Klopp, in his seventh year as manager of the Reds, found himself in a riveting game against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool stormed to a 3-0 lead within 15 minutes and was in prime position to cruise to all three points, but Tottenham, for a consecutive match, rallied down multiple goals and equalized via Richarlison in added time of the second half.

But Richarlison’s goal, which came in the third of six added minutes, left the Reds too much time to find a last-gasp winner — and they did.

Spurs forward Lucas Moura cheaply gave the ball away, and Liverpool capitalized through a low Diogo Jota strike just a minute after Richarlison’s score.

As expected, Anfield erupted into cheers, along with the players on the field and the staff on the sideline. And that’s where it got tricky for Klopp, who ran towards the opposing sideline and fourth official to celebrate the moment. However, he ended up pulling his hamstring.

Klopp discussed the injury in his postgame presser, and said he dealt with karma after getting into the official’s face.

“…I got punished. Little sins immediately. I turned around for the celebration because the fourth official got nothing wrong the whole time. I didn’t say anything bad, I gave a look which is bad enough. The hamstring or whatever the muscle gave up in that moment. That’s fair. Apart from that, all okay.”

Klopp will be on the touchline for Liverpool’s next game on Wednesday, May 3, when they will host 10th-place Fulham in their bid to claim a European competition place for the 2023-24 campaign.

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Officers, responding to a call that a child had fallen into a pool, were sent to Barrett’s home in the Beach Park neighborhood in south Tampa shortly before 9:30 a.m. The football player’s youngest child, Arrayah, was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

“The investigation is ongoing,” the police report said. “It is not believed to be suspicious in nature at this time, but a purely accidental and tragic incident.”

Barrett, 30, and his wife, Jordanna, have three other children.

“Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time,” the Buccaneers said a statement.

“While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this,” the team added, “we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”

Barrett, who’s recovering from a torn Achilles that sidelined him for the second half of last season, is entering his fifth year with Tampa Bay after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.

Barrett led the NFL with 19½ sacks in 2019. The following season he helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl.

Bruins-Panthers Game 7 takeaways: Florida ends B’s season in 4-3 OT win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — A historic Bruins season that was full of hope for another Stanley Cup run all came crashing down Sunday night.

The Florida Panthers pulled off a stunning upset of the Bruins with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 7 at TD Garden to win this first-round playoff series and advance to Round 2.

The Bruins overcame a 2-0 deficit and eventually took a 3-2 lead on David Pastrnak’s goal at 4:11 of the third period, but the Panthers tied the score with 59 seconds left in regulation and won on Carter Verhaeghe’s tally at 8:35 of the OT period. 

Florida trailed 3-1 in the series but won three straight games. The Bruins had lost three consecutive games only once all season, in late January.

One of the most surprising aspects of this series was the Bruins’ inability to win on home ice. They started the season with a record 14-game home win streak and finished with a league-leading 34-4-3 record at the Garden. But they lost three of four games at TD Garden in the series, including both Game 5 and Game 7 in overtime when they had a chance to eliminate Florida. 

Jeremy Swayman made his first start in net of the series for the Bruins and allowed four goals on 31 shots.

The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy and set league records for the most wins and points of all time. But this team will mostly be remembered for losing shockingly early in the playoffs.

It’s going to be a busy offseason for the Bruins. But before we look ahead to that, here are three takeaways from Bruins-Panthers Game 7.

1) Goaltending surprisingly hurt Bruins

Goaltending was the Bruins’ biggest strength in the regular season. Linus Ullmark won the goalie triple crown by leading the league with 40 wins, a .938 save percentage and a 1.89 GAA. Swayman went 26-6-4 and ranked fourth among goalies with a .920 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA. Boston led the league in save percentage by a huge margin and allowed the fewest goals in all situations and 5-on-5. 

Goaltending should’ve been a major advantage for the B’s in this series, and instead it was a huge weakness.

Ullmark went 3-3 with a .896 save percentage and a 3.34 GAA in six starts. He gave up four or more goals in three of those matchups, including a season-high six allowed in a 7-5 defeat in Game 6. 

Swayman played OK in Game 7 but wasn’t spectacular. The first goal scored by Brandon Montour was a soft one to give up.

Aside from the turnovers, subpar goaltending for the Bruins was the most shocking development in this series. Boston gave up 3.71 goals per game after leading the league at 2.21 goals against per game in the regular season. 

2) Turnovers proved fatal for Bruins

All four games the Bruins lost were highlighted by uncharacteristic giveaways that led directly to Panthers goals. Florida doubled its lead in the second period when Hampus Lindholm — who had an awful series — gave away the puck on a failed attempt to clear the zone up the left side boards. The Panthers made a few nice passes and Sam Reinhart beat Swayman. 

Reinhart’s goal was the eighth allowed by the Bruins within five seconds of a 5-on-5 turnover, which is double the amount of any other team in the playoffs, per NHL Network’s Mike Kelly. 

Dmitry Orlov was unable to clear the defensive zone shortly before the Panthers’ tying goal late in the third period. The Panthers stopped his clearing attempt along the side boards, and not long after that the puck was in Boston’s net.

A failure to clear puck and break out of the defensive zone was an enormous problem for the Bruins in this series. They were credited with 15 giveaways in Game 2 and 17 in Game 5. They were very sloppy with the puck, and when you do that against a fast, highly skilled team like the Panthers, you open the possibility of an upset.

3) Brandon Montour had the series of his life

Brandon Montour’s 73 points ranked tied for fifth among defensemen in the regular season, and his 16 goals tied for the seventh-most. He is an offensive machine, and he helped drive the Panthers’ scoring in this series.

Montour scored twice in Game 7. He opened the scoring at 12:23 of the first period. He skated hard to the net, took a pass from Anton Lundell and beat Swayman five-hole. 

Montour tied the game 3-3 with 59 seconds remaining in regulation when his shot to the right of Swayman found its way into the net. 

Montour finished the series with eight points (five goals, three assists) and 22 shots on net. His five goals are tied for the third-most ever by a defenseman in one playoff series. Montour was especially productive when Florida needed it most with three goals and one assist over the last two games.

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Behind a historic 50-point performance by Steph Curry, the Warriors are headed to the Western Conference semifinals after defeating the Sacramento Kings 120-100 in Game 7 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.

The first-round NBA playoff series was capped by a monstrous — yet on-brand — performance from Curry, who became the first player in league history to score 50 or more points in a Game 7.

After watching Curry and the rest of Golden State advance to the next round, NBA Twitter couldn’t believe what they had just watched unfold on the G1C floor.

What a show. What a game. And now, it’s time for Dub Nation to celebrate — for a couple of days, at least.

Next, Golden State will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in the West semifinals.

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Steph Curry is no stranger to making NBA history, and he did so again in the Warriors’ blowout Game 7 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.

The Golden State superstar became the first NBA player to score 50 or more points in a Game 7, erupting for 50 points in the Warriors’ 120-100 victory that clinched the opening-round playoff series against their Northern California counterparts.

At 35 years old, Curry’s record comes in arguably the best Game 7 offensive performance of all time. Curry’s 50 points came on 20-of-38 shooting from the field with seven 3-pointers.

Curry surpassed former teammate and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant to claim the record, who scored 48 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.

Also on the list are Sam Jones (47, 1963) Dominique Wilkins (47, 1988), Kevin Johnson (46, 1995), Luka Dončić (46, 2021) and LeBron James (45, 2008, 2018).

And now, Curry stands alone on yet another mountaintop. 

After eliminating the Kings, the reigning NBA Finals MVP and the Warriors will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

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But his decision not to talk to the media after some playoff losses, including Game 6, which was the worst playoff loss in franchise history and ended the Grizzlies’ season, will cost him $25,000 in league fines.

The NBA said Sunday in a news release that Brooks violated league rules for “media interview access” by not participating in “team postgame media availability” during the playoffs. Brooks bolted from the Memphis locker room after Friday’s series loss before reporters were allowed inside.

Hi latest discipline follows his ejection from Game 3 for striking LeBron James in the groin. That was after he called James “old,” embraced his nickname “Dillon the Villain” and led the NBA with 18 technical fouls this season, earning a pair of one-game suspensions in the process.

It’s also the second fine for Brooks this year, with the 6-foot-6 forward/guard having to pay $35,000 for shoving a camera person on the sideline while chasing a loose ball in Miami in March (he later apologized). He also was suspended a game in February for hitting the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell in the groin, costing him $78,621 in pay, according to Spotrac.com.

This was the last season of the 27-year-old’s contract with the Grizzlies, and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman has said about Brooks’ future with the Grizzlies: “I’ll hit on DB another day. Nothing I can comment on.”

Chris Vaughn is the assistant director of college scouting for Dallas, and he and his son had for months avoided conversations about how the Cowboys viewed the younger Vaughn going into the NFL draft.

Father and son can talk about whatever they want now.

“To see him react the way that he did,” Deuce Vaughn said of his father hugging Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones and Jones’ son Stephen, the executive vice president of personnel. “I’m not going to lie, it was a tear-jerker.”

Chris Vaughn has been with the Cowboys since 2017 after an 18-year career in college coaching, including with the Texas Longhorns. Deuce Vaughn went to high school in the Austin area.

“I’ve never had an experience like that in the draft room,” said Jerry Jones, who bought the Cowboys in 1989.

Forget the family ties for a moment. Vaughn is the first running back drafted by Dallas since releasing two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott in March.

While Tony Pollard is set to be the lead back playing on the $10.1 million franchise tag, Vaughn will always be the first draft pick of a new era in the Dallas backfield.

“Zeke for the past seven years I believe was the cornerstone of this franchise,” said Vaughn, showing he was up on his history. “Not only the way he runs the football, but protects the quarterback, does everything. I have some big shoes to fill as the next running back to be taken by the Cowboys.”

Playmaking was never the issue for Vaughn, who was a two-time Associated Press All-American as an all-purpose player with 2,962 yards rushing and 34 total touchdowns over the past two seasons for the Wildcats.

Size was an issue. Listed at 5-foot-6 in his Kansas State bio, the official number with the NFL is 5-5. He brings quick comparisons to another Kansas State star in Darren Sproles, who had a long NFL career as an elite kick returner.

Sproles, listed at 5-6 in his playing days, had already texted Vaughn before Vaughn’s telephone conversation with the team’s beat reporters.

“He said keep the short backs alive,” Vaughn said. “He said to go out there and make him proud.”

Vaughn was lightly recruited out of high school in the Austin suburb of Round Rock, and he was in Austin when he got the call from the Cowboys.

He said his mom was the first to see it was the Cowboys, and she started crying. Then word quickly spread to everybody else in the room.

“It got pretty loud, I’m not going to lie to you,” Vaughn said. “Just a great scene. Family, friends, everybody that kind of had a helping hand in getting me here was in that room.”

When the Cowboys were deciding, Stephen Jones said meetings had to be held away from Chris Vaughn because they knew the conversation would be awkward for him.

They tried to have a little fun with Chris Vaughn before realizing the moment was genuine enough to carry itself.

“It was a surprise to him as well when we made the decision,” Stephen Jones said. “It was really neat to see the look on his face.”

The drafting of Vaughn was the most exciting moment of a less-than-flashy draft for the Cowboys.

San Jose State defensive end Viliami Fehoko was the first pick of the final day for Dallas in the fourth round, followed by tackle Asim Richards of North Carolina in the fifth.

Before taking Vaughn 212th overall, the Cowboys traded up for the first pick of the sixth round and got Southern Miss cornerback Eric Scott Jr. Kansas City received a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.

Dallas’ final pick was South Carolina receiver Jalen Brooks in the seventh round.

The Cowboys took Michigan players with their first two picks, getting defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round and tight end Luke Schoonmaker in the second. Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was the third-round choice.

“We’re very satisfied and fired up about our draft class,” Stephen Jones. “We accomplished about everything we wanted to get done. There’s no question we made our football team better.”

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After a hectic race at Talladega Superspeedway, the NASCAR Cup Series now heads to a track known as the “Monster Mile.”

Dover Motor Speedway, a one-mile, high-banked concrete oval in Delaware, has been the site of some chaotic races in recent years. The track has hosted NASCAR races annually since 1969.

Here’s everything you need to know for the Würth 400 at Dover:

What is the NASCAR at Dover starting lineup?

Thirty-six drivers will race this weekend at Dover. The usual drivers are all competing – outside of Alex Bowman, who will miss his first race of the season after suffering a fractured vertebra while competing in a sprint car event (non-NASCAR race) on Tuesday.

Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry will fill in for Bowman while he recovers. Berry ran five races while filling in for Chase Elliott earlier this season after he suffered a broken leg in a snowboarding accident. Elliott returned two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway.

Practice was held on Saturday, but qualifying was canceled due to rain and the lineup was set based on NASCAR’s qualifying metric. Here’s the starting order for the race:

1. Kyle Busch, No. 8
2. Christopher Bell, No. 20
3. Ryan Blaney, No. 12
4. Brad Keselowski, No. 6
5. Chris Buescher, No. 17
6. Chase Briscoe, No. 14
7. Tyler Reddick, No. 45
8. William Byron, No. 24
9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47
10. Chase Elliott, No. 9
11. Erik Jones, No. 43
12. Kevin Harvick, No. 4
13. Denny Hamlin, No. 11
14. Ross Chastain, No. 1
15. Daniel Suarez, No. 99
16. Ty Dillon, No. 77
17. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19
18. Kyle Larson, No. 5
19. Aric Almirola, No. 10
20. Austin Cindric, No. 2
21. JJ Yeley, No. 51
22. BJ McLeod, No. 78
23. Josh Berry, No. 48
24. Ty Gibbs, No. 54
25. Justin Haley, No. 31
26. Joey Logano, No. 22
27. Corey LaJoie, No. 7
28. Bubba Wallace, No. 23
29. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16
30. Ryan Preece, No. 41
31. Harrison Burton, No. 21
32. Michael McDowell, No. 34
33. Noah Gragson, No. 42
34. Brennan Poole, No. 15
35. Todd Gilliland, No. 38
36. Austin Dillon, No. 3

When is the NASCAR race at Dover in 2023?

The Würth 400 was set for Sunday, April 30 at 1 p.m. ET, but it was postponed to Monday, May 1 at 12 p.m. ET due to rain. This is the second straight year at Dover that rain has pushed the race to Monday.

There was a practice session on Saturday before rain canceled qualifying, with Keselowski, Larson, Byron, Elliott and Cindric posting the fastest practice laps.

What is the NASCAR weekend TV schedule at Dover?

Monday, May 1 (FS1 and streaming)

• Würth 400: 12 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com

Who are the past winners at Dover?

Elliott is the defending winner at Dover, as he led 73 laps en route to victory at the track last May. It was Elliott’s second career win at Dover.

Beyond him, there are three other multi-time winners at Dover racing this weekend: Busch, Truex and Harvick with three wins apiece. Three other drivers have one win at Dover: Keselowski (2012), Larson (2019) and Hamlin (2020).

Who are the favorites for Dover Motor Speedway?

The best of the best often perform well at Dover.

Unlike wild-card tracks of Talladega and Daytona, you can often look for the traditional contenders to dominate at the Monster Mile. Dating back to 2009, 24 of the last 26 races at Dover were won by a championship-winning driver. The only exceptions were Hamlin in 2020 and Bowman in 2021 – and, as aforementioned, he won’t race Sunday due to injury.

Among drivers with at least five career starts at Dover, the best performers at the track are Larson (6.9 average finish in 14 starts), Elliott (9.8 in 12 starts), Truex (11.8 in 32 starts) Harvick (12.9 in 42 starts) and Keselowski (13.1 in 24 starts).

Here’s a full look at the favorites to win at Dover, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:

• Kyle Larson, +380
• William Byron, +650
• Chase Elliott, +700
• Denny Hamlin, +750
• Martin Truex Jr., +850
• Christopher Bell, +1000
• Kevin Harvick, +1100
• Ross Chastain, +1100
• Kyle Busch, +1500
• Brad Keselowski, +2000
• Ryan Blaney, +2000
• Tyler Reddick, +2200
• Joey Logano, +2200
• Chris Buescher, +3300
• Josh Berry, +3500

What is the weather for NASCAR at Dover this weekend?

There are no rain tires available for Dover Motor Speedway and the track does not have lights, which made for a tight window to the race in on Sunday. Luckily, things are looking clear for the rescheduled time on Monday.

NBC Philadelphia is expecting sunny skies in the morning before clouds later on Monday, but just a 5% chance of rain. Temperatures could reach a high of 62 degrees in the afternoon.

Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.

They are the first team in the common draft era, which began in 1967, to take a quarterback and multiple skill position players from the same school in a single draft.

Los Angeles capped off its draft by taking TCU quarterback Max Duggan in the seventh round. It began the draft on Thursday by taking Horned Frogs wide receiver Quentin Johnston with the 21st overall pick and added teammate Derius Davis in the fourth round on Saturday.

“To reunite with Q and Derius, and we all get to be out there and be a part of a great franchise and be a part of a great team with a great coaching staff, that is going to be fun,” Duggan said.

Duggan was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and led the Horned Frogs to an appearance in the College Football Playoff title game against Georgia, which took place at the Chargers’ home, SoFi Stadium.

Duggan was the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year after accounting for 41 touchdowns (32 passing, nine rushing). With Justin Herbert entrenched as the Chargers’ quarterback, Duggan would presumably compete with Easton Stick for the backup spot.

“He’s tall, strong, physical, and fast, which typically aren’t the first four traits you would say about a quarterback,” Telesco said. “He has played at a high level and has good arm strength. He has a grittiness and toughness that is hard to find.”

Davis had 42 receptions for 531 yards and five touchdowns last season, but his biggest asset is as a return specialist. He ran back five punts and one kickoff for scores during his career, including two last season. His 15.0-yard career average on punt returns was third nationally among players with at least 40 returns.

“We’re really comfortable with him,” coach Brandon Staley said when asked if Davis would be his kickoff and punt returner going into the season. “We drafted him in the fourth round because we feel like he was one of the top returners in the country. And then looking at the landscape of both pro and college football, we felt like this guy has some special qualities.”

STRANGE, BUT TRUE

It’s the first time in 40 years the Chargers have drafted three players from the same school. In 1983, they selected linebacker Billy Ray Smith, running back Gary Anderson and cornerback Danny Walters from Arkansas.

The last time Los Angeles drafted two players from the same school who play the same position was in 1997, when they took North Carolina A&T linebackers Michael Hamilton and Toran James.

WHO ELSE THEY GOT

Jordan McFadden, who went in the fifth round, started 39 games at offensive tackle for Clemson and was voted the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top lineman. He will likely be moved to guard and provide depth for Zion Johnson and Jamaree Salyer.

Sixth-round pick Scott Matlock was a five-year starter on the defensive line at Boise State. He adds some special teams versatility after blocking a pair of kicks in 2020.

Southern California defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu (second round) and Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley (third round) also add depth.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Chargers did well last year after the draft, adding some veteran depth at defensive line and linebacker. They are likely to be in the market for those areas again, as well as a tight end.

Los Angeles is trying to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2009.

“Going into this draft, I felt was a little bit different than my first two drafts where we felt like there’s still some starting positions that are up for grabs and some things we needed to address,” Staley said. “I feel good about our starting 22, and the people we have coming back are really good. I felt like this was the draft where you can start to get in a rhythm of just picking the best players on the board that fit your team and culture.”

Tracking 2023 NFL Draft undrafted rookie free agent signings originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

You don’t have to hear your name called in the NFL draft to be successful.

Just ask players like Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Antonio Gates, Wes Welker and more on how undrafted rookies ended up establishing lengthy, successful careers in the big leagues.

That’ll now be the motivation for some of this year’s rookies who didn’t hear their names called in Kansas City, such as DB Eli Ricks (Alabama), DL DJ Dale (Alabama), S Ronnie Hickman Jr. (Ohio State) and more.  

RELATED: Full list of every pick from the 2023 NFL Draft

Here’s a team-by-team tracker on where undrafted rookies have signed following the conclusion of the 2023 draft:

Arizona Cardinals

• Jacob Slade, DL, Michigan State
• Matt Hembrough, LS, Oklahoma State
• Blake Whiteheart, TE, Wake Forest
• Kyle Soelle, LB, Arizona State
• Emari Demercado, RB, TCU
• Kendell Brooks, S, Michigan State

Atlanta Falcons

• Keilahn Harris, WR, Oklahoma Baptist
• Chase Brice, QB, Appalachian State
• Justin Marshall, WR, Buffalo
• Carlos Washington, RB, Southeastern Louisiana
• Matthew Trickett, K, Minnesota
• Ikenna Enechukwu, EDGE, Rice
• Jacob Gall, OL, Baylor

Baltimore Ravens

• Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
• Nolan Henderson, QB, Delaware
• Tashawn Manning, OL, Kentucky
• Jeremy Lucien, CB, Vanderbilt
• Jaylon Thomas, OL, SMU
• Tykeem Doss, OT, Southern Miss
• Travis Vokolek, TE, Nebraska
• Brian Walker, TE, Shepherd
• Camron Peterson, DE, Southern University
• Brandon Kipper, OL, Oregon State
• Corey Mayfield Jr., CB, UTSA
• Dontay Demus Jr., WR, Maryland
• Trey Botts, DT, Colorado State-Pueblo

Buffalo Bills

• Jalen Wayne, WR, South Alabama
• Jordan Mims, RB, Fresno State
• DJ Dale, DL, Alabama
• Richard Gouraige, OT, Florida
• Tyrell Shavers, WR, San Diego State

Carolina Panthers

• Colby Richardson, LB, LSU
• Rezjohn Wright, CB, Oregon State
• Camerun Peoples, RB, Appalachian State
• Austin Ajiake, LB, UNLV
• Mark Milton, CB, Baylor
• Eku Leota, EDGE, Auburn
• Bumper Pool, LB, Arkansas
• Josh Vann, WR, South Carolina
• Jalen Redmond, DT, Oklahoma
• Nash Jensen, OL, North Dakota State
• Nico Bolden, S, Kent State
• Travez Moore, DE, Arizona State
• Ricky Lee III, OT, North Carolina A&T

Chicago Bears

• Tyson Bagent, QB, Shepard
• Gabe Houy, G, Pittsburgh
• Andre Szymt, K, Syracuse
• Justin Broiles, CB, Oklahoma
• Jalen Harris, EDGE, Arizona
• Dominic Quewon, LB, Southern Miss
• Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU
• Robert Burns, RB, Connecticut
• Macon Clark, S, Tulane
• Devonnsha Maxwell, DL, Tennessee-Chattanooga

Cincinnati Bengals

• Jaxson Kirkland, G, Washington
• Larry Brooks III, S, Tulane
• Jalen Moody, LB, Alabama
• Devonnsha Maxwell, DB, Chattanooga
• Mac Hippenhammer, WR, Miami (OH)
• Shake Heyward, LB, Duke
• Shedrick Jackson, WR, Auburn
• Jacob Saylors, RB, East Tennessee
• Calvin Tyler, RB, Utah State

Cleveland Browns

• Hassan Hall, RB, Georgia Tech
• Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State
• Tanner McCallister, CB, Ohio State
• Mohamoud Diabate, EDGE, Utah
• Caleb Biggers, CB, Boise State

Dallas Cowboys

• Earl Bostick Jr., OT, Kansas
• T.J. Bass, OL, Oregon
• Durrell Johnson, OLB, Liberty
• Tyrus Wheat, OLB, Miss. State
• Jose Barbon, WR, Temple
• David Durden, WR, West Florida
• Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State
• Princeton Fant, TE, Tennessee
• Jalen Moreno-Cropper, WR, Fresno State
• Isaiah Land, TE, Florida A&M

Denver Broncos

• Art Green, CB, Houston
• Dallas Daniels, WR, Jackson State
• Alex Palczewski, OL, Illinois
• Nate Adkins, TE, South Carolina
• Kris Leach, TE, Kent State
• Thomas Incoom, EDGE, Central Michigan
• Devon Matthews, S, Indiana
• Emmanuel Wilson, RB, Fort Valley State

Detroit Lions

• Chase Cota, WR, Oregon
• Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
• Adrian Martinez, QB, Kansas State
• Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame
• Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
• Connor Galvin, OT, Baylor
• Isaac Darkangelo, LB, Illinois
• Ryan Swoboda, OT, UCF
• Zach Morton, DE, Akron

Green Bay Packers

• Christian Morgan, S, Baylor
• Kadeem Telfort, OT, Alabama-Birmingham
• Henry Pearson, TE, Appalachian State
• Benny Sapp III, CB, Northern Iowa
• Deuce Watts, WR, Tulane
• Jason Lewan, DL, Illinois State
• Malik Heath, WR, Ole Miss

Houston Texans

• Xazavian Valladay, RB, Arizona State
• Joe Doyle, P, Memphis
• Dylan Deatherage, C, Western Michigan
• T.K. McClendon Jr., EDGE, Eastern Kentucky
• Darius Joiner, DB, Duke
• Kilian Zierer, OT, Auburn
• Ali Gaye, EDGE, USC
• Jared Wayne, WR, Pitt
• Tyler Beach, OT, Wisconsin

Indianapolis Colts

• Caleb Sampson, DT, Kansas
• Titus Swen, RB, Wyoming
• Guy Thomas, LB, Colorado
• Johnny King, WR, Southeast Missouri
• Braxton Westfield, WR, Carson Newman
• Zavier Scott, RB, Maine
• Darius Hagans, RB, Virginia State
• Cody Chrest, WR, Sam Houston State
• Tyler Richardson, CB, Tiffin
• Donavan Mutin, LB, Houston
• Aaron Maddox, S, Campbell
• Cole Coleman, S, Elon
• Liam Anderson, LB, Holy Cross
• Emil Ekiyor Jr, OL, Alabama

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Divaad Wilson, CB, UCF 
• Samuel Jackson, G, Central Florida
• Leonard Taylor, TE, Cincinnati
• Elijah Cooks, WR, San Jose State
• Jaray Jenkins, WR, LSU
• Jayson Ademilola, DL, Notre Dame

Kansas City Chiefs

• Cam Jones, LB, Indiana
• Reese Taylor, CB, Purdue
• Isaiah Norman, S, Marshall
• Anderson Hardy, OL, Appalachian State
• Anthony Cook, S, Texas
• Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa
• Zane Pope, WR, Fresno State
• Ty Scott, WR, Missouri State
• Josh Mote, OT, LA Tech
• Nikko Remigio, WR/KR, Fresno State
• Blake Haynes, OL, Tarleton
• James Letcher, WR, Washburn
• Martez Manuel, S, Missouri

Las Vegas Raiders

• Azizi Hearn, RB, UCLA
• Jaydon Grant, DB, Oregon State
• McClendon Curtis, OT, Chattanooga
• Dalton Wagner, OT, Arkansas
• Jordan Perryman, DB, UC Davis

Los Angeles Chargers

• Pokey Wilson, WR, Florida State
• Jerrod Clark, DT, Coastal Carolina
• Andrew Farmer, EDGE, Lane
• Nic Meslop, OL, Delta State
• Cam Brown, CB, Ohio State
• Mikel Jones, LB, Syracuse
• Terrance Lang, DL, Colorado
• Tiawan Mullen, CB, Indiana
• AJ Finley, CB, Mississippi
• Brevin Allen, LB, Campbell
• Tyler Baker-Williams, S, NC State
• Johari Branch, C, Maryland
• AJ Uzodinma, CB, Ball State
• Terrell Bynum, WR, USC
• Elijah Dotson, RB, Northern Colorado
• Nathan East, LB, Samford
• Michael Ezeike, TE, UCLA
• Tyler Hoosman, RB, North Dakota State

Los Angeles Rams

• Rashad Torrence II, S, Florida
• Kelech Anyalebechi, LB, Incarnate Word
• Mike McAllister, C, Youngstown State
• Tanner Ingle, S, North Carolina State
• Tyon Davis, CB, Tulsa
• Jordan Jones, CB, Rhode Island
• Christopher Dunn, K, NC State

Miami Dolphins

• James Blackman, QB, Arkansas State
• Anthony Montalvo, DL, UCF
• Daewood Davis, WR, Western Kentucky
• Zeke Vandenberg, LB, Illinois State
• Randy Charlton, DL, Mississippi State
• Julian Hill, TE, Campbell
• Brandon Pili, DL, USC
• Jarrett Horst, OL, Michigan State
• Chris Brooks, RB, BYU
• Garrett Nelson, LB, Nebraska
• Mitchell Agude, EDGE, Miami
• Ethan Bonner, DB, Stanford
• Bennett Williams, S, Oregon
• Aubrey Miller, LB, Jackson State
• Chris Coleman, WR, Cal Poly

Minnesota Vikings

• Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati
• Andre Carter II, LB, Army
• CJ Coldon, CB, Oklahoma
• Cephus Johnson, WR, Southeastern Louisiana
• Malik Knowles, WR, Kansas State
• Ben Sims, TE, Baylor
• Jack Podlesney, K, Georgia
• Calvin Avery, DT, Illinois
• Abraham Beauplan, LB, Marshall
• Jacky Chen, OL, Pace
• Jaylin Williams, CB, Indiana
• Wilson Huber, LB, Cincinnati
• Thayer Thomas, WR, NC State
• NaJee Thompson, CB, Georgia Southern
• Alama Uluave, C, San Diego State
• Alan Ali, OL, TCU

New England Patriots

• Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville
• Johnny Lumpkin, TE, Louisiana

New Orleans Saints

• SaRodorick Thompson, RB, Texas Tech
• Nick Anderson, LB, Tulane
• Shaquan Davis, WR, South Carolina State 
• Sy Barnett, WR, Davenport
• Joel Wilson, TE, Central Michigan
• Anfernee Orji, LB, Vanderbilt
• Mark Evans II, OT, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
• Alex Pihlstrom, C, Illinois
• Lou Henry, P, Miami
• Anthony Johnson, DB, Virginia
• Blake Grupe, K, Notre Dame

New York Giants

• Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
• Tommy DeVito, QB, Illinois
• Habakkuk Baldonado, DE, Pittsburgh
• Alex Cook, S, Washington
• Dyontae Johnson, LB, Toledo

New York Jets

• Travis Dye, RB, USC
• Jason Brownlee, WR, Southern Miss
• Tim Demorat, QB, Fordham
• Marquis Waters, S, Texas Tech
• Deslin Alexandre, DL, Pittsburgh
• T.J. Luther, WR, Gardner-Webb
• Claudin Cherelus, LB, Alcorn State
• Maalik Hall, LB, Oklahoma State
• Kahlef Hailassie, CB, Kentucky
• EJ Jenkins, TE, Georgia Tech
• KD Hill, DL, Ole Miss
• Caleb Johnson, LB, Miami

Philadelphia Eagles

• Eli Ricks, DB, Alabama
• Mekhi Garner, CB, LSU
• Joseph Ngata, WR, Clemson
• Jadon Haselwood, WR, Arkansas
• Ty Zentner, P, Kansas State
• Joseph Ngata, WR, Clemson
• Trevor Reid, OT, Louisville

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Tanner Morgan, QB, Minnesota
• Monte Pottebaum, FB, Iowa
• Jordan Byrd, RB, San Diego State
• David Perales, EDGE, Fresno State

San Francisco 49ers

• Joey Fisher, OL, Shepard
• Avery Young, DB, Rutgers
• Jack Colletto, LB/FB, Oregon State
• Shae Wyatt, WR, Tulane
• Ronald Awatt, RB, UTEP
• Ilm Manning, OL, Hawaii

Seattle Seahawks

• Holton Ahlers, QB, East Carolina
• Jake Bobo, WR, UCLA
• Tyjon Lindsey, WR, Oregon State
• Cam Bright, LB, Pittsburgh
• Griffin Hebert, TE, LA Tech
• Chris Stoll, LS, Penn State
• Arquon Bush, CB, Cincinnati
• Noah Gindorff, TE, North Dakota State
• Jonathan Sutherland, DB, Penn State
• Cam Bright, LB, Washington
• Robert Cooper, DT, Florida State
• John Hall, WR, Northwood
• M.J. Anderson, DE, Iowa State
• Jalen Redmond, DT, Oklahoma
• Chris Smith, RB, Louisiana
• Matt Landers, WR, Arkansas
• Lance Boykin, CB, Coastal Carolina

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Kade Warner, WR, Kansas State
• Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse 
• Rakim Jarrett, WR, Maryland
• Keenan Isaac, DB, Alabama State
• Chris Murray, OL, Oklahoma
• Christian Izien, S, Rutgers
• Kaevon Merriweather, S, Iowa
• Ronnie Brown, RB, Shepherd
• Tanner Taula, TE, Illinois State
• Ryan Miller, WR, Furman
• Silas Dzansi, OL, Virginia Tech
• Jeremy Banks, LB, Tennessee
• Jake Bates, K, Arkansas

Tennessee Titans

• TK McClendon Jr., DL, Kentucky
• Thomas Rush, OLB, Minnesota
• Kearis Jackson, WR, Georgia
• John Ojukwu, OT, Boise State
• Caleb Murphy, EDGE, Ferris State
• Maxwell Worship, LB, Vanderbilt
• Steven Jones Jr., CB, Appalachian State
• Charles McClelland, RB, Cincinnati
• Shakel Brown, DT, Troy

Washington Commanders

• Mitchell Tinsley, WR, Penn State
• Mason Brooks, OL, Ole Miss
• Joshua Pryor, DL, Bowie State
• Xavier Henderson, S, Michigan State
• Kazmeir Allen, WR/KR, UCLA
• D.J. Stirgus, CB, Missouri Western

Aaron Rodgers received his first Broadway welcome.

The New York Jets quarterback got a rousing ovation while attending Game 6 of the first-round series between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

Rodgers, who was introduced as Jets quarterback Wednesday after being acquired in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, attended the game with running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Allen Lazard.

Clips of Rodgers’ press conference showed on the videoboard before cutting to the future Hall of Famer seated in the stands a few rows behind the Rangers’ bench.

Considering the tri-state fan bases the Rangers and Devils both include Jets fans, which team was Rodgers rooting for? He wasn’t wearing a Rangers jersey like his Jets teammates, but he was cheering for the Rangers. As did his fellow New York quarterback, Daniel Jones of the Giants, earlier in the series when he was in attendance at the Garden earlier.

The Jets made the blockbuster trade official on Wednesday after weeks of speculation. They gave the Packers the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, a 2023 second-rounder, a 2023 sixth-rounder and a conditional 2024 second-rounder that becomes a first-rounder if Rodgers plays more than 65% of snaps next year and brought back the No. 15 overall pick, a 2023 fifth-round pick and the Super Bowl XLV MVP.   

Rodgers wasted no time taking in a New York postseason experience. He’ll get many more ovations if he can help the Jets end their Super Bowl drought.

“That Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely,” Rodgers said Wednesday.

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The “Mr. Irrelevant” title is staying in California.

With the No. 259 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Desjuan Johnson, defensive end out of Toledo. The pick designated Johnson as the latest Mr. Irrelevant, a title given to the player taken last in the annual event.

Though the Mr. Irrelevant tag typically doesn’t carry significant weight, the player who went last in 2022 became quite the relevant figure around the league after leading his team to success despite strenuous circumstances.

That gives Johnson a platform to possibly replicate some good fortune in his own rookie season. Here’s what to know about Johnson, the 2023 NFL Draft’s Mr. Irrelevant: 

How old is Desjuan Johnson?

Johnson is 23 years old. He is a native of Detroit, Mich.

What school did Desjuan Johnson attend? 

Johnson attended the University of Toledo (MAC) for all five years of his college eligibility. 

What position does Desjuan Johnson play?

Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman, who can play both off the edge or inside. 

Who drafted Desjuan Johnson?

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Johnson with pick No. 259 in the 2023 NFL Draft – the last pick of the draft.

What were Desjuan Johnson’s college stats?

Through five seasons (51 games total), Johnson logged 210 total tackles (88 solo, 122 assists, 45.5 for a loss), 14.5 sacks and one interception. He was a three-star recruit coming out of East English Village Prep in Detroit.

Johnson was once described by Bowling Green head coach Scott Loeffler as the “Aaron Donald of the MAC.” That might explain why the Rams chose him.

Who was the “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2022 NFL Draft?

In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers took QB Brock Purdy out of Iowa State with the last pick of the draft. Initially being on the roster as a third-stringer behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy eventually ascended to becoming an Offensive Player of the Year finalist when injuries to the aforementioned two put the spotlight on the Cyclone product.

The 49ers, which had a Super Bowl-caliber roster, maintained that title with Purdy helping the team to a 5-0 record as a starter in the regular season before winning his first two playoff games. However, an injury early on in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles – later to be diagnosed as a UCL injury – caused him to miss out the rest of the game, which the 49ers lost.

But the young quarterback showed it’s not where you’re taken in the draft that defines you, it’s how you optimize your situation and prove that you belong. Johnson will look to do the same as part of the Rams’ defensive-line rotation in 2023 and beyond.

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Full list of every pick from the 2023 NFL Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books.

From Thursday through Saturday, 259 prospects heard their names called as they officially became NFL players.

It started on Thursday night, when the Carolina Panthers selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner will join a rebuilding team with first-year head coach Frank Reich, who previously led the Indianapolis Colts.

After 31 picks on Thursday, action continued on Friday with the second and third rounds. The final four rounds took place on Saturday, with the Los Angeles Rams taking DE Desjuan Johnson out of Toledo as “Mr. Irrelevant” — the last pick of the event. 

Here’s a complete look at every pick from the 2023 NFL Draft:

Round 1

1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

3. Houston Texans (from Arizona): Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

4. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

6. Arizona Cardinals (from L.A. Rams through Detroit): Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

7. Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

8. Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

9. Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina through Chicago): Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

10. Chicago Bears (from New Orleans through Philadelphia): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

11. Tennessee Titans: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

12. Detroit Lions (from Cleveland through Houston and Arizona): Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

13. Green Bay Packers (from N.Y. Jets): Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (from New England): Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

15. New York Jets (from Green Bay): Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State

16. Washington Commanders: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

17. New England Patriots (from Pittsburgh): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

18. Detroit Lions: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt

20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

24. New York Giants (from Jacksonville): Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

25. Buffalo Bills (from Jacksonville through N.Y. Giants): Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

26. Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Buffalo): Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

29. New Orleans Saints (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver): Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State

Round 2

32. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Chicago): Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

33. Tennessee Titans (from Houston through Arizona): Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

34. Detroit Lions (from Arizona): Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa

35. Las Vegas Raiders (from Indianapolis): Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

36. Los Angeles Rams: Steve Avila, OL, TCU

37. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn

38. Atlanta Falcons (from Las Vegas through Indianapolis): Matt Bergeron, OL, Syracuse

39. Carolina Panthers: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss

40. New Orleans Saints: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

41. Arizona Cardinals (from Tennessee): BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU

42. Green Bay Packers (from Cleveland through N.Y. Jets): Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

43. New York Jets: Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin

44. Indianapolis Colts (from Atlanta): Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State

45. Detroit Lions (from Green Bay): Brian Branch, DB, Alabama

46. New England Patriots: Keion White, EDGE, Georgia Tech

47. Washington Commanders: Jartavius Martin, DB, Illinois

48. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Detroit through Green Bay): Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State

49. Pittsburgh Steelers: Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

50. Green Bay Packers (from Tampa Bay): Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State

51. Miami Dolphins: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

52. Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA

53. Chicago Bears (from Baltimore): Gervon Dexter Sr., DT, Florida

54. Los Angeles Chargers: Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, USC

55. Kansas City Chiefs (from Minnesota through Detroit): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

56. Chicago Bears (from Jacksonville): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami (FL)

57. New York Giants: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

58. Dallas Cowboys: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

59. Buffalo Bills: O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

60. Cincinnati Bengals: D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan

61. Jacksonville Jaguars (from San Francisco through Carolina and Chicago): Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State

62. Houston Texans (from Philadelphia): Juice Scruggs, C, Penn State

63. Denver Broncos (from Kansas City through Detroit): Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Oklahoma

Round 3

64. Chicago Bears: Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina 

65. Philadelphia Eagles (from Houston): Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama

66. Philadelphia Eagles (from Arizona): Sydney Brown, S, Illinois 

67. Denver Broncos (from Indianapolis):  Drew Sanders, ILB, Arkansas 

68. Detroit Lions (from Denver): Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

69. Los Angeles Rams: Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston

70. Las Vegas Raiders: Byron Young, DT, Alabama

71. New Orleans Saints: Kendre Miller, RB, TCU

72. Arizona Cardinals (from Tennessee): Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse

73. Houston Texans (from Cleveland): Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

74. Cleveland Browns (from N.Y. Jets): Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee

75. Atlanta Falcons: Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State

76. New England Patriots (from Carolina): Marte Mapu, ILB, Sacramento State

77. Los Angeles Rams (from New England through Miami): Byron Young, DE, Tennessee

78. Green Bay Packers: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State

79. Indianapolis Colts (from Washington): Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

80. Carolina Panthers (from Pittsburgh): DJ Johnson, EDGE, Oregon

81. Tennessee Titans (from Detroit through Arizona): Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane

82. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: YaYa Diaby, DE, Louisville

83. Denver Broncos (from Seattle): Riley Moss, CB, Iowa

84. Miami Dolphins: Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M

85. Los Angeles Chargers: Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State

86. Baltimore Ravens: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

87. San Francisco 49ers (from Minnesota): Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State

88. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn

89. Los Angeles Rams (from N.Y. Giants): Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest

90. Dallas Cowboys: LB DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas

91. Buffalo Bills: Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane

92. Kansas City Chiefs (from Cincinnati): Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma

93. Pittsburgh Steelers (from San Francisco through Carolina): Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

94. Arizona Cardinals (from Philadelphia): Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford

95. Cincinnati Bengals (from Kansas City): Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

96. Detriot Lions (compensatory selection from Arizona): Brodric Martin, DT, Western Kentucky

97. Washington Commanders (compensatory selection): Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas

98. Cleveland Browns (special compensatory selection): Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor

99. San Francisco 49ers (special compensatory selection): Jake Moody, K, Michigan

100. Las Vegas Raiders (special compensatory selection from Kansas City through N.Y. Giants): Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati

101. San Francisco 49ers (special compensatory selection): Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama

102. Minnesota Vikings (special compensatory selection from San Francisco): Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC

Round 4

103. New Orleans Saints (from Chicago): Nick Saldiveri, OG, Old Dominion

104. Las Vegas Raiders (from Houston): Jakorian Bennett, DB, Maryland

105. Philadelphia Eagles (from Arizona through Houston): Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

106. Indianapolis Colts: Blake Freeland, OT, BYU

107. New England Patriots (from L.A. Rams): Jake Andrews, C, Troy

108. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Anthony Bradford, OG, LSU

109. Houston Texans (from Las Vegas): Dylan Horton, EDGE, TCU

110. Indianapolis Colts (from Tennessee through Atlanta): Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern

111. Cleveland Browns: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

112. New England Patriots (from N.Y. Jets): Chad Ryland, K, Maryland

113. Atlanta Falcons: Clark Phillips, CB, Utah

114. Carolina Panthers: Chandler Zavala, OG, NC State

115. Chicago Bears (from New Orleans): Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas

116. Green Bay Packers: Colby Wooden, DT, Auburn

117. New England Patriots: Sidy Sow, OG, Eastern Michigan

118. Washington Commanders: Braeden Daniels, OL, Utah

119. Kansas City Chiefs (from Detroit through Minnesota): Chamarri Conner, S, Virginia Tech

120. New York Jets (from Pittsburgh through New England): Carter Warren, OT, Pittsburgh

121. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay): Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida

122. Arizona Cardinals (from Miami through Kansas City and Detroit): Jon Gaines II, OG, UCLA

123. Seattle Seahawks: Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State

124. Baltimore Ravens: Tavius Robinson, EDGE, Ole Miss

125. Los Angeles Chargers: Derius Davis, WR, TCU

126. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota): Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri

127. New Orleans Saints (from Jacksonville): Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State

128. Los Angeles Rams (from N.Y. Giants): Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia

129. Dallas Cowboys: Viliami Fehoko Jr., DE, San Jose State

130. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Buffalo): Tyler Lacy, DE, Oklahoma State

131. Cincinnati Bengals: Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue

132. Pittsburgh Steelers (from San Francisco through Carolina): Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin

133. Chicago Bears (from Philadelphia): Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati

134. Minnesota Vikings (from Kansas City): Jay Ward, CB, LSU

135. Las Vegas Raiders (compensatory selection from New England): Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue

Round 5

136. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Chicago): Yasir Abdullah, LB, Louisville

137. Washington Commanders (from Arizona through Buffalo): K.J. Henry, DE, Clemson

138. Indianapolis Colts: Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina

139. Arizona Cardinals (from Denver through Detroit): Clayton Tune, QB, Houston

140. Cleveland Browns (from L.A. Rams): Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

141. Minnesota Vikings (from Las Vegas through Indianapolis): Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

142. Cleveland Browns: Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern

143. New York Jets: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh

144. New England Patriots (from Atlanta through Las Vegas): Atonio Mafi, OG, UCLA

145. Carolina Panthers: Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State

146. New Orleans Saints: Jordan Howden, S, Minnesota

147. Tennessee Titans: Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati

148. Chicago Bears (from New England through Baltimore): Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

149. Green Bay Packers: Sean Clifford, QB, Penn State

150. Buffalo Bills (from Washington): Justin Shorter, WR, Florida

151. Seattle Seahawks (from Pittsburgh): Mike Morris, EDGE, Michigan

152. Detroit Lions: Colby Sorsdal, OT, William & Mary

153. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: SirVocea Dennis, LB, Pittsburgh

154. Seattle Seahawks: Oluseun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan

155. San Francisco 49ers (from Miami): Darrell Luter Jr., CB, South Alabama

156. Los Angeles Chargers: Jordan McFadden, OG, Clemson

157. Baltimore Ravens: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB, Stanford

158. Indianapolis Colts (from Minnesota): Daniel Scott, S, California

159. Green Bay Packers (from Jacksonville through Atlanta and Detroit): Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia

160. Jacksonville Jaguars (from N.Y. Giants): Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

161. Los Angeles Rams (from Dallas through Houston): Nick Hampton, OLB, Appalachian State

162. Indianapolis Colts (from Buffalo): Will Mallory, TE, Miami (FL)

163. Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown, RB, Illinois

164. Minnesota Vikings (from San Francisco): Jaren Hall, QB, BYU

165. Chicago Bears (from Philadelphia through New Orleans): Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota

166. Kansas City Chiefs: BJ Thompson, OLB, Stephen F. Austin

167. Houston Texans (compensatory selection from L.A. Rams): Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama

168. Arizona Cardinals (compensatory selection): Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn

169. Dallas Cowboys (compensatory selection): Asim Richards, OT, North Carolina

170. Las Vegas Raiders (compensatory selection from Green Bay through New York): Christopher Smith, S, Georgia

171. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (compensatory selection from L.A. Rams): Payne Durham, TE, Purdue

172. New York Giants (compensatory selection): Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma

173. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection): Robert Beal Jr., DE, Georgia

174. Los Angeles Rams (compensatory selection from Las Vegas through Houston): Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia

175. Los Angeles Rams (compensatory selection from Tampa Bay): Davis Allen, TE, Clemson

176. Indianapolis Colts from Dallas Cowboys (compensatory selection): Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern

177. Los Angeles Rams (compensatory selection): Puka Nacua, WR, BYU

Round 6

178. Dallas Cowboys (from Chicago through Miami and Kansas City): Eric Scott Jr., CB, Southern Miss

179. Green Bay Packers (from Houston through Tampa Bay): Karl Brooks, DE, Bowling Green

180. Arizona Cardinals: Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville

181. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Indianapolis): Josh Hayes, CB, Kansas State

182. Los Angeles Rams: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU

183. Denver Broncos: JL Skinner, S, Boise State

184. New York Jets (from Las Vegas through New England): Zaire Barnes, OLB, Western Michigan

185. Jacksonville Jaguars (from N.Y. Jets): Parker Washington, WR, Penn State

186. Tennessee Titans (from Atlanta): Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland

187. New England Patriots (from Carolina): Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU

188. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans through Houston): Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford

189. Los Angeles Rams (from Tennessee): Ochaun Mathis, DE, Nebraska

190. Cleveland Browns: Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State

191. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Green Bay through L.A. Rams, Houston and Philadelphia): Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska

192. New England Patriots: Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State

193. Washington Commanders: Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Kentucky

194. Kansas City Chiefs (from Detroit): Keondre Coburn, DT, Texas

195. New Orleans Saints (from Pittsburgh through Denver): A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest

196. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jose Ramirez, OLB, Eastern Michigan

197. Miami Dolphins: Elijah Higgins, WR, Stanford

198. Seattle Seahawks: Jerrick Reed II, S, New Mexico

199. Baltimore Ravens: Sala Aumavae-Laulu, OL, Oregon

200. Los Angeles Chargers: Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State

201. Houston Texans (from Minnesota): Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame

202. Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Braswell, CB, Rutgers

203. Las Vegas Raiders (from N.Y. Giants through Houston): Amari Burney, OLB, Florida

204. New York Jets (from Dallas through Las Vegas): Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB, LSU

205. Houston Texans (from Buffalo): Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State

206. Cincinnati Bengals: Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton

207. Green Bay Packers (from San Francisco through Houston and N.Y. Jets): Anders Carlson, K, Auburn

208. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Philadelphia): Erick Hallett II, S, Pittsburgh

209. New York Giants (from Kansas City): Tre Hawkins III, CB, Old Dominion

210. New England Patriots (compensatory selection): Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty

211. Indianapolis Colts (compensatory selection from Minnesota): Titus Leo, LB, Wagner

212. Dallas Cowboys (compensatory selection): Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State

213. Arizona Cardinals (compensatory selection): Dante Stills, DT, West Virginia

214. New England Patriots (compensatory selection from Las Vegas): Ameer Speed, CB, Michigan State

215. Los Angeles Rams (compensatory selection from Washington through Buffalo): Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss

216. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection): Dee Winters, LB, TCU

217. Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory selection from Kansas City): Brad Robbins, P, Michigan

Round 7

218. Chicago Bears: Travis Bell, DT, Kennesaw State

219. Detroit Lions (from Houston through Minnesota and Philadelphia): Antoine Green, WR, North Carolina

220. New York Jets (from Arizona through Las Vegas): Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion

221. Indianapolis Colts: Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M

222. Minnesota Vikings (from Denver through San Francisco): DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB

223. Los Angeles Rams: Ethan Evans, P, Wingate

224. Atlanta Falcons (from Las Vegas): DeMarcco Hellams, S, Alabama

225. Atlanta Falcons: Jovaughn Gwyn, OL, South Carolina

226. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Carolina): Cooper Hodgers, OL, Appalachian State

227. Jacksonville Jaguars (from New Orleans): Raymond Vohasek, DT, North Carolina

228. Tennessee Titans: Colton Dowell, WR, UT Martin

229. Baltimore Ravens (from Cleveland): Andrew Vorhees, OG, USC

230. Buffalo Bills (from N.Y. Jets through Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Houston): Nick Broeker, OG, Ole Miss

231. Las Vegas Raiders (from New England): Nesta Jade Silvera, DT, Arizona State

232. Green Bay Packers: Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky

233. Washington Commanders: Andre Jones Jr., EDGE, Louisiana

234. Los Angeles Rams (from Pittsburgh): Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State

235. Green Bay Packers (from Detroit through L.A. Rams): Lew Nichols III, RB, Central Michigan

236. Indianapolis Colts (from Tampa Bay): Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan

237. Seattle Seahawks: Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia

238. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Hayes, OT, Michigan

239. Los Angeles Chargers: Max Duggan, QB, TCU

240. Jacksonville Jaguars (from N.Y. Giants through Baltimore): Derek Parish, EDGE, Houston

241. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Minnesota through Denver): Cory Trice Jr., CB, Purdue

242. Green Bay Packers (from Jacksonville): Anthony Johnson, CB, Virginia

243. New York Giants: Jordon Riley, DT, Oregon

244. Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Brooks, WR, South Carolina

245. New England Patriots (from Buffalo through Atlanta): Isaiah Bolden, CB, Jackson State

246. Cincinnati Bengals: D.J. Ivey, DB, Miami

247. San Francisco 49ers: Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma

248. Houston Texans (from Philadelphia): Brandon Hill, S, Pittsburgh

249. Philadelphia Eagles (from Kansas City through Detroit): Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas

250. Kansas City Chiefs (compensatory selection): Nic Jones, CB, Ball State

251. Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory selection from L.A. Rams): Spencer Anderson, G, Maryland

252. Buffalo Bills (compensatory selection from Tampa Bay through L.A. Rams): Alex Austin, CB, Oregon State

253. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection): Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan

254. New York Giants (compensatory selection): Gervarrius Owens, S, Houston

255. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection): Jalen Graham, LB, Purdue

256. Green Bay Packers (compensatory selection): Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte

257. Denver Broncos (compensatory selection from New Orleans): Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon

258. Chicago Bears (compensatory selection): Kendall Williamson, DB, Stanford

259. Los Angeles Rams (compensatory selection from Houston): Desjuan Johnson, DT, Toledo

Duggan will join two TCU teammates, wide receivers Quentin Johnson and Derius Davis, both of whom were also drafted by the Chargers.

He decided to skip his available extra season with the third-ranked Horned Frogs and make himself eligible for the NFL draft after the College Football Playoff. In December, when he announced his decision on social media that he was declaring for the NFL draft, Duggan wrote, “But first, we still have business to take care of.”

Duggan won the Davey O’Brien Award as the best quarterback in college football last season, finished second in Heisman Trophy voting, and was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He led TCU to the College Football National Championship Game, losing to Georgia at SoFi Stadium, which will now be his NFL home.

Duggan said being a student-athlete at TCU has been the greatest experience of his life, helping him develop as a football player and a man while earning a business degree. The Iowa native also thanked his family, teammate, coaches and fans for their support.

“My experience at TCU and, in turn, Amon G. Carter Stadium, has been filled with great memories, passion and pride,” Duggan wrote. “I have learned many lessons through the highs and the lows. I’ve built lifelong relationships that will last forever.”

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Hopefully that was not the real Lombardi Trophy.

If it was, the trophy given to the Kansas City Chiefs for their Super Bowl victory in February likely has some scratches on it. Or a dent. And it also probably smells like beer.

That’s what happens after a night out with Travis Kelce.

The Chiefs tight end hosted a music festival in Kansas City on Friday night called “Kelce Jam.” Kelce appeared on stage and began using the trophy like an ice luge to drink a beer. He then spiked the trophy as if it were the football from a touchdown pass he had just caught from Patrick Mahomes.

Only difference is it’s made of silver instead of leather. Fear not, Chiefs front office executives. The Kansas City Star did report that the trophy was a replica. 

Kelce later took the mic, singing “Fight for Your Right” by the Beastie Boys.

Hip hop artists Rick Ross, Machine Gun Kelly and Kansas City’s Tech N9ne also performed. The event also included a chicken wing eating contest and a drone show.

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Stars of ‘Ted Lasso’ announce Miami Dolphins’ NFL draft pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Football is life!

Wait, that line from the show “Ted Lasso” is actually about European football, which is also known as soccer. But it certainly applied to those who play American football and heard their names called this weekend during the 2023 NFL Draft.

Two of the stars from “Ted Lasso” made a cameo during ESPN’s broadcast of the draft on Saturday. Kola Bokinni, who plays AFC Richmond team captain Isaac McAdoo, and Cristo Fernandez, who plays optimistic striker Dani Rojas of “Football is life!” fame, appeared on screen from Tottenham Spurs Stadium in the United Kingdom. They announced that the Miami Dolphins selected Stanford’s Elijah Higgins with their sixth-round pick.

“We’re currently at the Tottenham Spurs Stadium with the Miami Dolphins,” Bokinni said before announcing the pick.

“And we know a thing or two about football,” Fernandez said. 

“No, this is American football,” Bokinni responded.

“Right,” Fernandez said. “So, we have no idea what we are doing here, but we’re having lots of fun.”

The show “Ted Lasso” – a two-time Emmy winner for Outstanding Comedy Series – recently returned to Apple TV+ for its third season. Jason Sudeikis stars as the title character, a former American football coach who is coaching a soccer team in London.

Fernandez surprisingly did not say his famous line from the show during his appearance, even though football most certainly is life for draftees like Higgins. Instead, he closed with a shoutout for Miami.

“Go Dolphins!” Fernandez said. “Fins up!”

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The Athletics’ brain trust has made it clear over the last two weeks that they want to leave Oakland and head to Las Vegas in the coming years.

But Oakland mayor Sheng Thao wouldn’t be opposed to the A’s turning around and staying in the city they’ve called home since 1968.

“I really hope that they have a change of heart and really, truly feel that they do,” Mayor Thao told NBC Bay Area’s Raj Mathai in an interview Thursday. “It’s not just about the action of the owner of the team but that there’s a fan base here, and the fans also are in a way, owners of this team. And to really connect with the words ‘Rooted in Oakland.’ Again, if they would call me, I would pick up because it’s not about me, it’s not about John Fisher, it’s really about the bigger, more complex issues around the fan base, what it means to drive the economy here in the city of Oakland.

“And what means to really be rooted here in Oakland. And so I really hope we can set aside our differences and work something out, but at the same time, if it doesn’t work out, I’m excited for all the opportunities that could be at Howard Terminal.”

On April 19, the A’s announced that they had a binding agreement to purchase a plot of land in Las Vegas with the purpose of building a new ballpark that would open for the 2027 MLB season, if everything goes according to plan.

Immediately, Mayor Thao released a statement announcing that the city had ceased negotiations with the A’s on the proposed Howard Terminal waterfront ballpark project.

A day after the A’s Las Vegas announcement, team president Dave Kaval spoke to Mathai and offered his rationale on why the Howard Terminal project was proving hard to complete.

“The challenge is that we had an incredible visionary waterfront plan,” Kaval told Mathai. “Maybe the boldness and audacity of it was too much and we had too much opposition at the waterfront with the maritime polluters and they were able to delay the project very successfully, which really impeded our ability to move forward on a timeline that worked, especially for Major League Baseball.”

In her interview with Mathai this week, Mayor Thao took exception to that answer.

“With any big project like this, you’re going to have opposition,” Mayor Thao told Mathai. “If you’re going to tell me, somehow, Las Vegas’ constituency is just going to say ‘Oh, come on in’ with no opposition, I can tell you that’s absolutely not going to be true. At the end of the day, I’m sorry but I can’t find that that statement is actually accurate. Yes, we went through the legal courts, and yes, we came out victorious. And now to say that’s the reason why, you just can’t help but feel like the goalposts keep moving, right?

“You go through one scenario and the goalposts move, and now it’s like, we won this court case and then all of a sudden, that’s not good enough. Again, we were in the middle of negotiations and I think we were the closest we’ve ever been, and we had more meetings scheduled and we very much wanted to get it done but then they dropped this news on us and it was clear they weren’t being good partners.”

While the two sides aren’t at the negotiating table, and one side is focused on another option, Mayor Thao made it clear that if the A’s hit roadblocks in their Las Vegas plan, her phone lines are open.

“If the A’s called me back, I’ll pick up the phone,” Mayor Thao told Mathai. “Again, it wasn’t the city that walked away from these negotiations summit, it was the A’s. And so, absolutely. There still are many, many steps in Las Vegas that haven’t even started. Buying a plot of land in Las Vegas is one thing. However, I will not allow for Oakland to be used as leverage in negotiations for a stadium in Las Vegas. I don’t think that that’s fair and I think Oakland residents and Oakland A’s fans deserve better.”

A’s fans voiced their displeasure with Kaval and owner John Fisher during the first home game at the Coliseum on Friday night, protesting outside the stadium, marching and chanting inside the ballpark and hanging numerous banners decrying the front office.

The A’s believe Las Vegas is their best path forward as they try to meet the MLB-imposed deadline of January 2024 to settle on a new ballpark location, but Mayor Thao isn’t ready to throw in the towel on keeping the team in Oakland, even if the two sides aren’t currently negotiating.

For as disingenuous as Mayor Thao feels the A’s are being, she is leaving the door open and the phone lines clear in case they need to come crawling back.

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There was a frenzy of activity in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.

It began with two quarterbacks being selected with the first two picks for just the ninth time in modern draft history, with Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers and C.J. Stroud going second to the Houston Texans. 

There were a series of trades, including the Texans trading up to the No. 3 pick to take defensive end Will Anderson with the second of their back-to-back picks.

RELATED: Full list of every pick from the 2023 NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts then used the fourth pick to select quarterback Anthony Richardson, making it the fourth time in modern draft history that QBs were selected with three of the first four picks, and the first time in history that three black quarterbacks were selected in the top 10. 

The Detroit Lions made the surprise selection of the first round, using the No. 12 pick to add running back Jahmyr Gibbs to their crowded backfield.

It all made for some very clear winners and losers after day one of the draft.

With talented prospects still on the board heading into Day 3, expect more trades and surprises as the draft concludes on Saturday with the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. Here’s what to know about this year’s event:

When is the 2023 NFL Draft?

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held throughout a three-day span starting on Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29. Here are when the rounds will start for each day:

• Round 1 (Thursday): 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3 (Friday): 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7 (Saturday): 12 p.m. ET

Where is the NFL draft in 2023?

Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., is the host location of the 2023 NFL Draft. It is the city’s first time hosting the event. 

How to watch the 2023 NFL Draft

ESPN, ABC and NFL Network will broadcast the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Where to stream the 2023 NFL Draft

The draft will be available to stream on WatchESPN, CBS Sports HQ, NFL.com and fuboTV (free trial).

Ryan Suter had the satisfaction of beating his former team that bought out his contract two years ago.

The Stars had all kinds of reasons to cherish this victory, including a little extra rest.

Roope Hintz got Dallas going early, Oettinger stonewalled his home-state team again and the Stars eliminated the Wild 4-1 in Game 6 of their first-round NHL playoff series on Friday night.

“I think the guys knew how important it was for both of us,” Suter said, “and everyone really stepped up and competed hard for us.”

Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment scored in the second period when a burst by the Stars — swooping in for the finish — outshot the Wild 18-5. Max Domi had an empty netter in the final minute.

Oettinger made 22 saves for the Stars, who advanced to face the Colorado-Seattle winner. The Avalanche beat the Kraken on Friday to force Game 7.

Oettinger was bidding for his second shutout of the series before Freddy Gaudreau scored for the Wild with 7:07 left.

“He’s our brick wall back there, and we trust him. Any time we make mistakes, he’s there for us,” Marchment said. “We wouldn’t be here without him.”

Filip Gustavsson, starting a fourth consecutive game for the first time in his first season with Minnesota, stopped 23 shots in two periods. Marc-Andre Fleury, who was in net for a 7-3 loss at Dallas in Game 2, took over in the third.

The Wild fell to 5-14 on home ice in the playoffs since the last time they advanced, a first-round win over St. Louis in 2015. They are 4-13 in franchise history in postseason series.

The Stars lost in seven games in the first round to Calgary last year. With center Joe Pavelski expected back for the next round after missing the last five games with a concussion, they’re in the position to make another push for the Stanley Cup Finals they reached in the 2020 pandemic bubble.

STRONG START

The raucous crowd was buzzing early, but the fans just never got rewarded. Ryan Hartman had an open net for a rebound that rolled just out of reach for a clean shot, and Oettinger and Suter immediately covered up the crease to prevent another try. Just seconds later, Hintz went the other way to deliver a top-shelf shot that sailed over Gustavsson’s glove.

“They’re so good around the net. That was a focal point for us in the series, and I thought tonight was our best defensive game,” Oettinger said.

Hintz has five goals and leads the NHL playoffs with 12 points, helping the top line continue to thrive without Pavelski while Tyler Seguin deftly moved up to join him and Jason Robertson.

“We wouldn’t be sitting here moving on to the next round tonight without Tyler Seguin’s contributions in this series,” coach Peter DeBoer said.

The team that scored first won all six games in the series.

POWER FAILURE

The Wild finally stayed out of the penalty box, rendering a Stars power play that was 9 for 22 over the first five games a nonfactor. But the Wild might as well have declined the penalties called on the Stars because their power play — 0 for 2 in the game and 4 for 22 in the series — was again a momentum-killer instead of a momentum-builder. The crowd booed toward the end of their first 5-on-4 dud.

“Sick to my stomach about it,” Hartman said. “This city deserves better than what we gave them. The fans, they’ve shown up for us all year and we failed them.”

The Wild consistently created good looks at the net, but their passing and shooting touch was off the mark all series and ran out of steam after the first intermission. Evgenii Dadonov flipped a no-look pass from behind the net into the slot, where an uncontested Johnston scored his first goal of the series.

Soon after Mats Zuccarello’s open shot sailed over the crossbar, the Stars delivered a big blow when Marchment scored with just 0.5 seconds left before the second intermission.

BROKEN RECORD

The Wild took a 2-1 lead on St. Louis in the playoffs last year before dropping three straight games, too.

Kirill Kaprizov was the heartbeat of that series against the Blues, but the superstar left wing struggled to get going this year after a goal in Game 1. Suter and fellow blue-liner Miro Heiskanen made Kaprizov work for every inch of ice and frequently met him with punishing checks.

“For the most of the games, I thought we were the better team and we still ended up losing. That’s probably the most frustrating,” Zuccarello said. “Maybe last year I think you have a feeling you lost to a better team.”

Stefon Diggs. Jason Kelce. George Kittle.

Those are just a few active players who went from late-round draft selection to NFL star. Diggs and Kittle didn’t get picked until the fifth round, while Kelce lasted all the way until Round 6.

All 32 teams will be hoping to strike the same kind of gold when the 2023 NFL Draft concludes with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday. A total of 157 picks will be made over the final four rounds.

NFL Draft Apr 28

NFL Twitter Reacts to Titans Drafting Will Levis Year After Malik Willis Pick

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How to Watch the 2023 NFL Draft: Key Dates, Start Times, More

So who will be this year’s late-round steals? Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of some of the best players still on the board entering the fourth round, according to ESPN and NFL.com:

Quarterback

• Stetson Bennett, Georgia
• Max Duggan, TCU
• Jake Haener, Fresno State
• Jaren Hall, BYU
• Tanner McKee, Stanford
• Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
• Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
• Clayton Tune, Houston

Running back

• Israel Abanikanda, Pitt
• Chase Brown, Illinois
• Zach Evans, Mississippi
• Eric Gray, Oklahoma
• Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
• Roschon Johnson, Texas
• DeWayne McBride, UAB
• Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State

Wide receiver

• Elijah Higgins, Stanford
• Antoine Green, UNC
• Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
• Parker Washington, Penn State
• Charlie Jones, Purdue
• Trey Palmer, Nebraska
• A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
• Tyler Scott, Cincinnati

Tight end

• Davis Allen, Clemson
• Payne Durham, Purdue
• Noah Gindorff, North Dakota State
• Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
• Will Mallory, Miami
• Blake Whiteheart, Wake Forest
• Josh Whyle, Cincinnati

Offensive tackle

• Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
• Joey Fisher, Shepherd
• Blake Freeland, BYU
• Ryan Hayes, Michigan
• Dawand Jones, Ohio State
• Warren McClendon, Georgia
• Carter Warren, Pitt

Offensive guard

• Anthony Bradford, LSU
• Nick Broeker, Mississippi
• McClendon Curtis, Chattanooga
• Braeden Daniels, Utah
• Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama
• Andrew Vorhees, USC
• Chandler Zavala, NC State

Center

• Alan Ali, TCU
• Jake Andrews, Troy
• Alex Forsyth, Oregon
• Corey Luciano, Washington
• Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
• Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
• Luke Wypler, Ohio State

Defensive tackle

• Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
• Keondre Coburn, Texas
• DJ Dale, Alabama
• Scott Matlock, Boise State
• Jalen Redmond, Oklahoma
• Jaquelin Roy, LSU
• Cameron Young, Mississippi State

Defensive end

• Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
• K.J. Henry, Clemson
• Dylan Horton, TCU
• Tyler Lacy, Oklahoma State
• Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
• Mike Morris, Michigan
• Moro Ojomo, Texas

EDGE

• Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
• Andre Carter II, Army
• Nick Hampton, App State
• Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
• Lonnie Phelps, Kansas
• Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
• Tavius Robinson, Mississippi

Linebacker

• SirVocea Dennis, Pitt
• Ventrell Miller, Florida
• Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
• Owen Pappoe, Auburn
• Noah Sewell, Oregon
• Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama
• Dee Winters, TCU

Cornerback

• Jakorian Bennett, Maryland
• Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
• Clark Phillips III, Utah
• Kelee Ringo, Georgia
• Darius Rush, South Carolina
• Terell Smith, Minnesota
• Cory Trice, Purdue

Safety

• Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
• Anthony Johnson Jr., Iowa State
• Jammie Robinson, Florida State
• Daniel Scott, Cal
• JL Skinner, Boise State
• Christopher Smith, Georgia
• Jay Ward, LSU

Kicker

• Anders Carlson, Auburn
• Christopher Dunn, NC State
• Jack Podlesny, Georgia
• B.T. Potter, Clemson
• Chad Ryland, Maryland

Punter

• Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
• Paxton Brooks, Tennessee
• Adam Korsak, Rutgers
• Brad Robbins, Michigan
• Michael Turk, Oklahoma

Jacob deGrom was off to a spectacular start in the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night before he left in the fourth inning because of forearm tightness. It was the second time in three games the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner exited early because of injury concerns.

“Just being cautious here,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “We’ll evaluate him tomorrow, and see how he feels.”

DeGrom, who didn’t talk to media after the game, retired his first 10 batters and had a 5-0 lead before he walked Anthony Rizzo with one out in the fourth. DeGrom had thrown only 10 balls to the first 10 batters, but after the walk got a full count on Gleyber Torres before his flyout.

Then ahead 0-2 on Willie Calhoun, deGrom threw a 96.6 mph fastball that sailed outside for a ball. The pitcher reached for his left side, then followed with an 89.4 mph slider. His 50th and slowest pitch of the night was outside, and Calhoun lined an opposite-field single to left.

Athletic trainer Jacob Newburn and pitching coach Mike Maddux went to the mound, and Maddux summoned Bochy and met with the manager in foul territory. Bochy then went to the mound and deGrom walked to the dugout while Dane Dunning (2-0) was called in from the bullpen.

“He was throwing great,” Bochy said. “It was Jacob as we know, and it just started to tighten up there a little bit.”

Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer and doubled twice for Texas, which had lost a season-high four games in a row. Marcus Semien and Jonah Heim each had RBI doubles.

The Yankees played their first game this season without captain Aaron Judge. The reigning AL MVP had tests on his sore right hip Friday, a day after exiting the series opener midway through the fourth inning because of hip discomfort.

While the Yankees were still waiting for team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad to review the results, manager Aaron Boone didn’t discount the possibility of Judge going on the injured list.

“It doesn’t seem too serious. But that said, we don’t, we still don’t have a clear picture of it yet,” Boone said after the game. “It seems like it could it could be day to day, but it also could be a short (IL) stint.”

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt (0-3) struck out eight in his five innings, but allowed five runs and 10 hits — six of them to left-handed batters, who are hitting .385 against him this year.

DeGrom exited his start April 17 at Kansas City after four no-hit innings because of right wrist soreness. Five games later, he made his next scheduled start and struck out 11 on 80 pitches over six innings in a win at Oakland that came before facing the Yankees for the first time since 2018.

Before signing a $185 million, five-year contract with the Rangers in December, deGrom was spent his first nine big league seasons with the Mets. He was plagued by injures that limited him to 156 1/3 innings the past two seasons, and Texas was cautious with him after he reported tightness in his left side before the team’s first scheduled workout of spring training, though he still was ready to start opening day.

Dunning, the first of three relievers, allowed two runs and three hits over 3 1/3 innings. He worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings when deGrom left the Royals game.

Will Smith worked the ninth for his third save.

SHORT HOPS

The roof was closed on a rainy night in North Texas. … Semien extended his on-base streak to 14 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain) threw his third live BP session in nine days. Boone said the 40-pitch session went well, but that he wasn’t sure if the next step would be another BP session or the start of a rehab assignment. … The rehab assignment of C Ben Rortvedt (left shoulder aneurysm) was transferred from Class A Tampa to Double-A Somerset. … RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation), who resumed playing catch last week and was sore after a throwing session Wednesday, had tests Friday.

Rangers: 3B Josh Jung, who got hit on his left hand by a pitch Wednesday and didn’t play the series opener against the Yankees, was back in the lineup. So was LF Travis Jankowski, who left that series finale at Cincinnati with left hip tightness.

UP NEXT

Rookie right-hander Jhony Brito (2-2, 6.11 ERA) makes his sixth career start for the Yankees on Saturday night. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.20) makes his sixth start for Texas, and 227th of his career.

The selection of Schoonmaker comes after Dallas took Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith 26th overall in the first round. Dallas had the 90th overall pick in the third round later Friday.

There was talk of Dallas taking a tight end in the first round, but Utah’s Dalton Kincaid was the only one taken on opening night, by Buffalo when the Bills traded up two spots to get one pick ahead of the Cowboys.

Two more top prospects at tight end went early in the second round. Detroit took Iowa’s Sam LaPorta with the third pick in the second round, 34th overall. Las Vegas grabbed Michael Mayer of Notre Dame with the next selection.

The Cowboys lost Dalton Schultz to Houston in free agency after he played on the franchise tag last season. But Dallas is high on two players who had strong rookie seasons in 2022: fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson and undrafted free agent Peyton Hendershot.

Schoonmaker makes the transition to the NFL with more of a reputation as a run blocker. His career high in yards receiving at Michigan was 418 last season. He had three touchdowns each of the past two years as the Wolverines reached the College Football Playoff both times, losing in the semifinals.

Cody Mauch was all smiles Friday after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And when the 24-year-old offensive lineman flashed that grin, his two front teeth were missing.

Mauch’s longtime trademark look, along with his flowing red locks, might make him look more like a hockey player or a member of the Night’s Watch from “Game of Thrones.” But he soon will own one of the most famous smiles in NFL history, joining the gap-toothed Michael Strahan in the league’s dental pantheon.

Mauch was selected by the Bucs with the No. 48 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-5, 302-pound tackle told reporters he lost his two front teeth in middle school after colliding with a friend while diving for a loose ball during a basketball game. Attempts to fix them led to repeated trips to the orthodontist.

“I went through the process of trying to get them fixed with braces, retainers, these little flippers … all sorts of stuff,” Mauch told reporters during the NFL Combine. “And eventually I kept breaking and losing my retainers all the time, and my mom would get so mad at me all the time because I would have to keep going back to the orthodontist to get new retainers. And eventually I just kind of stopped wearing them and kind of embraced the whole no two-front-teeth look.”

A walk-on at North Dakota State as a 221-pound tight end, Mauch gained 80 pounds to transform to an offensive lineman. He’ll now head to the Buccaneers to provide pass protection for Tom Brady’s successor, Baker Mayfield.

While Tampa Bay may have lost Brady’s million-dollar smile, his pearly whites are far more common than Mauch’s lack thereof. And as a member of the Buccaneers, he can actually pull off the pirate look.

Does he ever plan to get his teeth fixed?

“I say that I’m going to get them fixed after football, but I don’t even know if I ever will,” Mauch told reporters. “I don’t really mind it at all and it’s kind of just part of me I guess.”

Expect the toothpaste endorsements to start rolling in.

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Titans fans were likely feeling déjà vu on Friday night.

Tennessee traded up to the second pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft to grab Will Levis. The Kentucky quarterback was a projected top-10 pick, but he was passed on by several quarterback-needy teams as he surprisingly fell out of the first round.

The Titans moving up for a quarterback who was sliding in the draft? If that sounds familiar, it’s because the exact same scenario played out just last year.

Malik Willis was a potential first-round pick in 2022 but found himself still sitting in the green room at the end of the first round like Levis. Willis then also went unpicked in the second round before Tennessee traded up for him at No. 86 in Round 3.

NFL Draft Apr 27

Full List of Every Pick From the 2023 NFL Draft

NFL Draft Apr 27

Tracking Every Trade Made During the 2023 NFL Draft

The Liberty product wound up making three starts as a rookie while filling in for an injured Ryan Tannehill, though he didn’t show much promise. The Titans even opted to go with Joshua Dobbs, who they signed off Detroit’s practice squad, over Willis down the stretch of the season as they fought for a playoff spot.

Tennessee has real uncertainty at the quarterback spot beyond 2023. Tannehill turns 35 in July and is entering the final year of his contract. The Titans adding Levis could indicate they don’t have much faith in Willis as a long-term answer. But just how high are they on Levis if they passed on him with the 11th pick?

Here’s how NFL Twitter reacted to the Titans’ latest Day 2 quarterback selection:

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Will Levis’ draft free-fall has ended.

The Tennessee Titans selected the Kentucky quarterback with the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Friday night. Tennessee moved up eight spots in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to take Levis.

Levis was widely viewed as a top-10 pick entering the draft, with ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranking him as the second-best quarterback in the class. But after Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson were taken with three of the first four picks, several quarterback-needy teams — like the Raiders, Falcons, Lions, Commanders, Buccaneers and Titans — passed on Levis as he shockingly went undrafted in Round 1.

Before any of those other teams had another chance at Levis, the Titans moved up to grab him with the second pick of Round 2. The Titans shipped out the No. 41 pick, No. 72 pick and a 2024 third-rounder to Arizona in exchange for pick Nos. 33 and 81.

NFL Draft Apr 27

Full List of Every Pick From the 2023 NFL Draft

NFL Draft Apr 27

Tracking Every Trade Made During the 2023 NFL Draft

Levis joins a long list of big-name quarterback prospects who slid in the draft, with Malik Willis, Johnny Manziel, Geno Smith, Jimmy Clausen, Brady Quinn and Aaron Rodgers among the notable names from the past two decades. And Levis is now teammates with one of those players.

The Titans took Willis 86th overall last year after he fell into the third round. But Willis didn’t show much promise in three starts while filling in for an injured Ryan Tannehill. The veteran Tannehill turns 35 in July and is entering the final year of his deal, creating uncertainty at the position beyond 2023. Tennessee, though, will surely be hoping they just found a long-term answer in Levis.

After transferring from Penn State, Levis started 24 games over two seasons at Kentucky. The Wildcats went 17-7 with Levis under center, as he tallied 5,232 passing yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions with a 65.7 completion percentage.

After three days, seven rounds and over 250 selections, the NFL draft comes to a close each year with the selection of Mr. Irrelevant.

It’s definitely not as coveted a title as “No. 1 pick” or “first-rounder” by any means. Still, Mr. Irrelevant gets to join an NFL team – and an exclusive club of draftees dating back to the 1970s.

So what does the title of Mr. Irrelevant even mean? Here’s a look back at the history and origin of the nickname:

What does Mr. Irrelevant mean?

Mr. Irrelevant is the title given to the last player selected in a given NFL draft. 

When did Mr. Irrelevant originate?

While the draft has been an NFL staple since 1936, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Mr. Irrelevant originated.

Former USC and NFL wide receiver Paul Salata founded “Mr. Irrelevant” and “Irrelevant Week” in 1976. Wideout Kelvin Kirk earned the distinction that year after being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 487th pick.

Salata got to announce the final pick in each draft through 2013 before his daughter took over the duties. It’s not until the summer that Irrelevant Week takes place in Newport Beach, Calif., with a series of events.

One of the main outings from the week is the annual Lowsman Banquet, which celebrates the newest member of the club each year. The gala includes the awarding of the Lowsman Trophy, a spoof of the Heisman Trophy that portrays a player fumbling the ball:

“I – and the entire team at Irrelevant Week – remain steadfast in our commitment to applauding those who exude the principles of enduring effort and sportsmanship,” Salata said. “The Irrelevant Week tradition shares an inspirational story about a champion of perseverance – and that’s an important message for today’s society.”

Over 46 years, Irrelevant Week has contributed more than $1 million in charitable donations.

Who was the best Mr. Irrelevant in NFL history?

Since 1976, only five Mr. Irrelevants have played more than 50 career NFL games.

Center Matt Elliott, Mr. Irrelevant in 1992, played 63 games for Washington and the Carolina Panthers. Marty Moore played 112 NFL games and won a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots after earning the distinction in 1994.

The Chicago Bears selected two productive Mr. Irrelevants in back-to-back drafts. Running back Jim Finn was taken by Chicago with the last pick in 1999 and played 106 career NFL games with the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants. In 2000, the Bears selected Michael Green, a defensive back out of Northwestern State who played 104 games across eight NFL seasons in Chicago, Seattle and Washington.

Ryan Succop went to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 256th pick in 2009 and is still playing. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and is seventh among active players in scoring.

Who was Mr. Irrelevant in 2022?

Perhaps the most notable Mr. Irrelevant of all time, Brock Purdy nearly got to the Super Bowl in his rookie season.

The San Francisco 49ers selected the Iowa State quarterback with the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and it wasn’t long before he started playing – and winning.

Purdy replaced an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 and finished off a win against the Miami Dolphins before going 5-0 as a starter to close out the regular season. He then won two playoff games as a starter before suffering an elbow injury in an NFC Championship Game loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Who owns the last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?

This year, the Houston Texans own the last pick in the draft and have the chance to select Mr. Irrelevant.

The Texans have selected Mr. Irrelevant three times before, taking defensive tackle Ahmad Miller in 2002, defensive end Cheta Ozougwu in 2011 and safety Lonnie Ballentine in 2014.

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Kevin Durant will be wearing – and cashing – checks from Nike for a long, long time.

The Phoenix Suns superstar and the company agreed to a lifetime contract, announcing the news via Boardroom on Friday. Financial details of the deal were not announced.

“When I first signed with Nike, I couldn’t have dreamed of how far we’d go in this partnership,” Durant said. “We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically. We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal.”

Durant joined Nike in 2007 when he was a rookie with the Seattle SuperSonics. Since then, he has released 15 signature shoes with the company and has a 16th edition in the works.

Now, Durant is one of three NBA players to ever land a lifetime deal with Nike, joining Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Jordan, who launched Jordan Brand with Nike, reportedly raked in over $250 million in 2022 alone. James, on the other hand, signed a contract in 2015 that reportedly was worth over $1 billion.

Along with footwear and apparel, Durant’s pact with Nike will feature community and philanthropic collaboration focused on grassroots basketball.

“As one of [the] best basketball players in the world, Kevin Durant has been an important part of the Nike family for the past 16 years,” Nike EVP of Global Sports Marketing John Slusher said. “We look forward to continuing to serve the next generation of athletes together.”

Simpson, then 30, showed up without a football or a jersey, and Warhol had to scramble to find a ball. That Polaroid shoot led to 11 silkscreen portraits; one of them is now going on auction for the first time.

Signed by both men, the portrait is billed by the auction house as a work that brings together two of the most recognizable names of the 20th century and captures “a trajectory of celebrity and tragedy.”

“Warhol certainly could never have imagined how differently the image would come to be viewed, nor the controversy that still lingers around its subject today,” said Robert Manley, co-head of 20th century and contemporary art at the Phillips auction house, which is auctioning the work May 16.

It was almost two decades after Warhol’s photo shoot, in 1995, that Simpson — who had retired from the NFL in 1979 and pursued an acting career — was acquitted of the double slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. He was later found liable for the deaths by a California civil court jury that ordered him to pay $33.5 million to victims’ families.

In a separate case more than a decade later, Simpson was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas for leading five men, including two with guns, in a 2007 confrontation with two sports collectibles dealers in a cramped room at an off-strip Las Vegas casino hotel. Simpson served nine years in a Nevada prison for armed robbery. He was discharged from parole in December 2021.

Manley noted that five decades after Warhol made it, the portrait still evokes a strong reaction.

“Those who view the image of Simpson staring directly down the camera are likely to recall the other notorious picture of the celebrity — his mugshot,” Manley said. “Juxtaposing these two images, created at such different points in Simpson’s life, shows a fascinating trajectory of celebrity and tragedy.”

Commissioned as part of the broader “Athletes” series that included Muhammad Ali, soccer star Pelé, tennis star Chris Evert, golf’s Jack Nicklaus and figure skater Dorothy Hamill, among others, by Warhol friend and collector Richard Weisman, this particular portrait spent 19 years at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where it was donated in 1992 and, according to a spokesperson there, never displayed.

In 2011, it was deaccessioned — or permanently removed from the collection — and sold to an anonymous collector in a private sale through Christie’s, with proceeds going to fund preservation of other items in the hall’s collection, said hall spokesperson Rich Desrosiers. Phillips estimates the portrait will sell in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. As with any of the athletes in the series, Simpson would not have existing rights to proceeds, the auction house said.

The highest price achieved at auction for one of Warhol’s Simpson portraits was $687,000, sold in 2019.

Warhol photographed Simpson in Buffalo on Oct. 19, 1977. According to the auction catalog, a quote from Warhol’s diary that day reads, “He had a five-day beard and I thought the pictures would be awful.” Warhol died in 1987 at age 58.

The work will be on public display May 6-15 in New York before being auctioned.

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis has not been drafted and is the best player available entering Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Which NFL team will wind up taking the falling QB prospect?

It’s a question worth pondering as the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the clock to start the second round — sitting on the No. 32 overall selection that formerly belonged to the Chicago Bears before they traded it for WR Chase Claypool in November 2022.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Pittsburgh has heard from four teams interested in the 32nd pick. Attached to that report is a preamble from Levis’ former offensive coordinator Liam Coen on the QB prospect.

“Whoever gets this kid is going to get the steal of the draft. I can’t imagine him having to wait around long,” Breer reported from a conversation with Coen. 

Levis threw for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2022 at Kentucky. In both of his seasons as a starter at UK, he completed more than 65% of his passes.

Not much information has been available on what the Steelers could receive for the Claypool pick — a windfall that could have came to Chicago if not for the deadline deal that coughed up No. 32 overall.

The Steelers are followed by the Cardinals, Lions, Colts, Rams, Seahawks, Raiders, and Panthers. The Saints hold the No. 40 overall pick.

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The Cards have Kyler Murray under contract for the next millenium, and are presumably not one of the four teams interested.

Fans can rule out the Panthers who led off the draft with Alabama QB Bryce Young, and the Colts who landed Florida QB Anthony Richardson in round one.

What NFL teams could draft Will Levis?

The Lions have made a few splashy moves in the 2023 draft, and could be interested in Jared Goff’s replacement.

Almost coming full circle: The Rams could be looking for Matt Stafford’s replacement in LA — after a long career that started in Detroit.

Seahawks and Raiders are other plausible candidates. The longer you go down the second round draft order, the more capital will have to be surrendered to Pittsburgh.

Of course, the teams calling for No. 32 could want another player entirely. Perhaps Alabama’s Brian Branch or Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.

Why is Will Levis dropping?

Levis was one of the top-ranked QB prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Many draft pundits saw him off the board as early as No. 4 overall, instead he fell out of the first round.

Levis is dropping in the draft because accuracy concerns. Arm strength would have had him at No. 1 overall if it were the only attribute he was being graded on but he’s not consistent enough throwing deep and gets his wide receivers into trouble.

Did Will Levis get drafted?

No. Levis has not been drafted entering into second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He remains a free agent until a team drafts him.

When does NFL Draft Round 2 start?

The NFL Draft starts at 7 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET on Friday, April 28. It will be immediately followed by the third round. Both rounds are taking place in Kansas City.

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The Giants–Padres rivalry is going international.

The two NL West foes will head across the southern border for a two-game series in Mexico City this weekend. 

These will be the first regular-season MLB games ever held in the capital city and the first in Mexico since May 2019 when the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels played a two-game series.

San Diego has made a few trips to Mexico, most recently playing the Los Angeles Dodgers three times in Monterrey in 2018. San Francisco, meanwhile, will play their first game south of the border in franchise history.

Here’s what to know before the Giants and Padres square off at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu.

When are the Giants and Padres playing in Mexico?

The Giants and Padres play in Mexico City on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30.

What time do the Giants-Padres Mexico games start?

First pitch of Saturday’s game is set for 3:05 p.m. PT, while Sunday’s contest begins at 1:05 p.m.

What TV channel is the Giants-Padres Mexico games on?

Both games will air locally on NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants) and Bally Sports San Diego (Padres). MLB Network will have a national broadcast for both games, as well.

How to stream the Giants-Padres Mexico games

The Giants’ broadcast is available to stream at NBC.com and the MyTeams app. The Padres’ broadcast can be streamed on BallySports.com and the Bally Sports app.

You can stream MLB Network’s broadcast on MLB.com.

The series opener marked Aaron Judge’s first game in Texas since breaking Roger Maris’ single-season American League record with his 62nd homer at the Rangers’ ballpark in October. Judge struck in his only two at-bats in his return before departing because of right hip discomfort.

“Just a little grab in the hip area. After that headfirst dive the other night, just kind of whole right side has been a little locked up,” Judge said. “It wasn’t until the second-to-last swing of that at-bat I felt something grab, and they thought it would kind of best just to shut it down and see how we feel after a couple of days.”

Manager Aaron Boone said Judge would be re-evaluated Friday, but that initially there were no tests planned for the Yankees captain and reigning AL MVP.

On his 31st birthday Wednesday in Minnesota, Judge jammed his right hand, and apparently entire right side, on an awkward slide while trying to steal a base in Minnesota. He had three hits and drove in three runs in that game.

Cole’s scoreless streak reached 25 2/3 innings before the Rangers scored on Jonah Heim’s fielder’s choice grounder in the sixth. That was a potential inning-ending double play, but Cole was unable to keep the ball in his glove when going over to cover first base. Ezequiel Duran followed with an infield single to drive in a run.

“I need to make that play. I’m capable of making that play,” Cole said. “Obviously was pretty tough, but I felt really good about continuing to make our pitches and pitching into the type of contact that we we wanted to get, and eventually went our way and we got out of there with the lead.”

Andrew Heaney (2-2) struck out six and walked one over six innings for Texas, which has a season-long four-game losing streak and dropped into a tie with Houston for the AL West lead.

With his eight strikeouts, Cole (5-0) pushed his season total to 44 Ks, one more than Rangers ace Jacob deGrom for the AL lead. Cole allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, increasing his season ERA from 0.79 to 1.11.

Michael King pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for his first save.

Former Rangers catcher Jose Trevino homered in the ninth for New York.

Heaney had back-to-back strikeouts of Judge and Anthony Rizzo in both the first and second innings. The bases were loaded with one out in the second, after the back-to-back homers by LeMahieu and Torres, when the Yankees’ No. 2 and 3 hitters both struck out again.

After Torres hit a 443-foot homer to straightaway center, Oswald Peraza was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on Anthony Vople’s single that loaded the bases and made it 3-0. Heaney retired the next 13 batters, then hit Peraza with a pitch again before he was caught stealing to end the sixth.

“After a bump in the road he hit in the second inning, he reset and did a great job,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Probably missed some spots there, they took advantage. But overall, that’s a good effort.”

SHORT HOPS

The game was played in 2 hours, 9 minutes, the quickest nine-inning game ever played at Globe Life Field, which opened in 2009. … Rangers leadoff batter Marcus Semien had two hits to stretch his on-base streak to 13 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Boone said RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right elbow inflammation), who resumed playing catch last week, was sore after throwing Wednesday and that it was unlikely that he would throw off a mound this weekend. … RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain) is expected to throw his third live BP session in nine days Friday.

Rangers: 3B Josh Jung (bruised left hand) and OF Travis Jankowski (left hip tightness) were both out of the lineup a day after exiting the series finale in Cincinnati. Jung was hit by a pitch and Jankowski got hurt chasing a fly ball. Both could be back Friday.

UP NEXT

DeGrom (2-0, 3.04 ERA), who has 43 strikeouts and only three walks, gets a chance take back the AL strikeout lead when he starts Friday night. The right-hander, who signed a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas in free agency last December, is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last four starts since allowing a career-high six extra-base hits on opening day. It will be deGrom’s first start against the Yankees since Aug. 13, 2018.

Arizona’s professional men’s and women’s basketball teams are bouncing out of the regional sports network arena.

The NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury reached a deal with broadcast station owner Gray Television to air the entirety of their regular seasons on local broadcast networks available throughout Arizona.

The local networks are available for pay-TV subscribers as well as for those who opt to watch for free by using an antenna. The teams also signed a deal with Kiswe, a privately held video technology company, to start their own direct-to-consumer streaming service.

The deal marks a pivotal moment that will see a professional sports team exit the regional sports business and bring regular season games back to fans through their local TV stations.

“I am incredibly excited to let you know that we have finalized and signed a deal that is an absolute game changer for our organization, our fans and the future of how we grow the game,” Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia said in an email to executives, viewed by CNBC. “In addition to being the first modern deal to go to exclusively over the air statewide, we are also building our own DTC product in partnership with Kiswe.” 

Part of what made this deal possible is that the Suns and Mercury have their own in-house production, as well as a commercial sales group, which will help simplify the transition from its RSN.

Regular season games for the Suns were previously available on Diamond Sports’ Bally Sports Arizona channel. Diamond filed for bankruptcy protection in March.

Beginning next season, the Suns will no longer be on the network. The Suns, who have advanced into the second round of this year’s NBA playoffs, are considered contenders to win what would be their first league championship.

Bally Sports Arizona also airs the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes and MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks regular season games. Diamond Sports skipped a rights payment to the Diamondbacks, in a push to gain its streaming rights, prior to filing for bankruptcy. Diamondbacks games are still airing on the network while the battle plays out in court.

On Friday, Diamond Sports said the Suns’ deal with Gray and Kiswe was a breach of contract and they would work to stop it.

“The Phoenix Suns breached our contract and violated bankruptcy law, and Diamond Sports Group will pursue all remedies against any parties that attempt to exercise control over our property interests while we reorganize. This is an improper effort by the Suns to change their broadcasting partner without permitting Diamond to exercise our contractual rights,” a Diamond Sports spokesperson said in a statement Friday.

The Suns responded that they were in the clear to do the deal. “Diamond’s position is totally inaccurate.  We are moving forward with this deal and could not be more excited about what it means for our fans and our future,” Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartlestein said in a statement Friday.

The RSN business model has long been lucrative for the leagues and teams, as networks pay big fees for the rights to games that aren’t nationally aired.

Financial terms of the Suns and Mercury’s deal with Gray and Kiswe weren’t disclosed. Overall, Gray and Kiswe will carry the Suns games for five years, while the deal with three-time WNBA champion Mercury runs for two years. Endeavor and WME Sports advised the Suns on the deal.

Regional sports networks in general have been under pressure as customers cut their pay-TV subscriptions and opt for streaming. The networks, including Bally Sports, have been launching streaming options at price points that many consumers balk at, but are not likely to upend the longstanding RSN business model.

With this new deal, Suns and Mercury games will be available to nearly 2.8 million households in Arizona, which the teams say triples the current number of homes they now reach. The teams will be able to reach every home in Arizona once Gray launches in Yuma this summer.

“If you go back to the 1980s and 1990s there weren’t RSNs. These pro games were on local TV,” said Pat LaPlatney, Gray Television’s co-CEO. “This gives the Suns and the Mercury a really broad distribution platform. It will make TV advertising and promotion of the games significantly more valuable as the games will be reaching tons more people.”

With the WNBA season starting in a few weeks, Mercury games will already be available over the local networks and Kiswe’s streaming service. Mercury games will be available for free through the streaming option, in a push to broaden the team’s fan base.

The first two Mercury games will be nationally aired on ESPN, as it marks the return of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was jailed on drug charges in Russia last year. She was released in December.

Mercury games will be available on local TV stations in Phoenix and Tucson, which covers more than 95% of the state’s TV households, and will be added to Yuma over the summer.

The Suns games, however, won’t be free on the streaming service next season, but will be more affordable than the pricing for other RSN streaming services, the executives said. This year, MSG Networks, which airs New York Knicks’ games as well as games featuring the NHL’s New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, said it would launch MSG+ for $29.99 a month. The New York Yankees’ YES Network charges $24.99 a month for its new streaming service.

“The absolute intent is to change it up compared to what’s been out in the industry today from a price point perspective,” said Mike Schabel, Kiswe’s chief strategy officer. “I’d like for it to be soda money, not gas money, type valuation. We’re thinking about the audience and who we’d like to reach.”

Pricing for the Suns’ streaming option is still being finalized.

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is complete.

The Panthers kicked things off in Kansas City in unsurprising fashion, taking Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick. The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner was the first of three signal callers selected in Round 1, followed by C.J. Stroud to the Texans at No. 2 and Anthony Richardson to the Colts at No. 4.

Those weren’t the only headliners from the first round, either. There was a stunning trade-up into the top three, two running backs picked in the top 12 (!), a quarterback slide into Day 2 and much more.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers from the first 31 picks of the draft:

Winner: Carolina Panthers

The Panthers paid a hefty price to move up from the ninth pick to the top spot in the draft. It appeared at the time of the trade with Chicago that Carolina was going up for Stroud. Then, a random Reddit post linking the Panthers to Will Levis caused some commotion in the days leading up to the draft.

But the Panthers ultimately settled on the right quarterback. Are Young’s height and frame real concerns? Of course. The talent is worth the risk, though, especially for a franchise that’s endured five consecutive losing seasons with the likes of Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield manning the sport’s most important position.

Winner: Shams Charania

If you turned off Twitter notifications for Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport but didn’t for Shams Charania ahead of the draft, the first pick still would have been spoiled for you. Charania stunned social media when the NBA insider reported Carolina’s selection of Young roughly 17 minutes before it was announced by commissioner Roger Goodell.

With just one NBA playoff game on Thursday, Charania apparently had some extra time on his hands to break major NFL news.

Loser: Houston Texans

The draft immediately went off the rails following the first pick. First, the Texans made a somewhat surprising selection of Stroud at No. 2. And they weren’t done there, trading up from No. 12 to the Cardinals’ No. 3 selection for Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. The cost to move up for arguably the best defensive player in the draft was No. 12, No. 33, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick (Houston also received pick No. 105 in the deal).

So…why did the Texans not just take Anderson Jr. at No. 2, keep their 2024 first-rounder and kick the quarterback can down the road to 2024, where a potentially loaded quarterback class awaits? Houston could have rolled out Davis Mills for another 17 games, strolled to the league’s worst record (as long as Lovie Smith isn’t coaching the final game) and taken a quarterback whose already drawing comparisons to Patrick Mahomes in 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams.

Can you imagine if Stroud has an ugly rookie campaign and the Texans cough up a top-two pick?

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

You know you made a great pick when a star player from your division rival is upset about it. Howie Roseman worked his magic once again, trading up one spot to the Bears’ No. 9 pick to select a blue-chip prospect in Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, leaving Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons sick to his stomach in the process. 

The Eagles then nabbed another star from that vaunted Bulldogs defense in EDGE Nolan Smith, who was somehow still on the board at No. 30. Philadelphia now has four defensive players from Georgia’s 2021 national championship team in Carter, Smith, 2022 first-round defensive tackle Jordan Davis and 2022 third-round linebacker Nakobe Dean.

Carter is potentially the most talented player in this class, but there are character concerns that arose during the pre-draft process. The Eagles will be hoping that reuniting Carter with three college teammates and putting him in the same defensive line room as veterans Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox will bring the best out of him. If the Eagles’ two first-rounders work out, Philadelphia will have a scary defensive front for years to come.

Losers: Teams that drafted a running back

On the one hand, an offense with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson sounds extremely fun. On the other, why is a team that’s not close to contention spending a top-10 pick on a running back? 

The Falcons made the first head-scratching selection of the night by taking Robinson at No. 8. The Texas product has all the makings of a stud tailback, but barring a Desmond Ridder breakout, Atlanta will be wasting at least one of his rookie contract years with a non-contending team. Robinson would have made sense for the Super Bowl runner-up Eagles two picks later, not the 7-10 Falcons.

Not to be outdone, the Lions made another confounding running back selection just a few picks later. Detroit took Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs after trading down from No. 6 to No. 12. The Lions already have D’Andre Swift and they just gave David Montgomery a three-year, $18 million deal. So with the 12th pick, Detroit reached for a player that wasn’t even at a position of need.

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens were winners before the draft even started. Baltimore finally ended the Lamar Jackson contract saga by striking a record-breaking five-year deal with the 2019 NFL MVP. A few hours later, the Ravens gave their franchise quarterback a new weapon.

Baltimore selected wideout Zay Flowers with the 22nd pick. The Boston College product is one of the most exciting skill players in this class after racking up 1,077 receiving yards and 12 TDs in 2022. The 2023 Ravens could feature the best set of pass-catchers Jackson has ever had at his disposal, headlined by Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mark Andrews.

Loser: Will Levis

Malik Willis. Johnny Manziel. Geno Smith. Jimmy Clausen. Brady Quinn. Aaron Rodgers. And now, you can add Levis to that group.

Levis became the latest draft free-faller at the quarterback position by shockingly going unselected in the first round. The Kentucky signal caller was widely viewed as a top-10 pick, with ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. having him as the No. 2-rated QB. But several teams that were potential candidates to draft a quarterback — like the Raiders, Falcons, Titans, Lions, Commanders, Patriots, Buccaneers and Vikings — all passed on him.

The question now becomes how long Levis lasts on Day 2 (and whether the fact that he puts mayo in his coffee affected his draft slide).

Loser: Miami Dolphins

The NFL took away the Dolphins’ 2023 first-rounder and 2024 third-rounder for tampering, but it was certainly worth it given all that Tom Brady and Sean Payton have done for the franchise in recent years…A tip for NFL owners: If you’re going to tamper with high-profile players and coaches make sure you actually get them so that the potential penalties are easier to swallow.

Unfortunately for Fins fans, the first round was just the start of what’s shaping up to be another quiet draft. Miami has just four picks for a second straight year, the fewest of any team.

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On Thursday, dozens of prospects were on sight at Union Station Kansas City waiting to hear their name called by commissioner Roger Goodell. But showing up wasn’t enough. Many of them rose to the occasion with stylish and even personalized suits. 

At the top of the list was No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young who went for a more muted mauve suit. The newest addition to the Carolina Panthers seemed to coordinate with his former head coach, Nick Saban, who was in Kansas City sporting a pink suit.

While stylist Brandon Gaston took issue with some of Young’s accessorizing, he pointed out that being the No. 1 pick basically gives him free rein for creative liberty. 

“The No. 1 pick, you can get away with whatever you want to do,” he said.

Behind Young was fellow quarterback C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State. Stroud strutted on stage in a blue suit when called by the Houston Texans with the No. 2 pick.

The sporadic splatter proved to be quite divisive on Twitter, but as Gaston pointed out, it was necessary to elevate an otherwise plain suit.

“Now he does have the paint splatter, which I’m not a fan,” Gaston said. “But otherwise it would just be a blue suit, right? So he probably need a little bit extra to give it, you know, a little bit more elevation, make it a little bit more fun.”

Within the first two picks, Gaston declared double-breasted jackets the “theme of the night.”

Several picks later, Jalen Carter provided a bolder take on the pink/purple color scheme. Carter will be trading in the lilac for green when he joins the Philadelphia Eagles this season.

“A lot … kind of played it safe so he tried it,” Gaston said. “And again, you can stand out. … It is April right now. So you can, in fact, try color. He gave an option for that. And some of you can see this summer if you want to try it out yourself.”

According to Gaston, white is the safest option when considering suit color and Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. clearly got the memo when he was called with the No. 6 pick.

“White is probably the safest, but also the boldest statement at the same time,” Gaston said. “You can’t really go wrong with the all-white as far as making a statement.”

That said, not even Johnson got out unscathed. He was spotted with his cell phone in his front pocket, a major fashion faux pas for Gaston.

“I know they’re probably on the phone the entire time. Put it in the jacket, right? Tuck it away,” he said. “No one wants to see an image. where you have your phone in your full pocket.”

Another first-round pick that added a twist to the classic white suit was Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The former Oregon product is half Colombian and demonstrated that with pride when he heard his name called with the 17th pick.

Perhaps Gaston’s highest grade of the night went to a player who got lots of airtime, but not for the reason they were hoping. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, once in the mix to be the top overall pick, fell out of the first round entirely and will now return Friday with the hopes of hearing his name called. 

While the night was generally a disappointment for Levis, he earned points for his blue suit. The complete look featured a little bit of print in both the suit and tie, along with cuff links to create an “excellent look,” according to Gaston.

“These are one of these looks that can transition outside of the NFL draft,” Gaston said of Levis’ choice. “For the draft, it’s a little bit subdued, but again, he has the print … and the suit fits immaculate.”

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And their run defense struggled last season.

So, the Cowboys used their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on one of the best run defenders available. Dallas selected Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith with the No. 26 pick, opting to fortify the defensive line rather than select arguably the draft’s top tight end prospect in Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.

The 6-foot-3, 323-pound Smith will clog the middle of the field and be an anchor against the run. Smith had 48 tackles last season for Michigan, where he served as a team captain and was a consensus first-team All Big-Ten player.

The Cowboys kept everyone guessing as they used every last second while they were on the clock before submitting the pick. Many expected the team to take a tight end having lost Dalton Schultz to the Houston Texans in free agency.

The Buffalo Bills moved one spot ahead of the Cowboys at No. 25 after a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to draft Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, the top-ranked tight end in the draft. Even with top prospects at the position like Mayer and Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave still on the board, the Cowboys elected to fill a need with Smith, who was projected as a late-first round to early-second round pick. 

With the Philadelphia Eagles having reached an extension with Jalen Hurts and the New York Giants locking up Daniel Jones this offseason, Smith could play a key role in containing the NFC East’s dual-threat quarterbacks up the middle. Stopping the run last season was the weakness of the Cowboys’ otherwise solid defensive unit, which allowed 129.3 rushing yards per game in 2022, 11th most in the NFL.

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons approved of the pick, having told defensive coordinator Dan Quinn earlier in the day to select Smith.

Smith is the first defensive tackle taken by the Cowboys in the first round since 1991 when they selected Russell Maryland first overall.

The Cowboys next pick is No. 58 overall in the second round on Friday.

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Best players available on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The NFL has had no shortage of fireworks this week.

Aaron Rodgers traded to the Jets, Lamar Jackson signing an extension with the Ravens, and three quarterbacks in the first four picks of the 2023 NFL Draft.

After four days of straight drama, there’s a fifth one on the horizon for football fans around the country Friday night.That’s right, the draft train will keep on rolling in Kansas City and bring in five teams (Dolphins, Browns, Broncos, 49ers, and Rams) who didn’t have a first-round selection.

The biggest storyline following Day 1: Where will Kentucky QB Will Levis land?

Let’s look ahead at when Round 2 kicks off Friday and the names of some of the best players still available on the draft board. 

When does NFL Draft Day 2 start?

The second day of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) Friday, April 28. Fans can watch both the second- and third-round coverage on ESPN and NFL Network.

How many picks are left in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Thirty-one players heard their names called Thursday night in Kansas City. Over the next two days, there will be 228 more selections made by NFL teams.

Who are the best quarterbacks available on Day 2 of the NFL Draft?

Three quarterbacks went on Night 1 in Kansas City. Let’s take a look at the signal callers who are still looking to hear their names called in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Will Levis, Kentucky

Levis was the most shocking name to fall out of the first round this year. He joins the aforementioned Rodgers as a QB with a painfully-long wait time in the draft’s “green room.”

The Kentucky gunslinger threw for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2022. He completed 60.9% of his passes which has drawn criticism from NFL Draft pundits.

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

At one point last season, the 25-year-old quarterback was a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Unfortunately, the Volunteers QB suffered a torn ACL that cut his season short.

He still finished with an impressive 27-to-2 touchdowns-to-interception ratio and went on to be named SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Jake Haener, Fresno State

Hooker isn’t the only signal caller getting the “old” label this draft season.

Haener, 24, is also a product of the NCAA’s ever-changing transfer rules and comes to the NFL at the same age some QBs are signing their second contracts (see: Jalen Hurts). He started his career at Washington in 2017 and wound up finishing it at Fresno State after three seasons.

Haener finished with a 21-8 record as a starter and threw for 9,120 yards and 68 touchdowns.

Jaren Hall, BYU

Third time is the charm.

Yep, Hall is yet another QB whose draft stock might be falling due to age. The 25-year-old passer led BYU to a 25-11 record over two seasons as a starter, throwing 52 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA

Thompson-Robinson is 23 years old so he’s a spring chicken compared to his QB classmates listed above. However, he did play a fifth year at UCLA this past fall and is hardly a raw prospect with 48 career college starts under his belt.

The dual-threat quarterback threw for more than 10,000 yards during his career as a Bruin. Equally as impressive was Thompson-Robinson’s 1,827 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns on the ground.

Who are the best wide receivers available on NFL Draft Day 2?

Day 1 was favorable to running backs Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs who heard their names the first 12 picks, and wide receivers wound up having to wait a bit longer than they have in previous drafts. 

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnson, Zay Flowers, and Jordan Addison eventually all went in succession in the back half of the first round. The rest of the 2023 receiver class remains in the green room.

Here’s a look at the best pass-catching prospects:

Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

Few receivers had a more productive 2022 campaign than Hyatt. The Volunteer superstar reeled in 15 touchdowns which was second most in the country last season.

He also finished tied for 13th in yards per reception (18.9) which should have plenty offensive coordinators salivating over the possibility of landing Hyatt in the second round.

Jonathan Mingo Ole Miss

Like Hyatt, Mingo is an SEC pass catcher who specializes in vertical route running and possesses stellar top-end speed for his size. Mingo tracks the deep ball well, and will likely find a home quickly on Day 2.

Jayden Reed, Michigan State

The Spartans aren’t necessarily known for being an explosive passing team but Reed brought plenty of athleticism in the slot last fall. He’s arguably the best receiver after the catch in this class despite being one of the smaller top-end prospects.

Josh Downs, UNC

Another explosive slot receiver who is falling due to size concerns. Downs has drawn a lot of comparisons to Washington’s Jahan Dotson (a 2022 first-round selection who shined when on the field for the Commanders last season).

Downs was plenty productive in Chapel Hill as a junior, catching 94 passes for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Top Wide Receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft

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Michael Mayer, Notre Dame (tight end)

Tight ends should be popular Friday night, and nobody will draw more discussion over the next 16 or so hours than Mayer — a first-round prospect who is still waiting to find a home.

Mayer caught 67 passes and nine touchdowns in South Bend last season, and shouldn’t have to wait too long to hear his name called Friday.

NFL Draft Day 2: Best defensive players available

There’s a bevy of top-end defensive players sitting atop the draft board Friday night. Here’s a look at some of the best prospects available for teams drafting in the early part of the second round:

Jordan Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

Brian Branch, S, Alabama

Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech

BJ Ojulari, LB, LSU

Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern

DJ Turner, CB, Michigan

Porter Jr. and Branch should be off the board before the No. 40 overall selection (held currently by the New Orleans Saints).

Of course, first-round projected players have fallen further than that spot before. It’s hard to imagine this year, with several defense-needy teams (Cardinals, Lions, Rams, Raiders) with early picks to open Day 2.

The Oregon cornerback fell out of the top 10 despite being projected to be a high draft pick in the first round. However, that drop could be a blessing in disguise as Gonzalez will go and play for legendary head coach Bill Belichick.

Cornerback was a huge need for the Patriots defense. New England has lost several defensive backs in recent years, including Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson.

Gonzalez, who graduated from The Colony High School, recorded 35 solo tackles with four interceptions and seven passes defensed in 12 games for the Ducks last season.

Before playing at Oregon, he played two seasons for Colorado where he started as a freshman.

The 6′ 2″ Gonzalez is the son of an athlete. His father, Hector, played basketball for the University of Texas at El Paso and went on to play semiprofessionally in Colombia

Robinson, who played three seasons with the Longhorns from 2020 to 2022, was expected to go in the first half of the draft but many pundits doubted a running back would go off the board in the top 10 selections.

Atlanta shocked the NFL Draft community and joined the New York Giants (Saquon Barkley), Dallas Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliot) and Carolina Panthers (Christian McCaffery) on the short list of teams who have selected a rusher early in the draft.

Robinson wasn’t the most shocking running back selection of the first round though. The Detroit Lions took Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall Thursday night. Gibbs was a late first-round prospect.

2023 NFL Draft has arrived

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In Austin, Robinson delivered on the field. He finished with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns. He took home the 2022 Doak Walker award given to the nation’s top tailback.

Robinson joins Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta’s running back room.

The Falcons went 7-10 in 2022 and finished in last place of the NFC South. Their division rival, the Carolina Panthers, kickstarted the draft by selecting Alabama QB Bryce Young first overall.

Atlanta is expected to go with second-year QB Desmond Ridder under center in 2023.

Quarterback has been called the most important position in professional sports.

And the last few days have supported that.

The Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts received a record-breaking contract, only to be topped days later by the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson. The New York Jets traded for 39-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And quarterbacks were selected with the first two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Carolina Panthers, after acquiring the first pick in a trade with the Chicago Bears in March, selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The Houston Texans then took Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick.

A quarterback being selected with the top overall pick is quite common, but it was just the ninth time in NFL draft’s modern era that the first two picks were quarterbacks.

With the Indianapolis Colts drafting Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4, it became the fourth time where three of the first four picks were QBs. It was also the first time in NFL history that three Black quarterbacks were selected in the top 10 of the draft.

Quarterbacks selected at the top of their draft are forever linked and compared, often with very drastic results. Recent history is proof of that, with 2021 No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence having led the Jacksonville Jaguars to a playoff win last season, while No. 2 pick Zach Wilson underwhelmed and already has been supplanted by Aaron Rodgers.

Here’s a look at the other times in the modern draft era that quarterbacks were selected with the first two picks in the draft.    

1971

No. 1 – Jim Plunkett, Boston Patriots

No. 2 – Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints

1993

No. 1 – Drew Bledsoe, New England Patriots

No. 2 – Rick Mirer, Seattle Seahawks

1998

No. 1 – Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

No. 2 Ryan Leaf, San Diego Chargers

1999

No. 1 – Tim Couch, Cleveland Browns

No. 2 – Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles

2012

No. 1 – Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

No. 2 – Robert Griffin III, Washington

2015

No. 1 – Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No. 2 – Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

2016

No. 1 – Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles, Carson Wentz

2021

No. 1 – Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

No. 2 – Zach Wilson, New York Jets

2023

No. 1 – Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

No. 2 – C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft continues from Kansas City on Friday, April 28.

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Money is not a problem for elite NFL signal-callers. 

Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have more in common than just their desire for Super Bowl rings – they all make boatloads of cash playing one of the most lucrative positions in sports. 

Rodgers, the highest-paid player in the NFL this past season, is set to make a whopping $50.3 million in 2023 during the 39-year-old quarterback’s first season with the New York Jets.

Mahomes, meanwhile, is coming off his second Super Bowl title and is sitting comfortable after inking a massive, 10-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020.

Despite their combined success, neither Rodgers nor Mahomes are set to be the highest-paid QB in 2023.

Who is the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback?

Jalen Hurts was the highest paid player in the NFL…for a few days. 

He soared into the top spot for average annual value on April 17 after landing a five-year, $255 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. The deal included nearly $180 million in guarantees, the second-most for a player in NFL history.

Just 10 days later, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson reportedly reached a record-breaking extension with a five-year deal for $260 million, making him the highest paid player in NFL history.

Rodgers is next on the board, followed by Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson and Mahomes.  ​

Highest NFL QB salaries in 2023

Here are the salary rankings for the top-20 quarterbacks in 2023 based on average annual value, per Spotrac:

1. Lamar Jackson: $52 million 

2. Jalen Hurts, Eagles: $51 million

3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: $50.3 million

4. Russell Wilson, Broncos: $48.5 million

5. Kyler Murray, Cardinals: $46.1 million

6. Deshaun Watson, Browns: $46 million

7. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: $45 million

8. Josh Allen, Bills: $43 million

T-9. Matthew Stafford, Rams: $40 million

T-9. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: $40 million

T-9. Daniel Jones, Giants: $40 million

12. Derek Carr, Saints: $37.5 million

13. Kirk Cousins, Vikings: $35 million

14. Jared Goff, Lions: $33.5 million

15. Ryan Tannehill, Titans: $29.5 million

16. Geno Smith, Seahawks: $25 million

17. Jimmy Garoppolo, Raiders: $24.3 million

18. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: $9.2 million 

19. Joe Burrow, Bengals: $9 million 

20. Zach Wilson, Jets: $8.8 million

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No one is safe in the NFL Draft. 

While hundreds of prospects anxiously wait to hear their names called, current NFL players could find their fates tied up in deals and drama of the weekend. General managers often find themselves deciding between a rebuild or cashing in their chips for a win-now mentality. 

Just last year, the Eagles shook up Day 1 by trading the 18th and 101st picks to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown. That move seemed to pay off as Brown led the Eagles in receiving yards en route to an appearance in the Super Bowl.

Will we see another blockbuster trade made this weekend? 

Here’s a look at every trade made through Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

• The Lions gave the Arizona Cardinals three picks in exchange for the No. 96 pick. Arizona gains picks Nos. 122, 138 and 168.
• The Cincinnati Bengals gave up the No. 92 pick to the Kansas City Chiefs, in exchange for the No. 95 pick and the No. 217 pick.
• The San Francisco 49ers recieved the 87th pick. They sent pick No. 102, No. 164, No. 222 to the Minnesota Vikings.
• The Denver Broncos sent the 108th pick in this year’s draft and third-rounder for next year to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the 83rd pick.
• The Carolina Panthers jumped 13 spots from 93rd to 80th. They also included the 132nd pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• The Rams sent the No. 73 pick to the New York Giant in exchange for the 89th pick and the 128th pick.
• The Houston Texans moved up for the No. 69 pick. They sent the Nos. 73 and 161 to the Los Angeles Rams.
• The Detroit Lions traded the Nos. 63 and 183 picks to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the Nos. 68 and 138 picks.
• The Houston Texans traded up for the No. 62 pick. In return, they sent three picks to the Philadelphia Eagles — No. 65, No. 188 and No. 230.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars sent the No. 56 pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the Nos. 61 and 135 picks.
• The Detroit Lions traded the 55th and 194th pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for three picks — No. 63, No. 122, No. 249.
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired the No. 48 pick from the Packers. Green Bay picked up the Nos. 50 and 179 picks from Tampa.
• The Detroit Lions traded up to get the No. 45 pick from the Green Bay Packers, who in exchange received Detroit’s No. 48 pick and the No. 159.
• The Atlanta Falcons sent the No. 44 pick and No. 110 pick in exchange for the No. 38 pick.
• The Indianapolis Colts traded their No. 35 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the Nos. 38 and 141 picks.
• The Tennessee Titans moved up to No. 33 to select quarterback Will Levis. They also picked up the Arizona Cardinals’ 81st pick in exchange for their 41st pick, 72nd pick and a third-round pick in the 2024 draft.
• The Buffalo Bills then took the Jaguars’ 25th pick that formerly belonged to the Giants. Buffalo sent Jacksonville their 27 and 130th picks.
• The Giants traded the Nos. 25, 160 and 240 picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for the No. 24 pick.
• The Steelers traded up for the No. 14 pick. They gave the New England Patriots their 17th and 120th pick.
• The Eagles moved up one spot from No. 10 to No. 9, swapping with the Chicago Bears. They also added a 2024 fourth-rounder for Chicago.
• The Arizona Cardinals traded the No. 12 pick, No. 34 pick and No. 168 pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for the No. 6 pick and No. 81 pick.
• The Houston Texans traded up for the No. 3 pick. The Texans sent their No. 12 pick, No. 33 pick, a first and third-round pick from the 2024 draft to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals also gave Houston the 105th pick in this year’s draft.
• The Philadelphia Eagles traded the 94th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a 5th-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for the No. 66 pick in this draft. The deal was made in response to a tampering investigation that revealed Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort had “impermissable contact” with then-Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon prior to hiring him as their head coach.

The sought-after guard posted an image of herself wearing an LSU uniform in front of an image of the Tiger mascot on social media Thursday.

The 5-foot-7 guard averaged a team-high 19.7 points last year for the Cardinals, and has averaged 15.4 points over three college seasons. That includes leading Louisville to the Final Four in 2022.

Van Lith arrives with two years of eligibility, bringing experience as a 1,500-point career scorer as well as being one of the sport’s most marketable names when it comes to endorsements with college athletes able to profit from use of their name, image and likeness.

Van Lith was a McDonald’s All-American from Washington state and originally chose to play for Louisville instead of Baylor, which was then led by current LSU coach Kim Mulkey.

Mulkey’s Tigers won the program’s first NCAA title by beating Caitlin Clark and Iowa, a championship run coming in only her second year with her home-state program.

Lamar Jackson isn’t going anywhere.

The 2019 league MVP is returning to the Baltimore Ravens on a five-year contract after agreeing to terms on Thursday before the NFL Draft.

The team announced the deal with a video message from Jackson:

“For the last few months, there’s been a lot of ‘he said, she said.’ A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head-scratching going on,” Jackson said. “But for the next five years, there’s a lot of (Ravens) Flock going on. Let’s go, baby, let’s go. Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T (Bank Stadium) for the next five years. Let’s get it.”

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the deal will make Jackson the highest-paid player in the NFL — just days after the Philadelphia Eagles signed Jalen Hurts to a then-record five-year, $255 million deal. Jackson deal will be for $260 million, according to Rapoport.

For months, it appeared that Jackson had played his final snaps in Baltimore. The two sides couldn’t work out a deal before free agency in March, which led the team to give him the non-exclusive franchise tag. While that let other teams negotiate with Jackson, no other suitor truly emerged — even after he publicly requested a trade.

In the end, Jackson will now return to the Ravens with a revamped supporting cast led by wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

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Harvey Steinberg, the attorney for Edwards, issued a statement Thursday through the Timberwolves that criticized the Denver Police Department’s decision to “inexplicably” charge Edwards after Game 5.

“With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later. As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone,” Steinberg said. “Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.”

Several videos posted to social media by fans at Ball Arena for Denver’s 112-109 win Tuesday appear to support Steinberg’s claim that the alleged contact with the staffers that was caused by the chair was inadvertent on Edwards’ part after he missed the tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer and jogged off the court in frustration. The floor seats are particularly close to the pathway to the tunnel that leads to the locker room.

The injuries reported by the employees were not serious, Denver police spokesman Jay Casillas said. Edwards was cited for two misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault, defined as “knowingly or recklessly” causing bodily injury. He is scheduled for a court appearance on June 9.

Edwards did not participate in the season-ending news conferences Thursday at team headquarters. General manager Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch declined to comment on the incident.

The 21-year-old Edwards, who was the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, was an injury replacement selection for the All-Star Game earlier this season. He is eligible this summer for a five-year rookie-scale contract extension that would be in the $200 million range.

Edwards had 158 points in the five games against Denver, the fifth-most in a playoff series in NBA history for a player under age 22. The other four who scored more — LeBron James (214 in six games in the first round and 186 in seven games in the second round in 2006), Luka Doncic (186 in six games in the first round in 2019) and Donovan Mitchell (171 in six games in the first round in 2017) — all played in more games. Still, Edwards was disappointed by his performance.

“I’ve just got to play better,” Edwards said in Denver after Game 5. “Getting off the ball, making shots. I was 0 for 6 from 3. That stank. I stunk it up.”

Dunne, 20, who is the top-paid female NCAA athlete, is set to be featured in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue next month.

“I just feel like our visions and core values really align, so it just felt like a perfect fit,” Dunne told SI. “The magazine is all about celebrating women and making them feel strong and confident, which I love.”

Other athletes who have graced the pages of the famed magazine include Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Sue Bird and Alex Morgan.

Dunne continues to garner attention across her social media platforms — boasting 11 million followers and earning $3.5 million last year for NIL, the highest total of all female NCAA athletes, according to On3.

Dunne admits that she would like to bring attention to how great college sports are and the challenges that come with being a DI athlete.

She says she hopes to inspire the younger generation to strive high and to go after all goals they set.

“I want to show young girls that you can have it all, and you don’t need to choose between whatever it is you’re passionate about,” she said. “You can be passionate about music, art. You don’t need to pick and choose. You can do it all and be successful. I think you need to set your own expectations for success and dream big.”

That’s exactly how Dunne views SI — as an opportunity to be “strong, sexy and beautiful.

“I knew that [SI] was something I wanted to be part of,” she added.

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Hundreds of lives will change this weekend.

With 259 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft from Thursday through Saturday, dreams will soon become reality for the players and their families. 

Getting drafted to the NFL doesn’t guarantee lifelong wealth, but it’s certainly a good financial way to start your professional life.

How much will each player make, exactly? Here’s a full deep dive of how rookie contracts work in the NFL:

How are NFL rookie contracts determined?

Since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, rookie contracts are locked in based on where each player is selected.

All rookie contracts are four-year deals, with extension negotiations able to begin after the third year. Deals for first-round picks have a fifth-year option, which the team can exercise after the third year to make the contract into a five-year pact.

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In terms of a salary, it’s pretty simple: the higher you get picked, the more money you make.

What will the salary be for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft?

The projected contract for the No. 1 pick in 2023 is roughly $41,217,000 in total value, with an estimated signing bonus of $26,976,000 and a 2023 cap of $7,494,000, according to Spotrac.

The Carolina Panthers went on to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday.

What is the NFL rookie salary scale by round?

Here’s the total value of each first-round rookie contract for 2023, according to Spotrac:

• No. 1: $41.2 million
• No. 2: $39.4 million
• No. 3: $38.2 million
• No. 4: $36.9 million
• No. 5: $34.5 million
• No. 6: $30.4 million
• No. 7: $27.02 million
• No. 8: $23.7 million
• No. 9: $23.5 million
• No. 10: $22.6 million
• No. 11: $21.2 million
• No. 12: $19.2 million
• No. 13: $18.7 million
• No. 14: $17.8 million
• No. 15: $17.5 million
• No. 16: $16.5 million
• No. 17: $16.2 million
• No. 18: $15.7 million
• No. 19: $15.5 million
• No. 20: $15.4 million
• No. 21: $15.3 million
• No. 22: $15.2 million
• No. 23: $14.99 million
• No. 24: $14.7 million
• No. 25: $14.5 million
• No. 26: $14.3 million
• No. 27: $14.16 million
• No. 28: $14.07 million
• No. 29: $13.4 million
• No. 30: $13.05 million
• No. 31: $12.75 million

You can see the salary figures for rounds two through seven right here.

Groat’s family said in a statement that he died at UMPC Presbyterian Hospital from complications of a stroke.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family and Pittsburgh community,” Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement, calling Groat “a great player and an even better person.”

Groat, who was from the Swissvale neighborhood just east of Pittsburgh’s downtown, starred at Duke in basketball and baseball in the early 1950s, earning All-American honors in both. His No. 10 jersey hangs in Cameron Indoor Stadium; the program retired his number following the end of his senior season in 1952.

Groat attempted to play both baseball and basketball professionally, signing with the Pirates and being drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons of the then-fledgling NBA within weeks of each other in 1952.

Long before Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders made two-way playing en vogue in the 1980s and ’90s, Groat was regularly shuttling from Durham, North Carolina, to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the winter of 1952-53 so he could split time between his classes at Duke — where he was finishing his degree after his eligibility expired — and the Pistons.

“I had a ball playing for them and had some of the scariest trips in my life,” Groat said. “I never had to practice, just play on the weekend.”

While basketball was Groat’s sport of choice, a stint in the military and an ultimatum from Pirates general manager Branch Rickey redirected the arc of Groat’s athletic career.

“Baseball was always like work for me,” Groat said in a 2014 interview. “Basketball was the sport that I loved, but it was baseball where I knew I would make a living.”

Rickey agreed, telling Groat after he returned home and played for the Pirates in 1955 that the young shortstop needed to step away from basketball. Groat somewhat reluctantly agreed, a decision that morphed into a lengthy 14-year career with Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Philadelphia and San Francisco. He made the All-Star team in five seasons and led the majors in hitting in 1960 when he batted .325.

The 1960 season ended with Groat earning NL MVP honors for a Pirates team that upset the New York Yankees in seven games to win the World Series.

Groat finished with 2,138 career hits during a major league career spanning 1952-67. The Pirates announced last week that Groat would be inducted into the team’s recently established Hall of Fame this summer.

A member of the college basketball and college baseball Halls of Fame, Groat was a two-time All-American guard at Duke in the 1950s and remains the second-leading scorer in school history, averaging 23.0 points for the Blue Devils. He was taken third overall by the Pistons in the 1952 NBA draft.

Groat played 26 games for the Pistons, averaging 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His basketball career, however, ended after he enlisted in the Army in 1953. He spent nearly two years in the service and when he was discharged, Rickey essentially threatened to take away Groat’s signing bonus if he didn’t turn his attention to baseball.

Groat relented and became one of the most consistent shortstops of his era. He played in eight All-Star games (there were two games a season for a brief period in the 1950s and ’60s) and during Pittsburgh’s improbable run to a World Series title in 1960, it was Groat and not future baseball Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski who spearheaded the Pirates’ unlikely rise from perennial also-ran to championship club.

The list of players who finished behind Groat in the 1960 NL MVP voting includes Hall of Famers Clemente, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial and Eddie Matthews.

A smooth defender who teamed with Mazeroski to lead the NL in double plays five times — a record that still stands — Groat played 1,290 games at shortstop for the Pirates, fourth on the club’s all-time list for a player at that position.

Pittsburgh traded Groat to St. Louis in November 1962. He responded by having the best statistical season of his career in 1963, finishing second in MVP voting behind Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax while hitting .319 with a major league-leading 43 doubles. Groat won a second world championship that fall as the Cardinals toppled the Yankees in seven games.

Groat played briefly for Philadelphia and then the Giants before retiring after the 1967 season. He remained active in the Pittsburgh area following his playing days, running the golf course he owned in the Laurel Highlands about an hour east of the city and spending four decades as a color commentator for the University of Pittsburgh basketball team.

Current Pitt coach Jeff Capel said Groat lived “a storybook life.”

Groat is survived by daughters Tracey, Carol Ann and Allison, along with 11 grandchildren.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since a nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges, the WNBA star had to take a moment to compose herself after being asked about her resiliency through the ordeal.

“I’m no stranger to hard times,” Griner said Thursday from the lobby of the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Mercury and the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. “Just digging deep. You’re going to be faced with adversities in life. This was a pretty big one. I just relied on my hard work to get through it.”

Griner’s first news conference drew more than 100 people, including Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, members of the Mercury organization and her wife, Cherelle.

Brittney Griner's journey home

The WNBA star been busy since her release from a Russian prison at the end of 2022

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Griner was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

After nearly 10 months of strained negotiations between Washington and Moscow, Griner was exchanged in the United Arab Emirates for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout on Dec. 8.

Griner kept a low profile following her return to the U.S. while adjusting to life back at home, outside of appearances at the Super Bowl, the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open and an MLK Day event in Phoenix.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round playoff collapse against the Miami Heat was plenty of things.  Historic, unexpected and disappointing come to mind, but the team’s superstar doesn’t think it qualifies as a “failure.”

The team with the best record during the 2022-23 regular season was ousted just five games into its first-round series, marking just the sixth time a No. 8 seed has eliminated a No. 1 seed in the NBA playoffs. Milwaukee’s postseason run ended with a 128-126 loss on its home floor, where it relinquished a 16-point fourth-quarter lead and failed to get up a game-tying attempt before the overtime horn sounded.

Following the stunning Game 5 defeat, Giannis Antetokounmpo took exception with a question about whether the Bucks’ season was a failure.

“It’s not a failure; it’s steps to success,” Antetokounmpo said. “There’s always steps to it. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? That’s what you’re telling me?

“It’s a wrong question; there’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn. And that’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Sometimes other people win. And this year somebody else is going to win, simple as that.”

Many people across Twitter loved the perspective from Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP who led the Bucks to a Finals triumph in 2021.

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley also shared some differing views on Antetokounmpo’s answer.

Antetokounmpo injured his back in Game 1 of the series and proceeded to miss Games 2 and 3. He returned for Game 4 in Miami posted a triple-double, though Jimmy Butler’s 56-point masterpiece put the Bucks on the brink of elimination. Butler and Co. finished the job on Wednesday despite 38 points and 20 rebounds from Antetokounmpo.

The Heat will now prepare for the No. 5 seed New York Knicks in the second round, while Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will turn their attention to the 2023-24 season.

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Retired Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade said Florida’s restrictive laws that target LGBTQ+ people contributed to he and his family moving out of the state.

Wade, who grew up in Chicago and spent 15 seasons with the Heat, said his family moved to California once he left the NBA in 2019. His 15-year-old daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender in 2020.

“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state. A lot of people don’t know that,” Wade told Rachel Nichols on Showtime’s “Headliners.” “I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.

“I mean, obviously, the taxes are great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there.”  

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state government have gotten into a feud with Disney after the company opposed the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. Earlier this month, a state board approved an expansion of “Don’t Say Gay” to include all grades.

The Florida House also passed a bill making it a felony to provide gender-affirming health care to transgender minors.

Wade is the father to four children and the legal guardian for his nephew, Dahveon Morris. The soon-to-be Basketball Hall of Famer lauded the way his father parented and said he tries to pass that on to his family.

“Yes, I had to educate myself and yes, I had to get a better understanding,” Wade said. “And yes, I had to lose some friends along the process, but I never wavered on loving my kids and trying to find space to get the chance to understand them.”

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