Category: Sports

The 2024 NFL draft had everything: a historic run on offensive players, an even more historic run on quarterbacks, moms blocking their sons’ girlfriends from getting in on the draft night celebration, head-scratching picks and a whole slew of trades.

The good news after a record-setting weekend in Detroit: Your team is going 20-0 and winning the Lombardi Trophy.

The bad news: Your team missed out on your favorite X factor prospect, and the future is bleak.

The real news: 257 players had their dreams come true throughout the weekend when they were selected to join an NFL team and help their new organization compete for a Super Bowl.

No pressure.

Here’s a look at some of the major trends of the 2024 NFL draft.

The quarterback quandary

It’s good to be a quarterback. Or at least it’s good to be a first-round quarterback. In a league where quarterback play — especially from young, affordable talent — is becoming increasingly more valuable, the 2024 draft saw six quarterbacks go in the first 12 picks, marking only the second time that six QBs were picked in the first round since 1983. It also represented the fewest selections in which six signal-callers have been drafted.

The first three off the board weren’t much of a surprise: Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders) and Drake Maye (Patriots). Then things went sideways when the Falcons stunningly drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8, despite signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a lucrative free agent deal less than two months ago. Two picks later, the Minnesota Vikings made their much-anticipated trade up to select Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, and the Broncos rounded out the group with Oregon’s Bo Nix at No. 12.

But after the boom of quarterbacks in the top 12 picks, not a single QB went until 150th overall when the New Orleans Saints selected South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler in the fifth round, setting another record of 137 straight picks without a quarterback being drafted. It also marked the third time in the common draft era that a QB wasn’t selected in the second or third round. It was 21 picks later before the second Day 3 quarterback came off the board when the New York Jets drafted Florida State’s Jordan Travis as a potential heir to Aaron Rodgers. Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III was eventually picked by the Patriots at 193 in the sixth round.

The gap in quarterbacks could signal one of two things: The league’s talent evaluators believed there was a massive drop-off between the top six quarterbacks and the rest of the class or teams are devaluing development prospects. Both make some sense. In a league that has become increasingly impatient with young quarterbacks, there’s more pressure to see an immediate positive impact from its drafted QBs. The faster a quarterback proves himself, the more time the team has to build around him with expensive weapons while its quarterback’s inexpensive rookie contract is still on the books.

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Lives of luxury?

No, this category isn’t about the Los Angeles Rams draft house. Although, those are pretty sweet digs, and the Rams actually had to do some work from there in the first round this year for the first time since 2016.

Instead, let’s take a look at the teams that used high draft picks to address positions that were already pretty well stocked.

The Atlanta Falcons started that trend early by drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall, despite recently signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal with $100 million guaranteed. The Falcons, though, stocked up on more pressing positions of need with their subsequent picks, taking four straight front-seven defenders.

Just after the Penix pick, the Chicago Bears opted to give Caleb Williams more help at wide receiver, drafting Rome Odunze despite having Keenan Allen and DJ Moore.

A couple of picks later, with the top-tier quarterbacks off the board, new Raiders general manager Tom Telesco selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13, despite the team drafting TE Michael Mayer at No. 35 overall a year ago. Bowers, though, is a more versatile pass-catcher than Mayer and could work out of the slot or as an outside receiver.

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“He was really pretty [much] a consensus guy,” Telesco said of the team’s opinion of Bowers on Thursday. “Makes it a little bit easier, fully knowing that we have Michael Mayer, who is an excellent tight end, but there’s no rule in the NFL that you can only play one. We can play two tight ends; we can move people around.”

The 49ers closed Round 1 by drafting Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall despite having a stockpile of pass-catchers in WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, TE George Kittle, RB Christian McCaffrey and FB Kyle Juszczyk. Some thought the San Francisco pick could signal an impending trade of Aiyuk or Samuel, but when the draft closed, both were still 49ers. And GM John Lynch shot down the trade rumors in his Friday night news conference.

“We didn’t entertain any of that today,” Lynch said. “We’re happy with our wide receiver group. Actually, more than happy. We’re really thrilled with it. And thrilled to have added Ricky to that group and even make it stronger.”

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Rich get richer?

The Kansas City Chiefs keep winning. The back-to-back Super Bowl champions not only landed value picks, but they grabbed two of them in trades with teams they beat in the 2023 playoffs. First, general manager Brett Veach traded up in the first round, using Buffalo’s No. 28 pick to snag speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy, pairing him with another blazing wideout in free agency addition Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.

“Anytime you can add speed and add a guy with that type of versatility, I think you’re going to be interested,” Veach said Thursday night. “Just our ability to play vertical and have speed on the field at all times and having Xavier and Hollywood.

“As the season goes on here, I think we’ll have just an offense that can attack in multiple different ways and always keep defenses guessing.”

Bad news, NFL: Patrick Mahomes already won a Super Bowl without an elite receiving corps. Now, he has a track team on the outside and a physical pass-catcher with great finesse in Travis Kelce on the inside.

The move was particularly head-scratching because the Bills had a clear need at wideout after trading away No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs. But GM Brandon Beane explained his team traded out of the first round — later trading the Panthers the No. 32 pick for their No. 33 as a part of package — because they wanted to recoup a third-round pick and believed there were quality players available at the top of the second. (Indeed, the Bills selected wideout Keon Coleman at No. 33.)

In the second round, the Chiefs then worked out a deal with the 49ers, whom they beat in overtime in the Super Bowl, to get pick No. 63 and draft 6-foot-5, 325-pound BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia.

“I love Veach man!” Mahomes tweeted after the Suamataia pick.

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Defense delayed

Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be defensive players — at least not if you’re hoping for them to be selected in the top 10 picks of the NFL draft. The first defensive player — UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu — didn’t come off the board until the 15th pick. And while the Latu selection didn’t exactly open the floodgates right away, eight of the final 18 first-round picks were defensive players.

After a record-setting 23 offensive players went off the board in the first round, 20 defensive players were drafted in Round 2, tied for the fourth most in second round and the most there since 22 went in 2016.

Among the defensive positions most devalued was linebacker. The first one didn’t come off the board until the Packers traded up for Edgerrin Cooper with the 45th overall pick. The next linebacker, Michigan’s Junior Colson, wasn’t drafted until the third round, which proved to be one sweet spot for the position. Five linebackers were selected in the third round. Then six more went in the fifth.

The only defensive position group that had to wait longer to get its first pick was safety. Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin went two picks after Cooper to the New York Giants, followed by two more from the position in that round.

While the majority of teams stocked up on offensive players, two prioritized defense through the first three rounds. Neither the Eagles nor the Lions took an offensive player in the first three rounds.

The offense still finished ahead of the defense by the end of Day 2, with 54 offensive players selected to 46 defensive players.

Trade Eagles, trade

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman outdid himself. Notorious for wheeling and dealing, Roseman orchestrated nine trades in the draft, the most by any team since 1990. The next closest were the 2018 Patriots and the 2023 Texans, with eight trades each.

Not only did Roseman trade up with the Washington Commanders to land cornerback Cooper DeJean in the second round, but on Day 3, the Eagles traded the No. 164 overall pick and a sixth-rounder to the Indianapolis Colts to select legacy linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. with the No. 155 pick overall. Trotter’s dad was selected by the same organization in the third round of the 1998 draft and became a four-time Pro Bowler over a 12-year career. Prior to the trade that landed Trotter, Roseman went wild in the fourth round with three trades. (Jets GM Joe Douglas also got in on the action and made three trades of his own in that round.)

In the first round, though, Roseman didn’t need to pull off any deals to land a star player. Because of the run on offensive players, the board set up perfectly for the Eagles to select Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at No. 22. Mitchell, widely considered the best cornerback in the class, models his game after veteran Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, giving the team a ready-made heir apparent for the CB1 job whenever Slay, entering his 12th season, moves on.

“Obviously, he’s got a lot to prove as a small-school player,” Roseman told Philadelphia media. “The MAC is not the National Football League. We understand that. We’ve had tremendous success with big schools. To take a player like this from the MAC, he has to be special.”

The Eagles’ first round, uncharacteristic because Roseman stuck with the original pick and chose a player from a small school, caused instant anguish for Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons, who was watching the draft on a livestream.

“I’m honestly utterly disgusted on how lucky the Eagles are,” Parsons said of the Mitchell pick on a Bleacher Report livestream. “I do not know how he fell that far; with the run of offensive tackles and quarterbacks, that’s the only thing that makes sense. I thought he was a top-15, top-12 talent, and he just fell right into their laps.”

Deep and wide (receiver class)

All the pre-draft buzz of deep wide receiver and offensive line classes was reflected throughout the weekend. There were a combined 50 wideout and O-lineman selections through the first four rounds, setting a common draft era record.

Twenty-five offensive linemen went in the first three rounds, and of those, 17 were listed at offensive tackle — both records for the most drafted in the first three rounds in the common draft era.

The Steelers were among the teams who made the most of the deep offensive line class, drafting three linemen with their first five picks, marking the first time the Steelers have selected three O-linemen within their first five picks in the common draft era.

In that same three-round span, 16 receivers were selected, one shy of tying the record. In fact, the first non-quarterback selected Thursday night was Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., who went to the Arizona Cardinals. Fittingly, the next player drafted was offensive tackle Joe Alt followed by LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers to the New York Giants.

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“I do think it’s a deep receiver draft,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen said prior to the draft. “They come in different shapes and sizes and speeds, but I do think it’s a deep wide receiver draft from top to bottom, depending on what you’re looking for.

“[There is] some added value with guys, the new kickoff rules, the guys that can also do returns. I think there’s an added element there too, and there’s some receivers that can wear multiple hats, not just as a receiver but also as a returner. Yeah, I do think it’s a good draft. … However people have them ranked, I think it is a good draft from the receiver position.”

WR Ja’Lynn Polk, picked at No. 37 overall by the New England Patriots was the 10th wide receiver selected, making the 2024 draft the fastest that 10 wideouts came off the board in the common draft era. Prior to this year, the fastest that 10 wide receivers had been drafted was by pick No. 45 in 1994.

Draft of runs

Not only did the draft start with a run on quarterbacks, but that streaky nature continued all weekend. Four wide receivers went off the board consecutively between the final two picks of the first round and the first two of the second. Soon after, four cornerbacks flew off the board in a row, from No. 40 to No. 43. By the end of the round, 10 defensive backs came off the board as compared to just three in the first round.

In the fourth round, running backs started to fly off the board, including three in a row, to the Eagles, Bills and 49ers. By the time the fourth wrapped up, six running backs were selected, the most in a single round since seven went in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. Prior to the fourth round, only four running backs had been selected.

And in the span of 11 picks in the sixth round, three kickers came off the board: Alabama’s Will Reichard (Vikings), Stanford’s Joshua Karty (Rams) and Arkansas’ Cam Little (Jaguars).

Ducks fly together …

… and they get drafted together. Oregon players were a popular pick this year, and when running back Bucky Irving became the seventh Duck off the board by early on Day 3, it set a school record for the most selections in the common draft era.

Three Oregon picks flew off the board in the middle of the fourth round when CB Khyree Jackson went No. 108 overall to the Minnesota Vikings, followed by DL Brandon Dorlus to the Falcons with the next pick and, two selections later, safety Evan Williams to the Green Bay Packers after they made a trade with the Jets.

The Broncos landed two Ducks, trading up 19 spots to open Day 3 to snag wide receiver Troy Franklin, reuniting him with teammate Bo Nix, who was the Broncos’ first-round pick. The Broncos brass was plenty familiar with Franklin, who participated in a private workout with Nix for the Broncos in March. And Franklin thrived with Nix throwing him the ball, setting Oregon single-season records last season in receiving yards (1,383), receiving touchdowns (14) and 100-yard receiving games (eight).

“He makes the receiver’s job easier,” Franklin said of Nix. “That’s my guy right there.”

Ducks center Jackson Powers-Johnson also was drafted, going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 44 overall.

Oregon, though, wasn’t the most represented program in this year’s draft, eclipsed by College Football Playoff national champion Michigan (13), runner-up Washington (10) and semifinalists Texas (11) and Alabama (10). The Wolverines’ 13 draft picks also set a program record for most selected in a single draft.

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The Big D

No, not Dallas. Detroit put on a show hosting the 2024 NFL draft, breaking the all-time attendance record with 700,000 fans over the three-day event, shattering the previous mark of 600,000 set by fans in Nashville at the 2019 draft. Detroit also broke attendance records on Day 1 and Day 2.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement to the fans early on Day 3 of the draft.

“We have shown the world what the Motor City is about,” Whitmer told the crowd.

While the fans had fun flooding Detroit’s downtown for the draft, back at the Lions’ facility, the team’s staffers also were having fun by wearing black No. 89 Dan Campbell jerseys on the final day of the NFL draft — a celebratory move after Campbell won a bet to bring back the black jerseys by winning the NFC North in 2023.

1. Five-star Jonah Williams just released his top seven. Oklahoma is still the team to beat.

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Georgia will end up with both five-star DTs – Justus Terry and Elijah Griffin – in its recruiting class.

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3. After seeing him at an Elite 11 event, an argument could be made Tavien St. Clair is the best QB in the 2025 class.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles tied an NFL record for most trades in a seven-round draft with eight. They join the 2023 Houston Texans and 2018 New England Patriots for most draft-day trades since 1990.

The wheeling and dealing by general manager Howie Roseman kicked into overdrive Saturday, as Philadelphia executed five different trades on Day 3.

The goal was twofold, per Roseman: “To get as many of the guys that we targeted on Day 3 as we possibly can and at the same time see if we can accumulate picks for the future.” To that end, the Eagles acquired 2025 third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks via three separate trades, believing they were a little light on selections for next year.

And they were still able to land some of the prospects they had zeroed in on, including a pair of Clemson players in running back Will Shipley and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

They entered the day with seven draft picks and exited with six players and three future picks.

“We know what we’re trying to do here, we know what sounds good and when a trade sounds good,” Roseman said, when asked how they keep track of all the movement. “We know what we’re trying to execute.”

The rest of the league had a quiet year on the trade front.

There were only 28 over the past three days, tied for the fewest in the past eight drafts, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Last year’s draft set a record with 43 trades.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Kirk Cousins‘ position as the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback of the foreseeable future has not changed after the team’s stunning first-round NFL draft decision, according to new coach Raheem Morris.

The Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 pick Thursday night. The choice sent shockwaves across the NFL since Atlanta had just signed Cousins as a free agent last month to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million, with $100 million of that guaranteed.

At the Falcons’ post-draft media availability Saturday, Morris halted any quarterback controversy.

“We came up with a decision, this is what we plan to do,” said Morris, who was hired in January after the firing of former coach Arthur Smith. “And Kirk does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. Like, that is not the case.

“So, I know I’m going to have to tell you guys once or twice that that is not the case. Like, we are here to go win, and we are here to go win it all. We are here to win as much as we can win.”

Cousins called Penix on Thursday night and the two had a “very good conversation,” Penix said Saturday. He wouldn’t go into any details but said, “I’m super excited to work with him, and he said he’s the same with me.”

Cousins was not informed that the Falcons would take a quarterback until they called the veteran signal-caller while the team was on the clock Thursday night. Mike McCartney, Cousins’ agent, told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that there was frustration and confusion coming from Cousins’ camp because Atlanta didn’t use its first-round pick to improve the team for next season.

Instead, the Falcons used the selection on Cousins’ apparent successor before he had played a down for the team. McCartney said Cousins, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, understands the business of football and is ready to move on but added that there was surprise about the Falcons’ decision.

“I hate for it to be like the story of the draft. I know it will be. That’s just how our world is based and is driven, but I can’t say it’s annoying. No. Because it’s what people want to see, it’s piqued more interest. What’s [Travis] Kelce’s girlfriend’s name? I feel like her right now. I’m Taylor Swift and Terry is Kelce, I guess.”

Falcons coach Raheem Morris

In 2023, Penix, a 23-year-old left-handed thrower, completed 65.4% of his passes for an FBS-high 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. He took Washington to the national championship game, where the Huskies fell to Michigan.

Morris said Saturday he spoke with Cousins on Thursday night with the idea of being “empathetic of how he felt at the time.” Morris said he preaches that communication has to be open, honest and continuous and that will continue with regard to this situation.

Morris and Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said they knew when they took Penix that the decision would generate much buzz and criticism. Penix was not projected to go as highly as he did by most experts, and certainly not by a team that had just signed a big-money quarterback. But the Falcons said they trusted their process and Penix — with his big arm, poise in the pocket and winning pedigree — was the guy that fit their “succession” plan after Cousins.

“I hate for it to be like the story of the draft,” Morris said. “I know it will be. That’s just how our world is based and is driven, but I can’t say it’s annoying. No. Because it’s what people want to see; it’s piqued more interest. What’s [Travis] Kelce‘s girlfriend’s name? I feel like her right now. I’m Taylor Swift and Terry is Kelce, I guess.”

​​​​​Luke Littler avenged his quarter-final defeat to Damon Heta at March’s UK Open in style, averaging 106 as he scorched ‘The Heat’ to reach the last 16 of the NEO.bet Austrian Darts Open.

Littler was beaten 10-8 by Heta in a high-quality match in Minehead last month but won 6-2 in Graz on Saturday to secure a third-round meeting with Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski on Sunday afternoon.

The teenager – who collected his third nightly victory of the Premier League season in Liverpool on Thursday – could face Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals in Austria, with the quarter-finals onwards to be contested on Sunday night.

Van Gerwen dispatched fellow Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-1 in the second round and next faces Peter Wright after his fellow former world champion edged past American Danny Lauby 6-5.

Elsewhere, there were victories for Jonny Clayton – who thumped Chris Dobey 6-1 – Danny Noppert, Joe Cullen, Dave Chisnall and Ritchie Edhouse, but Rob Cross lost 6-4 to Daryl Gurney.

Ross Smith pipped Raymond van Barneveld in a last-leg shootout by firing in a 12-darter in the decider, with the Englishman averaging nigh on 106 during his nail-biting triumph over the Dutchman.

Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock and Gian van Veen also went all the way before beating Richard Veenstra, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Ryan Searle respectively – Bunting pinning two 170 finishes during his win.

Martin Schindler, who won his first PDC title at the International Darts Open earlier this month when he beat Gerwyn Price in the final, swept fellow German Ricardo Pietreczko 6-0.

Another German, Daniel Klose, also advanced as he defeated former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding 6-2, having come into the tournament as a replacement for Price (trapped nerve in his back).

Austrian Darts Open – Saturday’s second-round results

Afternoon session
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-2 Dom Taylor
Danny Noppert 6-3 Wessel Nijman
Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Richard Veenstra
Gian van Veen 6-5 Ryan Searle
Joe Cullen 6-3 Darius Labanauskas
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Rob Cross
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Brendan Dolan

Evening session
Martin Schindler 6-0 Ricardo Pietreczko
Daniel Klose 6-2 Andrew Gilding
Ross Smith 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Josh Rock 6-5 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Michael van Gerwen 6-1Jeffrey de Zwaan
Peter Wright 6-5 Danny Lauby
Jonny Clayton 6-1 Chris Dobey
Luke Littler 6-2 Damon Heta

​​​​​​Austrian Darts Open – Sunday’s third-round matches

Dave Chisnall vs Joe Cullen
Ritchie Edhouse vs Gian van Veen
Daryl Gurney vs Stephen Bunting
Martin Schindler vs Jonny Clayton
Krzysztof Ratajski vs Luke Littler
Danny Noppert vs Josh Rock
Daniel Klose vs Ross Smith
Michael van Gerwen vs Peter Wright

Watch Night 14 of Premier League Darts, in Aberdeen, live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm on Thursday May 2 or stream with NOW.

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ALSO INVITED

EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson‘s first order of business, upon learning the identity of his team’s new quarterback, was to fire off a text to J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Jefferson, known to many around the Vikings’ organization as “JJ,” told McCarthy that moving forward he would go by another one of his nicknames: “Jets.”

“Just so we wouldn’t have any confusion,” McCarthy said Friday with a laugh as he relayed the story. Later, McCarthy said, Jefferson offered a bit of advice that was especially valuable from a player who needed only two games as a backup in 2020 before bursting onto the NFL scene.

“Confidence,” Jefferson told McCarthy, “is key in this league.”

Like everyone else in Minnesota and around the league, Jefferson knows it’s only a matter of time before McCarthy becomes the Vikings’ starting quarterback. But it is not likely to happen as quickly as some fans might hope, and if anything, the Vikings are poised to err on the side of methodical caution.

“We’re not going to rush his development,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re just going to do what’s best for the Vikings in the short and long term.”

The Vikings will follow an individualized development plan they created for each of the quarterbacks they considered drafting, one that requires McCarthy to hit specific benchmarks and gives coach Kevin O’Connell full authority to make the timing decision. The approach is designed to avoid the worst-case scenario — ruining McCarthy’s career by exposing him before he is ready — and is a big reason the Vikings spent $10 million in March to sign veteran Sam Darnold as a bridge starter.

It’s a process O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah have been planning since meeting for the first time in 2022 during one of O’Connell’s final job interviews.

“We talked about these things,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Not just, ‘What do we want to do from a culture standpoint?’ but ‘How do you evaluate quarterbacks? How do you grow quarterbacks? How do you develop them?’ And the things he talked about is the reason why I have so much faith in him to take and mold a player like [McCarthy] … into that player we want him to be.

“A lot of times when we go back over history and say, ‘These quarterbacks have missed,’ there’s a lot of hands that are dirty in that regard. And we’re going to make sure that our hands are clean and give him the best opportunity he can to be the best player he can be in this offense.”

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See why NFL scouts are excited about Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy

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There has been an assumption that two factors would leave McCarthy needing more development time than the rest of his 2024 quarterback classmates. He just turned 21 in January, and he played in an offense at Michigan that had him throw an average of 22.1 passes per game last season, fewer than 93 other FBS quarterbacks.

But O’Connell said Thursday night that there was plenty of evidence of McCarthy making the kinds of throws he’ll need to master in the NFL.

“You really go back through and center your focus on those weighty downs,” O’Connell said. “You know, those third downs where you see him in third-and-[long], at a pretty strong clip, move the football team and generate new downs and get them down in the red zone and make some big time throws to put the ball in the end zone.

“In big, big moments in games when they needed him to find a way, other ways, just to make a throw, other ways to extend a play, he made a lot of those plays.”

Asked what sort of timetable he anticipated for McCarthy’s development, O’Connell said: “We just added J.J. a couple hours ago. I’m just more excited than anything to get him here, allow him to get around some of his teammates and start building those relationships as well. I feel great about where my relationship’s at with J.J. because I feel like we’ve built one up in a pretty short amount of time. But he knows that I’m going to be with him every step of the way.”

In his first 24 hours with the team, McCarthy spoke jovially about his hockey background, his friendship with Wayne Gretzky and his assessment of the Vikings’ other first-round pick, linebacker Dallas Turner. But in showing that he has already taken his first big step in his NFL journey, he downplayed discussion of how competitive he might be with Darnold.

“My mindset is just to take one day at a time,” McCarthy said, “and really focus on just getting to know everyone’s names, getting to know the playbook inside and out, and to focus on being the best version of myself every single day.”

DALLAS — A couple of heated confrontations during the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks‘ 101-90 Game 3 win over the LA Clippers on Friday night resulted in a pair of ejections and a boost to P.J. Washington‘s local popularity.

Washington, the power forward acquired by the Mavericks at the trade deadline, was ejected along with Clippers guard Russell Westbrook with 6:10 remaining.

That confrontation began with Westbrook fouling Mavs superstar Luka Doncic by grabbing his right arm from behind and yanking on it, pulling Doncic backward. When Doncic approached Westbrook to object, Westbrook shoved him with his left arm. Washington and Westbrook then exchanged shoves before other players, coaches, officials and security prevented the skirmish from escalating.

“Always got to protect 77 at all costs,” Washington told ESPN. “So I mean obviously it was a hard foul and then he pushed him afterwards, so I was right there and I just had to step into it.”

Westbrook, who finished with 1 point on 0-of-7 shooting in 19 minutes, was called for two technical fouls and ejected from a playoff game for the first time in his career. He exited the American Airlines Center without speaking to the media.

“You got to keep your composure,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “It gets chippy in the playoffs and everyone wants to play well and do well, but you got to keep up composure no matter how the calls go. So we got to be better than that down the stretch when it comes to that.”

Washington, who had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in the win, was also ejected after being whistled for his second technical foul. His first came after a confrontation with Clippers guard Terance Mann with 10:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.

In that instance, Washington struck an instantly iconic pose in the midst of players pushing and shoving, crossing his arms and staring at the Clippers bench.

“[Mann] was mad that I was looking at their bench, so I decided to look at it again,” Washington told ESPN. “Just coming in and trying to set a tone.”

As Washington posed in exaggerated fashion, Doncic stood next to him and smiled with delight. Washington kept a stone face.

“I wanted to get my flicks right for after the game,” Washington said with a grin, referring to the moment as a photo opportunity.

Doncic, who had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists despite describing his right knee as “really stiff” after injuring it late in the first quarter, expressed appreciation for Washington’s willingness to serve as an enforcer.

“Amazing,” Doncic said. “The things he does, he’s a team player. He helps all of us. I’m just really happy we’ve got him on our team.”

Westbrook was also called for a flagrant 1 foul for hitting Dallas wing Josh Green in the head during a fast-break dunk attempt with 8:37 remaining in the second quarter. He had a post-whistle brush of Doncic reviewed in the final minute of the first half, but the officials determined that incident didn’t merit any punishment.

“I’m used to that,” Doncic said of being subjected to extra physicality. “I just try to stay calm and keep playing basketball.”

After the Mavs called themselves out for a lack of physicality in their Game 1 loss, they have held the Clippers to 93 and 90 points in the past two games to take a 2-1 series lead. Dallas coach Jason Kidd considers the friction that emerged in the fourth quarter to be typical for a physical series.

“We’re all competing for each inch to try to win,” Kidd said. “This series is going to be more mental as it goes on, just because of the physicality. It’s very physical, but the mental aspect of this series, we have to be sharp and we have to understand what’s taking place. I thought the guys did a great job of protecting one another.”

ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.

Alex Graham kept many guessing.

From accelerating his recruitment to setting a weekend commitment date between his three-dozen scholarship offers or so, there was little buzz for the eventual pick.

But as the New Year arrived, and multiple trips to Boulder went down, Colorado emerged as the team to beat. The Michigan native, now at IMG Academy in Florida, went public with the pick for Deion Sanders and company on Friday evening.

“With the NFL Draft this weekend and me committing, I feel like it is falling into place,” Graham told Rivals. “The big thing Coach Prime preaches is you having accountability…I feel like Colorado is a good spot for me.

“I can focus there and I’ll be coached by Coach Prime, the best to ever do it.”

Graham is a versatile secondary recruit with offers to fill plenty of positions depending on the program. CU sees him as a boundary cornerback, also the four-star’s position preference, so the intensity between each party has risen in recent months.

“That’s just telling me they believe in me,” he said. “They do take a lot of players in the portal so it means a lot for them to take a high school player. It means they expect me to handle business, so I’m gonna do that.”

Getting back to campus this weekend for the program’s spring game, Graham has been able to spend considerable time with his collegiate head coach at different points.

He offered insight on how Sanders operates with him.

“Honestly, he’s a really good dude,” he said. “When people usually meet their heroes, they don’t seem to be like the person they think they would be. But Coach Prime is a real good dude, he’s very genuine, he keeps it real with me.

“You can talk to him about anything and that’s what I like about him.”

With the newest insertion of talent, a new conference and expectations steadily rising in Boulder, the newest Buff appears to be a strong fit in the confidence department.

“I beleive,” Graham said. “I know for my class we’ve got a couple more dogs joining us really soon.

“I really think we can get close to winning a national championship…we’re gonna show y’all.”

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan made their way to the auditorium Thursday night, a text popped up on each of their phones.

The sender was Brandon Aiyuk, the subject of plenty of trade speculation amid the Niners’ latest attempts to consummate a big-money contract extension with the star wide receiver. Lynch and Shanahan had just spent the No. 31 pick in the NFL draft Thursday on Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall, a selection that didn’t do much to quiet the Aiyuk rumors.

But Aiyuk’s message wasn’t one of anger. It was far simpler.

“Fire pick, I can’t lie,” Aiyuk’s message said, according to Lynch.

Aiyuk and Pearsall played together at Arizona State in 2019 and remain friendly. In fact, Pearsall spoke to Aiyuk on the phone before he spoke with Bay Area media Thursday night.

That all took place against the backdrop of the seemingly endless speculation about Aiyuk’s future. Despite San Francisco’s insistence that it wants to re-sign Aiyuk, who is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, that conjecture kicked into overdrive Thursday with many wondering if the Niners would give in and trade him.

Lynch and Shanahan acknowledged that there had been discussions with other teams Thursday. But Lynch said no deals came close to happening, while Shanahan said a trade of Aiyuk or fellow wideout Deebo Samuel never seemed likely.

Asked late Thursday night if such a trade could still happen heading into Friday, Lynch and Shanahan again didn’t sound like a deal for either player was imminent, though they didn’t close the door completely.

It was a familiar tone for the GM and coach, who often joke that they would trade each other if the offer was right.

“It doesn’t seem that likely to be honest,” Shanahan said. “But I’m still on the table. If someone offered [owner] Jed [York] and John good stuff for me, I’m going to be out of here.”

Such a deal coming together now that the Thursday’s first round is over is largely why it’s unlikely. While the Niners are facing a salary cap crunch in 2025, they don’t need to make any moves to shed salary in 2024, meaning a salary-dump type of trade out of the question for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Of course, adding Pearsall will only serve to keep Lynch’s phone ringing into Friday’s second and third rounds as other teams try to pry one of San Francisco’s star receivers loose at a bargain price.

“I know that we’re continuing to have positive talks with [Aiyuk] and we are really efforting to get something done with him,” Lynch said. “We’re excited about continuing down that path and Brandon being a part of this team.

“Deebo is a part of this team and a big part of this team. We feel great about that group and we feel like we just made it better with another really good addition to it, who complements the group real well.”

Regardless of what happens with Aiyuk and Samuel, the Niners were always going to prioritize wide receiver in this year’s draft with an eye toward the future. Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings are entering the final year of their rookie deals. Samuel has two years left on his deal at cap charges of $28.6 million in 2024 and $24.2 million in 2025, though he has no more guaranteed salary beginning in 2025.

The Niners therefore viewed Pearsall as a versatile player capable of any of the receiver positions immediately, with the idea that he will step into a starting role at some point. He could also help in the return game right away after the Niners lost returner Ray-Ray McCloud III to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

For these 49ers, every decision they make for the roster is about striking the balance between making another push for the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy with their current group of stars and planning for the long haul as those high-priced players begin to move on.

“We listen to everything,” Shanahan said. “Everything’s about trying to improve our team as much as we can for 2024 without jeopardizing ’25 as much as possible. So that’s everything you look into and whenever that opportunity comes, whichever way you can improve your team, you do that.”

Editor’s note: This originally ran on April 10 and has been updated after the Bears selected Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick Thursday night.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles pondered the question, knowing his ability to find an answer will help define his legacy: Why haven’t the Bears been able to draft and develop a franchise quarterback in the past 85 years?

“It’s a good question,” Poles said at the annual league meeting in March.

Perhaps the person most interested in the answer is former USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears drafted Williams with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday.

The last quarterback the Bears drafted in the first round and developed into an All-Pro was Sid Luckman, who was taken with the second overall pick in 1939, when there were just 10 teams. Since the NFL and AFL merged in 1966, creating the first common draft in ’67, the Bears have selected six QBs in the first round. Those quarterbacks have combined for zero selections to the All-Pro teams (first team or second), and two Pro Bowls during their time in Chicago.

Two of those QBs helped achieve team success, but with a ton of help. Jim McMahon, the No. 5 pick in 1982, won Super Bowl XX with perhaps the greatest defense ever assembled and one of the greatest running backs, Walter Payton, still performing at his peak. And Rex Grossman, No. 22 overall in 2003, reached Super Bowl XLI with the third-best scoring defense that season.

Part of the problem, Poles said, was rooted in poor evaluation of prospects. Justin Fields, who was taken No. 11 in 2021, was the latest first-round quarterback who didn’t pan out for the Bears. He was traded in March to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick, and he’s expected to back up Russell Wilson. The Steelers made room for Fields by cutting another former Bears first-rounder in Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017.

Will Williams follow in the footsteps of Grossman, Trubisky and Fields, or will he end the embarrassing references to Luckman as the Bears’ last franchise QB?

We asked 11 NFL coaches and two general managers, including those who have drafted and developed prospects into franchise quarterbacks, to name the single most important tool in that development. The Bears might want to pay attention.

Résumé: Callahan was Joe Burrow’s offensive coordinator in 2020 when the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick. Burrow led Cincinnati to Super Bowl LVI in his second season and the AFC title game the following year. After four seasons with Burrow, Callahan was hired by the Titans in 2024 and will be tasked with the development of second-year quarterback Will Levis.

Key: “I think the starting point is always going to be, how do you help their decision-making? How do you help develop the timing in the passing game? And then how do you help them develop their accuracy? And that has to do with their feet, what the footwork looks like.

“Those things to me are really, pretty important. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing that would just say, ‘Hey, this is how you’re going to get better.’ But if you do a really good job with the decision-making part, the timing and the accuracy, I think you have a chance to have a pretty good quarterback.”

Nick Caserio, Houston Texans general manager

Résumé: Caserio spent 20 years with New England in various personnel roles and played a role in the rise of Tom Brady from a sixth-round draft pick in 2001 to six-time Super Bowl champion. He was hired as general manager of the Texans in 2020 and helped create a supporting cast for C.J. Stroud that enabled him to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors last season.

Key: “Anytime you have continuity from one year to the next, it’s important, because at least it gives you a foundation in place. The team is going to be different, the opponents are going to be different, so there’s going to be a lot of things that are different, but to be able to keep a number of things at least similar or the same, hopefully will be beneficial.”

Bears’ reality: Since their last playoff win in 2010, the Bears have had five head coaches and nine offensive coordinators, so continuity has not been a strong point. They’re hoping head coach Matt Eberflus, entering his third year in Chicago, and former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will develop the young quarterback and stop the revolving door.

Résumé: Gutekunst was a scout with the Packers when Aaron Rodgers was drafted in 2005, and he became Green Bay’s general manager in 2018. The Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020, and they’re hoping he’ll follow in the footsteps of Rodgers and Brett Favre, whom the Packers developed from young players into franchise QBs. Love sat for two seasons behind Rodgers before leading Green Bay to the playoffs in his first year as a starter. Rodgers sat for three seasons behind Favre.

Key: “Great coaches. The players [Rodgers and Love], obviously, themselves. But those guys got to learn from some pretty good players, as well. I think that’s an important part of it is to be able to sit behind a guy that does it at a very high level, prepares at a very high level, seeing what that takes and all the things that are on the plate of a quarterback before they actually have to go out there and perform.

“It’s about how to be a pro quarterback, how to handle things before you actually have to go out there and perform.”

Bears’ reality: The other QBs on the Bears’ roster are Tyson Bagent, who threw three TDs and six interceptions in five games subbing for Fields last season, and Brett Rypien, who has four starts in five years of NFL experience. This is not a situation in which Williams will be able to sit and learn behind a successful veteran.

Matt LaFleur, Packers coach

Résumé: Robert Griffin III earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 with LaFleur as his quarterbacks coach in Washington. LaFleur was then Matt Ryan’s quarterbacks coach during Atlanta’s trip to Super Bowl LI and was Jared Goff’s offensive coordinator in his second season. After one season as the OC for the Tennessee Titans in 2018, LaFleur replaced Mike McCarthy as head coach in Green Bay, where he has helped guide Love’s development.

Key: “I do believe that some guys, if they’re thrown in there too early, they get scars, and then they start to lose their confidence. It’s hard when a guy loses his confidence to kind of recover from that.

“I think there’s a lot of layers to how you develop your quarterbacks, but ultimately, you want them to be able to have a great knowledge base and maintain their confidence through the ups and the downs.”

Résumé: McDaniel was hired in Miami ahead of Tua Tagovailoa‘s third season in 2022. Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating in 2022 (105.5) and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 while leading the NFL in passing (4,624 yards).

Key: “Reps. [Tagovailoa] had more reps [in 2023] than he’s ever had in his career because he played the full season.”

Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills head coach

Résumé: McDermott, a defensive head coach, was hired by the Bills in 2017. Buffalo drafted quarterback Josh Allen in 2018, and one year later, the Bills started a streak of five consecutive playoff appearances.

Key: “I get that question a lot, just because of how we’ve handled Josh. And I would just say, I think the biggest thing you’ve got to do is have a plan that’s well thought out ahead of time before we even bring that player into the building.

“We’ve been successful doing that, when we drafted Josh and even before we drafted Josh. Bringing that player along, not just on the field but off the field as well, and all the resources that you put into that one player in particular. And I was able to benefit by being around Andy [Reid in Philadelphia] and watching him do that with Donovan [McNabb] and then in Carolina, drafting Cam [Newton] and watching that process. And then now with Josh.”

Résumé: Payton was Drew Brees’ head coach during Brees’ entire 15-year career with the New Orleans Saints.

Key: “I think the difficulty is in evaluating … With quarterbacks, I think one thing that’s hard to measure is their ability to multitask and process and make decisions.

“You can visit with someone, they can be intelligent, but man, how quickly can they deliver the information and how quickly can they get through the progression? Are they accurate?”

Résumé: Pederson was the Philadelphia Eagles’ coach during their 2017 Super Bowl run with rookie QB Carson Wentz, who suffered a season-ending injury and was replaced by Nick Foles. The Jaguars hired Pederson in 2022, and he helped Trevor Lawrence earn Pro Bowl honors and his first playoff win that season.

Key: “I think one of the biggest things you can do is help them with the run game. If you get your run game going, that’s going to open up some things in the pass game: play-action pass, your movement game, all of that.

“And then just having the right pieces around him. Having guys that he’s comfortable throwing the ball to, guys that he kind of knows. Like for me, it was Zach Ertz to Carson Wentz when he was that rookie quarterback. And I think with Trevor two years ago, Marvin Jones was the guy he had the most confidence in. Then he got better with Calvin [Ridley] and Evan [Engram] and guys like that. But I do believe it starts with the running game.”

Bears’ reality: One of the Bears’ biggest free agency moves was signing running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24.5 million deal. Swift was one of just six running backs with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 35 receptions last season with the Philadelphia Eagles. “We just felt that we wanted a home run hitter there,” Eberflus said. “I know that in situational football it’s very difficult to be able to have the two guys outside covered, two tight ends covered, and then you got another situation where you have the weapon back inside. So that was critical.”

Résumé: As the head coach of the Eagles, Reid coached Donovan McNabb from his rookie season in 1999 through five consecutive playoff appearances from 2000 to ’04, including Super Bowl XXXIX. In 2013, Reid joined the Chiefs, who drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Reid sat Mahomes the majority of his rookie season before Mahomes led Kansas City to three Super Bowl wins in five seasons.

Key: “Most importantly, patience. It’s not going to be all perfect. And then as a head coach, you better be able to protect the guy and stand up there and explain that to the media, because it can be brutal for a young guy stepping in there.”

DeMeco Ryans, Texans head coach

Résumé: The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006, Ryans rose through the ranks in San Francisco from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. He became the third head coach in three years to be hired by the Texans when he was brought on in 2023. Houston used the No. 2 pick last year on quarterback C.J. Stroud, who earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Key: “When we talk about [Stroud’s] growth, I think it starts with the coaches that you surround him with. So we surrounded him with some young coaches, young talented coaches in Bobby Slowik, Jerrod Johnson, also veteran coaches in Bill Lazor and Shane Day, who’s no longer with us, but just surrounding him with the right guys in the coaching position, but also in his room.

“Having Case Keenum there, a veteran quarterback who’s done it at a high level for a long time. Making sure that we have that balance around C.J. So if there’s any questions, any things that he may ask, or things that he can lean on guys who have been there, done that, have seen that before, there was not a guy around him that he couldn’t ask, he couldn’t rely on who could give him the answers and could share with him their experiences of how they seen other quarterbacks succeed in this league.”

Bears’ reality: The Bears hired Kerry Joseph to be their new QB coach. Joseph worked under Waldron in Seattle for the past four seasons. They also hired former Carolina Panthers OC Thomas Brown to be their passing game coordinator. “We’re fortunate to have [Brown],” Eberflus said. “He had several offensive coordinator interviews, head-coaching interviews. … It’s important that we got the information from him of what his process was with [former No. 1 pick Bryce Young].”

Résumé: Stefanski was Kirk Cousins’ offensive coordinator when the Vikings reached the playoffs in 2019. He earned his first head-coaching job in 2020 with Cleveland and the Browns made the playoffs with Baker Mayfield, who was in his third season. In 2023, Stefanski saw four different Browns quarterbacks win games as the team made the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Key: “I think with young quarterbacks, like any young player, if you’re going to develop them, you better have a good relationship with them. So, I think building a relationship of trust is important because it’s a hard position.

“You’re going to ask a lot of them. You’re going to ask a lot of them in the meeting room, at the line of scrimmage before the snap, after the snap. So, before you can ask all that, I think you have to have a great relationship with that person, as that’s where it starts.”

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Ryan Poles tells Pat McAfee how the Bears evaluated Caleb Williams

Without committing to drafting Caleb Williams at No. 1, Bears GM Ryan Poles tells Pat McAfee he has been encouraged by what he has seen so far.

Résumé: Steichen was Jalen Hurts’ offensive coordinator in 2022 when Hurts helped lead the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. That earned Steichen his first head-coaching job last season with the Indianapolis Colts, and he had rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson off to a fast start before Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Key: “Don’t clutter their minds with too much information. That’s No. 1. We can give them so much information that it’s just overwhelming.”

Bears’ reality: This is something the Bears will have to improve on after Fields complained last year that all of the information and coaches’ voices in his head made him too “robotic.” And that’s when Fields was in his third season. Maybe the hiring of Waldron, who has been praised for his ability to get the most out of a handful of quarterbacks with wide-ranging skill sets, from Jared Goff to Russell Wilson to Geno Smith, will help solve that problem.

Zac Taylor, Bengals head coach

Résumé: Taylor coached Ryan Tannehill during the quarterback’s first four NFL seasons in Miami, and he was later Jared Goff’s quarterbacks coach during the Rams’ run to Super Bowl LII in 2018. That earned him the Bengals job in 2019, and he helped develop Joe Burrow into a Super Bowl quarterback.

Key: “I think [the biggest thing was Burrow’s] level of preparedness, and how much you put into it early on and ask the right questions, and didn’t walk in like the No. 1 pick and ‘I deserve all this stuff.’

“He earned everything that he got. I think he earned the trust of the players early in install meetings, and then the plays that he made in training camp. It was a COVID training camp, but the opportunities he got on the field I think really opened people’s eyes early on, and we knew we could put a lot on his plate.”

Bears’ reality: Williams should get every opportunity to prove himself and win the respect of his teammates, and there’s no doubt the Bears improved the supporting cast. Aside from Swift, the Bears traded for Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen to pair with DJ Moore, making the Bears the only team with two receivers who topped 1,200 yards last year.

ESPN reporters Ben Baby, Sarah Barshop, Rob Demovsky and Marc Raimondi contributed to this report.