial. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 18.9 points and 8.7 rebounds, while scoring from all three levels.

FREEMAN: Will Elyjah Freeman have an impact for Auburn basketball? How Division II transfer fits

3. Alabama

Alabama needed to bulk up the interior and add size. It did both, getting Noah Williamson from Bucknell and Bol Bowen from Florida State. The 7-foot Williamson averaged 17.6 points. Bowen is 6-10 and shot 41.4% from 3-point range.

Jalil Bethea is a former five-star recruit who didn’t have a great freshman year at Miami. Coach Nate Oats has succeeded with five-star guards before. It feels safe to assume Bethea is better in Tuscaloosa. 

4. LSU

LSU and South Carolina were the SEC teams in most desperate need of roster rebuilds.

The Tigers are doing it well before a key year under coach Matt McMahon. UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. might be the best transfer into the conference. He averaged 15.6 points. 

Northeastern guard Rashad King and Omaha forward Marquel Sutton were big-time scorers last season. Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko gives the Tigers size they lacked.

5. Tennessee

Texas has a four-man class with three mid-major transfers. Ole Miss' could be really good, especially if AJ Storr gets back to playing like he did at Wisconsin two seasons ago.

The Vols get the fifth spot, though, because Ja'Kobi Gillespie could be the best pairing of a player to a program in the portal in the SEC. The Maryland will step straight into Zakai Zeigler's spot and give UT a huge talent at point guard.

GILLESPIE: Ja'Kobi Gillespie commits to Tennessee basketball as top portal point guard

UT also added Vanderbilt transfer Jaylen Carey, whose physicality and familiarity with the SEC make this two-man class a good one.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: SEC basketball transfers: Kentucky, Auburn owning portal

 

Matthew Stafford would try to teach young QB "as much as I possibly can"  
 

5 players the Ravens would love to see fall to them in the 1st round of the NFL draft  

The 2025 NFL draft is quickly approaching, and the Baltimore Ravens have no control over it, picking in the 27th slot of the first round. Every team's draft board is different, and each year, a talented player slides down the first round into a dream scenario for playoff teams.

 Ravens GM Eric DeCosta is a master manipulator of draft capital and never shy about trading up or down the board.

Since taking over for Ozzie Newsome in 2018, GM Eric DeCosta has made one significant draft-related trade, which resulted in Zay Flowers joining Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.

With the draft fast approaching, we're looking at five dream targets that the Ravens would love to slide down in the first round.

Mykel Williams, ED, Georgia

Williams was a second-team All-SEC selection during the 2024 college football season. Williams racked up 67 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks in 40 games.

Walter Nolen, DI, Mississippi

The All-American from Ole Miss fits the bill. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound dynamo led the Ole Miss defense in 2024, logging 48 tackles (career-high), two pass deflections (career-high), one fumble recovery, and 6.5 sacks (career-high).

Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia

During the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Walker was measured in at 6-foot-1, 243 pounds in Indianapolis with an armspan of 79⅞ inches -- the reach length scouts want in rushers. By comparison, Ole Miss All-American Walter Nolen's armspan, at 6-foot-3¾ and 296 pounds, was measured at 78⅝ inches. Walker was the Butkus Award winner as the nation's best linebacker this past season as he led the Bulldogs' defense in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (6.5), with three of those sacks coming against Texas.

Will Campbell, OL, LSU

Campbell is an athletic marvel who can play multiple positions, something the Eagles covet. During Campbell’s 37 games at LSU, he allowed only 45 pressures and only three sacks, with one coming in his first game and one coming in his last game. Campbell was awarded LSU’s coveted No. 7 this year, which is given by the coaching staff each season to the player deemed the team’s best playmaker (because of NCAA rules, Campbell wore No. 66 with a No. 7 patch on his jersey).

Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

Green spent the last two seasons at Marshall after transferring from Virginia following his freshman season. While at Marshall, Green played in 26 games and recorded 127 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, and 21.5 sacks. He also added two passes defensed, one fumble recovery, and four forced fumbles in his two seasons. Last season, as a redshirt sophomore, Green led the FBS in sacks (17.0), tackles for loss (22.5), sack yardage (144), and tackles by a defensive lineman (84).

His 17 sacks established a new Sun Belt Conference record.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 2025 NFL Draft: 5 Ravens dream picks in the first round

 

The biggest boom/bust prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft  

Every NFL draft class features players who drip with high-end potential but also drag with low-floor downsides. The promise of greatness, balanced with the trepidation of calamitous inability to make it work in the NFL, makes certain prospects equal parts titillating and terrifying.

Or, to put it more simply, with great risk comes the potential of great reward...or abject failure that talk radio hosts and social media gadflies will never let anyone forget.

Draft Wire colleague Scott DiBenedetto touched on some of these prospects recently in his "prospects who scare me" piece. Scott is right; prospects with high ceilings but low floors should scare teams as much as they tantalize them.

There are a few prospects in 2025 who have All-Pro ceilings but also floors of scrambling to get to the end of their rookie deals with the team that drafts them this week.

Jalon Walker, OLB, Georgia

Walker is a talent in search of a position. He's a natural pass-rushing EDGE in the body of a MIKE backer; the body type doesn't match the skills for the next level. At 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds with 32-inch arms, Walker is about the same size as longtime NFL off-ball backer Bobby Wagner. Yet he was far and away at his best at Georgia lining up at EDGE and going after the quarterback.

As an off-ball backer, where he spent considerable time in 2024, Walker sorely lacks instincts and really struggles to get off blocks. His skills there remind me more than a little of former Lions first-round bust Jarrad Davis. Walker proved to be a dynamic EDGE when Georgia played him there, but he's very small and somewhat linear to have the same kind of success in the NFL he had against Texas (4 sacks and 13 pressures in 2 games). There is some concern he simply had Texas's number; in 12 other games last fall, Walker managed just three sacks and 21 pressures.

Walker won't fail from lack of trying or being a poor teammate; everyone raves about his football character. In the right situation, Walker could emerge as a reasonable facsimile of All-Pro Clay Matthews III, though he dramatically lacks the size and play strength Matthews brought to Green Bay. And that's what makes Walker so risky as a top-20 pick.

Cam Ward, QB, Miami

The presumptive first pick in the draft definitely qualifies here.

Turnover-worthy plays were an issue for Ward throughout his college career, which spanned from Incarnate Word to Washington State and then Miami. The scary part here is that Ward's rate of turnover-worthy plays and decision-making when under pressure looks the same now as it did when he arrived at Washington State three summers ago. It arguably worsened once Miami hit the heart of the ACC conference schedule.

Ward's game against Duke is a good microcosm for why he's simultaneously tantalizing and terrifying as a prospect. The box score numbers are phenomenal: 25-of-41, 400 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT. Yet he missed three or four wide-open targets because pressure impacted his vision. Duke dropped what should have been a sure INT, too.

Ward is at his best when plays break down, using his strong arm and derring-do to create big plays outside of structure. He's less successful when tasked with winning from the pocket and having to lead a 10-play, 69-yard drive of taking what the defense gives him. That description fits both Brett Favre and Zach Wilson. Ward could (could!) become either end of that spectrum.

Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Johnson might be the best playmaking cornerback in the draft. I was in the stands for one of his two pick-sixes in 2024, a glorious example of baiting a QB (USC--now Louisville--Miller Moss) into what looked like an open target that Johnson quickly turned into six points the other way. With his outstanding break and "my ball" attitude, Johnson has struck legitimate fear in opposing offenses, particularly on shorter routes.

Alas, there are issues. Later in that USC game, Johnson left with a shoulder injury suffered while making a tackle. After missing a week, Johnson's season ended two games later with a toe injury that required surgery. At the combine, Johnson admitted he tore ligaments (plural) in the toe. He still isn't capable of running a 40-yard dash.

That's a dangerous status for a cornerback who relies on playmaking more than being a blanket cover guy. He tends to cede a lot of room underneath, allowing completions and deterring them more by the threat of INT than lockdown coverage skills. His deep speed has never been great, though it wasn't tested often. That profile resembles Trevon Diggs of the Cowboys, an exceptional ballhawk who is also going to get beaten for big plays. Johnson has the mental toughness to be better than the two-time Pro Bowler Diggs has been, but the injuries lower his floor considerably, too.

Luther Burden, WR, Missouri

Burden entered the 2024 college season ensconced as a top-10 fixture in preseason mock drafts. He was a lethal weapon over the middle in Missouri's offense, a YAC monster dripping with speed and intensity. And while Burden wasn't bad in 2024--he still earned first-team All-SEC honors--the dynamism just wasn't there. Missouri's offense didn't play as well to his strengths, but the results when Burden got the ball in his hands weren't as great, either.

As a result, Burden is a tough player to slot in the 2025 NFL Draft. He's primarily a slot receiver but has shown he can operate outside against more passive coverages. More physical coverage and crowded areas in the middle of the field are challenges Burden must prove he can handle. His competitive enthusiasm appeared to wane when he wasn't getting the ball as advantageously, and that bears watching for NFL teams interested in a wideout who could be the next Amon-Ra St. Brown or the next Laviska Shenault (in a smaller package).

Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M

Scourton's Aggie teammate, Shemar Stewart, is often this class' poster boy for boom/bust prospects, but the one-time Big Ten sack champ fits in those shoes, too.

Scourton posted 10 sacks in 2023, his final season at Purdue. His physicality and diversity of pass-rush moves while playing in the 260-pound range made Scourton very difficult to block. Scourton transferred to Texas A&M, gained about 20 pounds and became a whole lot easier to block, with little ability to shed off those blocks.

To put it in simple terms, the 2023 Purdue version of Scourton would be worthy of a top-20 pick in this draft. The 2024 Aggie version is a marginal Day 2 talent.

Scourton dropped down to 257 for athletic testing purposes, though he didn't actually test at the combine or pro day. At 6-2 and with a 33-inch arm length, he's undersized to be a prototypical hand-in-dirt DE. His run defense at both colleges was nothing more than average. The natural inclination would be to bulk him up, but that saps what makes Scourton special as a pass rusher. He doesn't turn 21 until August, meaning he's simultaneously got growth ability for his game (good) or body (bad). Caveat draftor...

This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 2025 NFL Draft: Biggest boom-bust prospects

 

Vazquez and Modric start| Predicted Real Madrid line-up against Getafe  

Real Madrid will be looking for their third successive win in La Liga when they face Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on matchday 33 of the Spanish top flight on Wednesday. After a last-gasp success against Athletic Bilbao, Carlo Ancelotti will hope his side can have a more comfortable outing against their crosstown opponents before Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.

Los Blancos will be without Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe as they are all unfit. Though the French duo trained with the rest of their teammates in the last season before the Getafe game, Ancelotti has not called them up for the game, thus resting the players for the weekend’s showpiece fixture. That said, here is a look at the Real Madrid potential starting eleven.

Goalkeeper – Thibaut Courtois

Courtois has back-to-back clean sheets in La Liga and will keep his place in the line-up against Getafe.

Right Back – Lucas Vazquez

Vazquez could come back into the team at right back having been benched against Athletic Bilbao.

Centre Back – Raul Asencio

Asencio is expected to retain his place in the team as one of the two central defenders.

Centre Back – David Alaba

Alaba could replace Antonio Rudiger in the back four with the German likely to be rested for El Clasico.

Left Back – Fran Garcia

Fran Garcia might come in at left back, replacing Eduardo Camavinga from the weekend’s line-up.

Defensive Midfielder – Aurelien Tchouameni

Tchouameni is in excellent form and might continue to start as the team’s defensive midfielder.

Right Midfielder – Luka Modric

Modric may start as the right midfielder after a decent game against Bilbao on Sunday.

Left Midfielder – Federico Valverde

Valverde might take up a role in the midfield having featured at right back last time out.

Attacking Midfielder – Jude Bellingham

Bellingham was brilliant in his advanced role in the previous game and could start at number 10 again.

Right Forward – Rodrygo Goes

Rodrygo has just one goal in his last 20 games but will look to regain form before Saturday’s cup final.

Vinicius was exceptional against Athletic Club and hope to make the difference against Getafe too.

 

WWE 'Raw': Randy Orton targets John Cena  

April 22 (UPI) -- Newly crowned Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena was targeted by his old rival Randy Orton on the first Raw after WrestleMania 41.

Cena kicked off the show on Monday donning the Undisputed WWE Championship that he won in controversial fashion from Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania Sunday.

Cena forced the ring announcer to re-do his introduction, wanting the announcer to mention that he is now a 17-time world champion. Cena has now surpassed the legendary Ric Flair for most world title runs.

The now-villainous Cena once again expressed his disdain for the WWE audience and his plan to retire with the championship at the end of the year. Cena says he is the last real world champion and will take the title home when he is done, ending its lineage. Cena says any new championship they introduce afterward is just a fake copy.

The champ also displayed how many appearances he has left in WWE, which amounts to 27 more dates.

"I know you will decide another champion. But the title held by Bruno Sammartino, the title held by Roman Reigns for over a thousand days, the title taken from me in Chicago by CM Punk, the title held by Triple H, The Game, The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin comes home with me!" Cena shouted.

Cena ended his speech by allowing the audience to take one more photo of the last real champion. As Cena held up his title, his old rival Randy Orton quietly slipped into the ring and nailed him with a thunderous RKO.

Orton celebrated with the audience and picked up the Undisputed WWE Championship as Cena was knocked out.

Also on Raw, Seth Rollins addressed fans after the main event of WrestleManiaSaturday where he was able to defeat CM Punk and Roman Reigns with help from "The Wiseman" Paul Heyman.

Heyman, after acting as a manager for Reigns and Punk, has now aligned himself with Rollins.

Punk barely allowed Rollins to get a word out before he entered the ring looking for a fight. Punk momentarily stunned Rollins before turning his attention to Heyman. The distraction allowed Rollins to get the upper hand, taking Punk out with a Stomp.

Reigns then entered the ring and delivered a Spear to Rollins followed by a Superman Punch to Heyman. Then, in shocking fashion, Reigns got a Spear himself from Bron Breakker.

Breakker aligned himself with Rollins and Heyman and continued to hurt Punk and Reigns. Breakker ended things by sending Reigns through a ringside barricade.

Rollins, Breakker and Heyman then celebrated as Raw concluded on Netflix.

 

Matthew Stafford explains what LT Alaric Jackson brings to Rams' offensive line  

The Los Angeles Rams retained a key member of their offense this offseason in addition to quarterback Matthew Stafford when the team re-signed left tackle Alaric Jackson. The Rams extended Jackson on a solid three-year deal worth up to $57 million, locking down one of the most important positions of the offensive line.

Besides Coleman Shelton at center, the Rams now have the same offensive line they did in 2024 with Jackson at left tackle, Rob Havenstein at right tackle, Steve Avila at left guard and Kevin Dotson at right guard. It's a good group and one that will be tasked with keeping Stafford upright in a critical 2025 season.

Stafford is happy with this line, too — and especially the return of Jackson. He told reporters at the first day of the Rams' organized team activities Monday that keeping Jackson is "just great stability" that the former undrafted lineman "brings up the nastiness" of the unit.

"I thought he's done a hell of a job since he's been here setting the tone when he’s given his opportunities early in his career," Stafford said. "He did a hell of a job and played great in the last couple years for us at the left tackle spot. He brings up the nastiness to our group. He's quiet. He doesn't say much, but when he’s out there, he plays physical and does a great job both in the pass game and the run game. I'm really happy we got that done and he'll be back in a Rams uniform.”

Jackson is young (26), big and only gave up three sacks this past season — his second as a full-time starter. Despite his age, Jackson will be soon be the leader of the offensive line with Havenstein turning 33 and heading into the final year of his deal.

And as the Rams head into a future where they'll have to start thinking about their next steps soon, Jackson is a great transitionary player who can protect the current quarterback while setting up the team for good stability in the coming years.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford says LT Alaric Jackson brings 'nastiness' to Rams' OL

 

Inter-Roma moved to 27 April  

The death of Pope Francis has revolutionized, for the umpteenth time in recent years, the Serie A calendar.

On Easter Monday the four scheduled matches were postponed to tomorrow, while it was announced that the matches scheduled for Saturday will be played on another date due to the pontiff’s funeral scheduled for the same day.

According to gazzetta.it, the match between Inter and Roma at the San Siro will take place on Sunday 27 April, the day after the one originally scheduled: the time is yet to be defined.

Lega Serie A are yet to make the official announcement which will also determine the postponement to Monday 28 April of Lazio-Parma, initially scheduled for Saturday 26 April at 20:45.

 

Getafe vs Real Madrid: Match preview  

Real Madrid continue their fight with Barcelona for La Liga on matchday 33 of the competition on Wednesday as they visit the Coliseum Alfonso Perez to take on Getafe. The Whites come into the game with their morale high, thanks to a hard fought 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend.

In Getafe, Carlo Ancelotti’s side will be up against one of the division’s best defensive sides. As a matter of fact, their record of goals against is better than that of Los Blancos with Pepe Bordalas’ men conceding just 29 times this season as they sit in 12th place in the table.

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe will miss the fixture, as will Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao. It remains to be seen if the Italian makes too many changes from last game’s starting eleven, however, considering the display versus Bilbao was one of their best this season.

Getafe are set to miss two important players for the match against Real Madrid because Allan Nyom is injured and Chrisantus Uche is suspended. Their top scorer in the league this season is Mauro Arrambari and he will be available for the fixture, however, and will be the home side’s biggest threat in offence.

The reverse fixture between the two sides earlier this season at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu ended in a 2-0 win in favour of Los Blancos, courtesy of goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe. Ancelotti would happily take such a scoreline in the next game, especially given his team’s struggle for goals lately.

Real Madrid will be strong favourites to win, however, as Getafe come into the fixture having lost three of their last five league outings, including the previous couple of them on home soil. On the other hand, Los Merengues have beaten them in each of their meetings since January 2022, home and away.

As far as Madrid’s rivals in the title race are concerned, it is fair to say that Atletico Madrid might well be out of contention after their defeat to Las Palmas at the weekend. Barcelona remain four points clear at the top of the table though having come back from 3-1 down to win 4-3 against Celta Vigo.

The Catalans are up against Mallorca on Tuesday and as they have done on the last few occasions, Real Madrid will hope that their bitter rivals can drop some points, thus giving them the opportunity to reduce the gap in the league standings before the potential title deciding El Clasico in May.

 

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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard delivers 'killer' 39-point performance, ties series vs. Nuggets  

April 22 (UPI) -- Kawhi Leonard pushed his history of hobbling injuries into the rear-view mirror, dominating the Denver Nuggets with 39 points to fuel a Los Angeles Clippers victory and tie their first-round playoff series at 1-1.

Leonard scored 21 points in the first half and netted another dozen in the fourth quarter of the 105-102 victory Monday in Denver. Clippers guard James Harden chipped in 18 points and seven assists. Center Ivica Zubac totaled 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

"Luck hasn't been on his side or whatever case you might call it," Harden told reporters, when asked about Leonard's battles with injuries.

"But he loves to hoop. And as you see, when he's on the court, he's a killer. So I'm glad he's in a good space right now."

Knee issues severely limited the 33-year-old forward over the last several seasons. He played in just 37 games during the 2024-25 regular season. He also missed the Clippers' final three games last postseason because of knee inflammation.

"I sat and watched these playoff games and series the past two years," Leonard said. "So being able to be frontline out there, it just feels good for me no matter which way the game goes."

The Clippers outscored the Nuggets 46-38 in the paint and 18-14 off fast breaks. They also outshot the Nuggets 48.2% to 46.8%. The Nuggets out-rebounded the Clippers 50-32, but totaled 20 turnovers, compared to just 11 from the visitors.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series featured 18 lead changes and was tied 12 times. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic logged a 26-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the loss.

The lead changed hands three times early on, but the Nuggets outscored the Clippers 9-4 over the final 8:29 of the first quarter to take a 31-25 lead into the second. Leonard made all five of his first-quarter shot attempts and scored 12 points over the first 12 minutes.

The Clippers scored the first six points of the second quarter, tying the score at 31-31. They later went on an 8-0 run to take the lead and held a 55-52 edge at halftime.

Jokic scored 10 points in the third quarter, when the Nuggets outscored the Clippers 24-23. They snatched another lead on a Jokic 3-pointer eight seconds into the fourth. The Clippers responded with a 9-2 run for an 87-81 lead with 9:58 remaining, but the game would once again turn tight.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 100-100 with 2:07 remaining. Guard Norman Powell answered with another trey 37 seconds later and the Clippers never trailed again.

Jokic hit two free throws on the next possession. Leonard proceeded to ice the lead with a pull-up jump shot with 54 seconds remaining. Jokic and the fourth-seeded Nuggets then failed to find the net on several possessions down the stretch.

Game 3 of the series will tip off at 10 p.m. EDT Thursday in Los Angeles. The fifth-seeded Clippers will host Game 4 at 6 p.m. Saturday at Intuit Dome.

The winner of the series will meet the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder or No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder, who lead the Grizzlies 1-0 in that first-round series, will host Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Paycom Center.

 

Where LSU baseball sits in RPI rankings with postseason approaching  

Coming off a series win vs. Alabama, LSU baseball got a bump in the RPI rankings.

The Tigers now rank No. 6, up two spots from last week. The top six all belong to the SEC, with Georgia, Texas, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Arkansas making up the top five.

With four more SEC series to go, LSU is in a position to land a coveted top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. The first eight teams all control their destiny when it comes to hosting a Super Regional in the second round. The top-16 seeds all host opening weekend.

The best mark on LSU's resume is a road sweep of Oklahoma. Taking two of three from Alabama, who ranks No. 12 in RPI, and a midweek win over No. 25 Dallas Baptist also prop up the resume.

LSU gets another chance to climb the rankings this week with Tennessee travelling to Baton Rouge. The Vols rank No. 12 in RPI. The highest-ranking RPI team left on LSU's regular season schedule is No. 5 Arkansas. If LSU can secure series wins over Tennessee and Arkansas down the stretch, LSU will have the resume it needs for a top-eight seed.

College Baseball RPI Top 25

RPI rank	Previous	Team	Conference	Overall	Road	Neutral	Home	Other
1	1	Georgia	SEC	33-9	6-7	3-0	24-2	0-0
2	2	Texas	SEC	33-5	8-1	5-1	20-3	0-0
3	6	Vanderbilt	SEC	30-10	7-5	1-2	22-3	0-0
4	5	Auburn	SEC	27-13	4-8	5-0	18-5	0-0
5	3	Arkansas	SEC	34-7	6-3	3-1	25-3	0-0
6	8	LSU	SEC	34-7	5-5	4-0	25-2	0-0
7	4	Clemson	ACC	35-7	6-1	5-1	24-5	0-0
8	13	North Carolina	ACC	31-9	8-4	2-0	21-5	0-0
9	12	Alabama	SEC	31-10	7-4	4-0	20-6	0-0
10	11	Florida St.	ACC	29-7	9-3	1-0	19-4	0-0
11	9	Oregon St.	DI Independent	30-7	10-3	9-3	11-1	0-0
12	7	Tennessee	SEC	33-7	7-2	3-0	23-5	0-0
13	10	Coastal Carolina	Sun Belt	30-10	11-6	2-1	17-3	0-0
14	20	West Virginia	Big 12	34-4	19-1	0-0	15-3	0-0
15	14	TCU	Big 12	29-12	11-5	1-2	17-5	0-0
16	23	Arizona	Big 12	28-11	7-4	2-4	19-3	0-0
17	21	UCLA	Big Ten	29-10	6-4	2-0	21-6	0-0
18	24	Louisville	ACC	28-11	4-7	2-1	22-3	0-0
19	22	Oklahoma	SEC	29-10	8-4	4-0	17-6	0-0
20	30	UC Irvine	Big West	28-9	13-5	2-1	13-3	0-0
21	15	Cal Poly	Big West	27-11	13-7	0-0	14-4	0-0
22	19	Ole Miss	SEC	28-12	7-4	2-2	19-6	0-0
23	28	Florida	SEC	27-15	6-7	0-1	21-7	0-0
24	25	Xavier	Big East	23-18	11-14	3-3	9-1	0-0
25	18	DBU	CUSA	28-11	11-4	0-2	17-5	0-0

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU baseball: Where Tigers stand in RPI rankings after Alabama series

 

Knicks back Mikal Bridges after Game 2 brick in loss to Pistons: ‘We’ve got confidence in him’  

Mikal Bridges works on this shot all the time. So frequently, it felt good when it left his hands.

Facing a three-point deficit with just seconds left in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Jalen Brunson crossed-over Detroit’s Dennis Schroder and got to the paint, where Pistons center Jalen Duren shifted to protect the rim.

As Duren cut-off Brunson’s lane, Bridges created one of his own: His man, Malik Beasley, turned his head towards the paint, and Bridges darted to the top of the key. An escape hatch for Brunson, then trapped in no man’s land.

Brunson made the read. Bridges caught the ball in rhythm. Beasley was too far behind to impact the shot.

“It was straight,” said Bridges, at his locker, discussing the look he got at the rim. “I thought it was cash, but [it was] short.”

Cash it was not. The ball clanked off the front of the rim. The Pistons recovered it. They went on to win, 100-94, to tie the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at one game apiece as it shifts to Detroit for Games 3 and 4.

“It’s the right play, make the right play. Shot it good, we didn’t make it,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of the play after the game. “As long as you shoot it good, he works on it all the time. It’s a good shot, and we missed.”

Bridges bounced back from a quiet Game 1 (eight points, 4-of-9 shooting from the field) and scored 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field to go with three steals in Game 2.

But the Knicks lost on their own home court with a clear advantage in both talent on paper and playoff experience, and Bridges, on a hot-shooting night, came up short with the game on the line.

“You want to win the game. You want to make that shot,” he said, candidly, after the game. “It sucks, but ain’t nothing I can do about it. Got to get to get ready for the next one.”

If the Knicks are going to reach their fullest playoff potential, they’ll need Bridges to play at a high level, including in late-game situations where defenses take away New York’s first option.

“We’ve got confidence in him all the time,” teammate Josh Hart said after the game. “I don’t even know what he had or what he shot or whatever, but we had two good looks.”

Brunson also missed a wide-open three on the Knicks’ following possession. New York would have trailed by just one with less than six seconds left in regulation had the All-Star guard’s shot fallen.

“JB had a walk-up three, ‘Kal had an open three. We’re living with that,” Hart continued. “‘Kal’s a guy that puts the work in, so we’re comfortable and confident with him taking that shot and we’ll live with the result.

“I’m rocking with him until the end. When he shot that I thought it was good. Sometimes the ball just doesn’t go in.”

Karl-Anthony Towns also thought Bridges was money with the game on the line. Bridges made a shot from the same exact spot to lift the Knicks to a wild March 12 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Towns echoed the same sentiment as others on the team: full trust in Bridges’ abilities to deliver under pressure.

“We all saw what happened in Portland, so he doesn’t need much space to get a game-winner going,” Towns said at his locker after the game. “He had a great look, JB got a great look. So you live with those shots.”

Bridges averaged 17.6 points on 50% shooting during the regular season. He shot 58% from the field and 50% from three-point range during clutch situations, defined by the NBA as the final five minutes or overtime of a game within a five-point margin.

 

Sinner does not deserve any hate - Draper  

Britain's Jack Draper says Jannik Sinner does not "deserve any hate" as the world number one prepares for his comeback from a three-month doping ban.

Draper is a long-time friend of Sinner and spent several days practising with the Italian in Monte Carlo last week.

Sinner, 23, was banned from the sport in February after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) over two positive drugs tests last year.

The three-time major champion is able to return to competitive action from 5 May and plans to make his comeback at the Italian Open in Rome.

"When people ask about Jannik I tell the truth – I think he is a really genuine, nice person and on top of that he is an unbelievable player," Draper, 23, told BBC Sport and the Guardian in a joint interview at the Madrid Open.

"In this situation I am sure he would have had absolutely zero idea of anything.

"That's the way life goes - sometimes there are mistakes."

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Sinner had previously been cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.

It accepted he had been inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist, who was treating a cut on his hand with an over-the-counter spray that contained clostebol.

Sinner agreed a three-month ban with Wada to settle the case and not go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But the timing of the suspension - which meant Sinner did not miss a single Grand Slam tournament and will return in time for May's French Open - was criticised by some as being conveniently timed.

The agreement between the Italian's legal team and Wada prompted accusations of favouritism and led to some players questioning their faith in clean sport.

But Draper said: "In terms of how I feel about him as a person I think it is important for people to know and recognise the guy is kind-hearted and a good human being.

"He doesn't deserve any of the hate he gets."

After losing early at the Monte Carlo Masters, world number six Draper went looking for practice partners on the clay and Sinner - who he has played doubles with in the past - was an obvious choice.

"I knew Jannik was available and in Monte Carlo on the clay so we organised with his team to go out there for three or four days and train with him," Draper said.

"If you're going to train with anyone it has got to be the best in the world, right?

"He's obviously had a bit of time off but he's playing at an incredible level still.

"It was great to be around him for a few days and get some good sparring."

The British men's number one added: "I'm looking forward to having him back on the tour because I think his presence has been missed."

• Live scores, results and order of play
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Colorado, Deion Sanders hosting No. 1 transfer portal running back  

After Colorado's spring game, head coach Deion Sanders made it clear that he wanted to continue adding pieces to the team including, at least two more running backs from the transfer portal.

The Buffaloes' are taking a significant step toward filling that gap by hosting former Cal running back Jaivian Thomas on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to On3Sports.

Thomas was the Golden Bears' leading rusher while splitting touches with now-Oklahoma running back Jayden Ott last season. In his sophomore season, the Oakland, Calif. native posted 626 yards and seven touchdowns on 100 carries.

Throughout last season, Thomas routinely showed the ability to generate big plays, having four of the Golden Bears' five longest rushes and a 56-yard receiving touchdown. In his lone start, he demolished San Diego State for 169 yards on 17 attempts.

NEWS: Cal transfer RB Jaivian Thomas is visiting Colorado tomorrow & Wednesday, he tells @on3sports

He led the Golden Bears last year with 626 rushing yards and 7 TDs (6.3 YPC)

Top Available RB in the Portalhttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7qpic.twitter.com/5b9fmmWSip

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 21, 2025

The addition of Thomas would be significant for a Buffaloes' team that just lost their leading rusher from last season, Isaiah Augustave, to Virginia. Colorado struggled mightily to run the ball last year, averaging just 2.5 yards per attempt and not breaking 1,000 yards total as a team.

Already on the roster, Dallan Hayden was one of the standouts of the spring game. On only four rushes, Hayden ran for 29 yards, the most of any Buffalo on the day.

If Sanders does want to add more flash to the running game, there isn't a better fit in the portal than Thomas who is currently regarded as the top running back in the portal.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football hosts top transfer portal RB Jaivian Thomas

 

Nick Wright predicts last-place finish for Broncos, doubles down on bad Bo Nix take  

Nick Wright is at it again.

After being proven wrong by Denver Broncos rookie Bo Nix last fall, Wright is doubling down on his bad takes about the young quarterback.

"People think that I need to admit I was wrong about Bo Nix," Wright said during a segment of First Things First on FS1 last week. "I think it's going to be a glorious Category 2 where it will be proven out the way people thought I need to admit I was wrong about Mac Jones. ... the older, experienced, low ceiling, high floor quarterbacks that look good in Year 1 don't always take that big jump in Year 2. And in fact, sometimes they go backwards because there's so much more film on them."

Wright went on to suggest that "most people would say" Nix is the worst quarterback in the AFC West, even behind Geno Smith.

Denver has an over/under win total of 9.5 this season and Wright is taking the under, projecting a 7-10 record.

"My favorite under of the season is the Broncos this year," Wright said. "I think they're going to end up being the worst team in that division."

“My favorite under of the season is the Broncos this year. I think they’re going to end up being the worst team in this division.”@getnickwright thinks Bo Nix will take a step back this season: pic.twitter.com/EMGPeR0DVB

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 16, 2025

We'll check back after the 2025 season to see how Wright's predictions held up.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Nick Wright doubles down on bad Bo Nix take

 

Bengals LB Logan Wilson: DC Al Golden will empower us  
 

Academy star sees off Nkunku, Sterling, Felix, Mudryk and others to prime attacking option for Maresca  

The fact that Christopher Nkunku was left off the bench for Chelsea’s game against Fulham on Sunday said a lot about the Frenchman – but it said perhaps even more about one of his teammates.

Nkunku’s absence was described by manager Enzo Maresca as a “technical decision” – that is to say, a coaching decision rather than a medical one. After trying for months to figure the Frenchman out, Maresca has given up. Nkunku hasn’t worked as a 9, as a 10 or out wide in his systems. After some truly dreadful anonymous showings in recent weeks, Maresca had had enough.

The man chosen on the bench instead was Tyrique George. He’s had the opposite trajectory to Nkunku, and has benefitted from his downfall. He’s had plenty of starts in his natural position on the wing in the Conference League (often playing off Nkunku, ironically), but his role in the first team at the moment is as backup to Nicolas Jackson up front.

That should be Nkunku’s role. It’s not his natural position – but it’s not George’s either. The youngster celebrated his promotion by scoring the crucial equaliser against the Whites. He not only did better than Nkunku would have done in that role, he actually did more in his cameo than Jackson had done in his 75 minutes on the pitch.

George climbs to top of tall pile of players

What’s amazing is how George has risen up the pecking order – on top of Nkunku, back in the summer there was Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho to worry about.

Yet player by player, George has climbed up to the top of the pile, and you’ve got to give him huge credit for his persistence. We can’t wait to see what he produced in these final week of the season.

 

Federico Valverde remains crucial as Real Madrid continue to pursue Barcelona in the league race  

Real Madrid were not in the best of spirits as they faced Athletic Club in their La Liga matchday 32 game last Sunday. The Merengues had been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage only a few days before this game, and the mood in the dressing room and the fans was rather glum.

However, they could not have allowed their low spirits to keep them from competing against one of the more competent sides in La Liga, as they were already seven points behind Barcelona when they took to the pitch for this match, and losing further points could have meant their elimination from the La Liga race as well, only a few days after the UCL elimination.

Luckily, Carlo Ancelotti’s team came into this game with a lot of intent, as they dominated the proceedings throughout the length of the match. However, they faced a lot of problems getting a goal, and it looked like the match would end in a 0-0 draw despite the numerous chances Real Madrid generated on the night.

Fortunately, the midfielder Federico Valverde had other plans, as he scored an amazing volley in injury time to give his side a 1-0 lead, which proved to be enough for the Merengues to go on to win the game after the remaining few minutes.

Without any doubt, this goal was the most crucial contribution from Valverde in this game. But even beyond this goal, the Uruguayan star was once again crucial for his side as he started the game on the right flank but moved into the midfield in the second half.

Valverde did not have a lot to do defensively, as the Basque side did not have a lot of the ball and made only a few forays into the Real Madrid box. Still, as Sofascore statistics show, he made 3 clearances on the night.

But his major contribution came on the attacking end, as he kept joining the forwards to help his team break the deadlock. He was quite safe with his passing, as he completed 66 of his 71 attempted passes, recording a 93% success rate. The Los Blancos captain also put in 2 key passes, had 1 accurate cross from 3 attempts, and also found his target with 5 of his 7 long balls.

Surprisingly, he did not engage in even a single ground duel in this game, but got the better of his opponents in all three aerial duels he participated in.

Overall, this was another crucial outing from the Real Madrid captain, and hopefully, his heroics will rally his team after a difficult week and ahead of another set of difficult matches, especially the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on Saturday.

 

'Job isn't done yet' - how might United's run-in pan out?  

With the final fixtures set to get under way, us United fans know the next five games will define what's been a solid return to top-flight football.

Sitting fourth in the Premiership, there's pride in what's been achieved so far but we're under no illusions that the job isn't done yet.

It starts with a massive lunchtime fixture as we host Celtic. The champions-elect are flying – 26 wins, a ridiculous goal difference and, let's face it, a dominant record over us in recent years.

But stranger things have happened. If we can keep it tight early doors, who knows? At worst, it's about limiting damage and bouncing back fast.

Easter Road follows – never an easy place to go, especially with Hibs in good form. But we've got a decent record there and if we can frustrate them, there's a chance to nick something. A point in the capital would be a solid result.

Then it's back to Tannadice for what feels like a must-win against St Mirren. We've got the edge on them this season and their away form has been out of sorts. If we play like we can, that one's there for the taking.

Next up – Ibrox, a midweek trip to face a Rangers team whose home form has stuttered although they usually do the business against us. But pressure can do funny things and if we're on it defensively, we might just make life awkward for them.

We finish at home to Aberdeen in what could be a straight shootout for fourth place. These games are always tight and with both teams likely to have something to play for and the Tannadice crowd behind United, we'll fancy edging it.

If we can take points from Hibs, St Mirren and Aberdeen, fourth is achievable. It won't be easy, but this team's got a bit about them.

The next few weeks will test our character – but that's exactly when Dundee United tend to show their teeth.

Ronny Costello can be found at The Dode Fox Podcast

 

🎥 OTD 2013: Van Persie wonder strike leads United to EPL title  

Robin van Persie had a knack for producing the spectacular in the Premier League. 

One of his best individual seasons came in 2012/13, where he scored 26 goals, helping the Red Devils to reclaim the title from fierce rivals Man City.

The Dutch striker also provided Old Trafford with some memorable moments during that campaign, including a first-half hat-trick against Aston Villa in April, which cinched the title for Alex Ferguson's side.

It took van Persie just two minutes to get off the mark, but his best of the evening came 11 minutes later as he eyed up a trademark sweeping long ball from Wayne Rooney. 

🇳🇱✨ 12 years ago today: Robin van Persie's iconic volley vs Aston Villa. 😍 pic.twitter.com/Wk4X4MpP59

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) April 22, 2025

Was this van Persie's best-ever goal in a United shirt?

---

📸 Alex Livesey - 2013 Getty Images

 

Bengals NFL draft picks 2025: Full list of Cincinnati’s draft picks for every round  
 

Lazio vs Parma Also Postponed – Expected New Date Revealed  

Saturday’s Serie A contest between Lazio and Parma is to be postponed as it coincides with the funeral of Pope Francis.

Lazio Already Had One Match Postponed

The Vatican announced the death of the head of the Catholic church on Monday morning, sparking major confusion in the Serie A calendar. The four matches that were supposed to take place on Easter Monday were all postponed, including the fixture between Genoa and Lazio.

Genoa vs Lazio To Be Played on Wednesday

These games were rescheduled on Wednesday the 23rd, but Lazio were only informed of the decision while making their way back to Rome, thus infuriating the Biancocelesti players and officials who must now travel to Liguria once more on Tuesday.

Serie A Saturday Action Postponed

Nevertheless, more disarray is on the way, as the Serie A contests that are supposed to be played on Saturday are expected to be postponed due to Pope Francis’ funeral. This has been announced by the Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, as reported by La Lazio Siamo Noi. The three fixtures in question are Como vs Genoa, Inter Milan vs Roma, and Lazio vs Parma.

Expected New Date for Lazio vs Parma

According to several reports in the Italian media, including Calciomercato, these matches will most likely be rescheduled on Monday, April 28, two days removed from their original date. Nevertheless, we’re still awaiting official confirmation regarding the postponement as well as the rescheduling.

 

The midfield issue that needs addressed  

This weekend Dundee return to Tynecastle for the third time this season. It's the toughest possible start to the split, but also the perfect chance to make a statement.

I can only assume the Hearts camp is deflated following their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen in extra time.

The Dark Blues have a point to prove - the past three meetings with the Jambos have all ended in defeat. I'm hoping we go to Edinburgh fired up to do ourselves justice.

Goalscoring midfielders seem to be a dying breed in the modern game. Yet last season Dundee had two: Luke McCowan - now at Celtic - finished as the club's top scorer with 10 goals while Lyall Cameron chipped in with five. This season, Cameron has already matched last term's total with five games still to go.

Historically, it's an area Dundee have been consistent with. Gary Harkins, Mark O'Hara, Paul McGowan, Charlie Adam and even Jordan McGhee when played in midfield, these players were all capable of contributing to output in front of goal.

Last week, I stated the return of Scott Fraser and Cameron could just be the impact Dundee need to hit the ground running into the split.

As established, Cameron - objectively a talented midfielder - is also a source of goals. Only Simon Murray has scored more this season for the Dark Blues.

Fraser has only played three games this season due to injury - a massive loss, considering he was brought in with the view of replacing McCowan. With nearly 400 senior games and 139 goal contributions (61 scored, 78 assisted), his pedigree is obvious.

Regardless of how this season goes, a lack of goals from midfield is an issue Dundee will need to address in summer. Cameron is departing for Rangers and Fraser is out of contract, as is Josh Mulligan. Mulligan, in particular, has huge potential. If he polished his finishing, he'd be unstoppable. Yet he's still searching for his first goal of the season.

It's quite spectacular that only Celtic and Rangers have netted more goals in the league than Dundee this campaign, yet we have only had five goals scored from midfield - all from one man, Cameron.

Murray has done an excellent job as Dundee's main goal getter, but less weight needs to be put on his shoulders.

 

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Bears hosted these prospects for Top 30 visits before 2025 NFL draft  

The Chicago Bears were allowed to host 30 prospects for official pre-draft visits ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, as well as local prospects who don’t count as part of that group.

Following an impactful offseason that included shoring up the offensive and defensive lines, the Bears are sitting in a prime position to draft the best available player rather than for a specific need. Chicago has seven total picks, including four in the Top 75 -- 10th overall, two high second rounders and a top third-round selection -- so general manager Ryan Poles has the opportunity to add some great rookies to the roster.

Here’s a list of the Bears’ reported pre-draft visits in 2025, both Top 30 and local prospects:

Top 30 visits

These reported visits include both players not from the area and from the Chicago area or attending schools in the area.

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State (source)
2. Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina (source)
3. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa (source)
4. Breshard Smith, RB, SMU (source)
5. Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas (source)
6. Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State (source)
7. Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss (source)
8. Dontae Fleming, WR, Tulane (source)
9. Jaylin Layne, WR, Virginia Tech (source)
10. Kelly Akharaiyi, WR, Mississippi State (source)
11. Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State (source)
12. Jalin Conyers, TE, Texas Tech (source)
13. Anthony Belton, OT, NC State (source)
14. Will Campbell, OT, LSU (source)
15. Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon (source)
16. Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona (source)
17. Dylan Fairchild, G, Georgia (source)
18. Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State (source)
19. Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M (source)
20. Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee (source)
21. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas (source)
22. Jordan Hancock, CB, Ohio State (source)
23. Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas (source)

Local visits

These reported visits include players from the Chicago area or attending schools in the area.

1. Beaux Collins, WR, Notre Dame (source)
2. John Williams, OT, Cincinnati (source)
3. Addison West, OL, Western Michigan (source)

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Bears hosted these prospects for Top 30 visits

 

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