Mock draft, version 0.5
This is a modified mock draft.
We are going to have picks, and some of them will have comments. Let's move quickly.
- 1. San Antonio - Kelsey Plum. The high-scoring Washington guard has future WNBA all-star written all over
- Wait. You want an NFL mock draft? You know the WNBA draft is tonight, and according to this from TFP UTC beat ace Mean Gene Henley, there could be a Mocs star picked tonight, right?
- OK. Let's do the NFL. We love the draft. You know this.
- 1. Cleveland - Myles Garrett. It's the easy pick, but we're not sold it's the best pick. Football is not played at the combine and how many other defensive ends are we gaga about their vertical. Sacks, people, not offensive rebounds, are the goal here. We're not sold that the analytic folks that run the Browns will not trade this pick to be honest.
- 2. San Francisco - Solomon Thomas. The Stanford defensive end has shot up draft boards. In fact, he's moving up so quickly, if the draft was in June he'd likely be pick negative-216. 3. Chicago - Marshon Lattimore. The Ohio State corner is safest, best pick, but some folks have the Bears, who spent big dollars on Mike Glennon in free agency, looking QB here.
- 4. Jacksonville - O.J. Howard. This might be high, but the Alabama tight end has caught all the eyes of all the scouts with his size-speed combination. 5. Tennessee - Jamal Adams. The LSU safety is the most complete player on the board in our view.
- 6. New York Jets - Jonathan Allen. The Alabama defensive lineman is one of our favorites in this draft. He's falling because of some injury worries, but he's a steal at 6.
- 7. San Diego - Malik Hooker. The Ohio State safety gives new DC Gus Bradley the fast, free-roaming centerfield his cover-3 defense needs.
- 8. Carolina - Leonard Fournette. The powerful LSU back will give the Panthers two of the most freakish former SEC athletes in recent memory.
- 9. Cincinnati - Reuben Foster. Rarely does need and opportunity meet this well, since inside linebacker Rey Maualuga is now longer in town and Foster is arguably the best inside linebacker prospect since Luke Kuechly.
- 10. Buffalo - Quincy Wilson. The big (6-1, 211 pounds) corner from Florida gives the Bills a pick and plug replacement for Stephon Gilmore.
- 11. New Orleans - John Ross. The electric Washington wide out is a faster version of Brandin Cook, who they sent to New England for pick 32.
- 12. Cleveland - Mitchell Trubisky. In a very un-Cleveland-like scenario, the Browns get the prospect viewed as the best and the quarterback viewed as the best prospect with separate picks. Is Costner running the Browns' draft room? (And make no mistake, we'd be even higher on the Browns' future if they figure out a way to pull this move off.)
- 13. Arizona - Deshaun Watson. The Cardinals have been pretty clear that they are in the market for Carson Palmer's replacement. This would it.
- 14. Philadelphia - Christian McCaffrey. This could be a corner or even Dalvin Cook, but while we are not sure who it will be, we are sure that Philly fans will boo the choice.
- 15. Indy - Derek Barnett. Another great fit for team and player, considering the Colts' biggest need - well other than a tackle, and let's face it, there are not a lot of great tackles in this draft - is a pass rusher to replace Robert Mathis.
- 16. Baltimore - Corey Davis. The big Western Michigan wide out offers a great combination of potential and production
OK, we'll do the bottom half tomorrow - and feel free to offer your feedback or ask a question about your team - with the following clues:
We think Tennessee has a great chance to add a big-time secondary player and then be able to add Mike Williams at 18.
As for the Falcons, well, they are in a spot where they will a) listen to all offers for folks looking to trade back into round one, and b) if they do spend a round one pick, we'd expect it to be a guy who plays on the line of scrimmage, be it offense or defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, center is surrounded by Boston Celtics players as he grabs a rebound during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston, Wednesday, April 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) NBA seeds set
The NBA playoffs start this weekend, and the field is finally set.
In the East:
1) Boston vs. 8) Chicago
4) Washington vs. 5) Atlanta
3) Toronto vs. 6) Milwaukee
2) Cleveland vs. 7) Indiana
In the West:
1) Golden State vs. Portland
4) L.A. Clippers vs. Utah
3) Houston vs. Oklahoma City
2) San Antonio vs. Memphis
The games will be on ESPN's family of networks, NBA TV and TNT. We will have a daily schedule around these parts for easy access.
As for last night's conclusion, the storyline of rest has been a key topic around the league for the last few weeks.
And you know what is quite telling? The ESPN folks were way more worried about the games that affected their broadcast rather than the sitting situations that truly challenged the integrity of the league. Case in point: Guys sitting on he second night of a back-to-back road trip is not uncommon, and in some ways makes good sense for teams that are thinking big picture of contending for a title.
It got the full microscope of the ESPN preachers when it happened on a couple of consecutive, high-profile Saturday-night games. And that's understandable considering ESPN is paying some big coin for those big stars. But last night, in a game that had a direct outcome on the competitive fiber of the league, the Brooklyn Nets sat six players.
The Nets rested six players in a game that determined the final playoff spot in the East. The Nets, who are staring at five months off, rested their best players. That's a bad look and one that could very easily lead to the manipulation of the standings by third parties, nevermind the opportunity of gambling exploitation.
Former North Carolina basketball player Michael Jordan, right, congratulates Kennedy Meeks following North Carolina's win over Duke in an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, March 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Tough beat
Can you imagine covering North Carolina college sports right now?
You have the NCAA allegations in Chapel Hill that has caused the Maryland president to mention the death penalty which caused Roy Williams to call him a double idiot. (Is a double idiot like double-secret probation Dean Wormer?)
You have the title run for the Heels that ended earlier this month. You have Mitch Trubisky, who still looks to be the No. 1 quarterback on the draft boards. Now you have the state legislators proposing bill that if the ACC tries to strong arm the state by removing events and championships, that the state schools in North Carolina - UNC and NC State - will be removed from the ACC.
On one hand, this seems silly.
On the other, it could be a wide-sweeping change of landscape. Groups and organizations have used the financial dagger of boycotts - losing the NCAA tournament cost the city of Greensboro an estimated $14.5 million last month - to influence policy.
These are the policy makers trying to find ways to fight back.
This could get strange. Fast.
This and that
- Hey, Braves win, Braves win, Braves win. Who wants to go in on some playoff tickets?
- Peyton Manning explained his famous "Omaha" call at the Adobe Summitt last month. Here, in his words, is what the presnap city call meant: "Omaha was just a indicator word," Manning explained from the Las Vegas event. "It was a trigger word that meant we had changed the play, there was low time on the clock and the ball needed to be snapped right now to kind of let my offensive lineman know that 'Hey, we'd gone to Plan B, there's low time on the clock.' It's a rhythmic three-syllable word, 'O-ma-ha, set hut.'"
- Also at that event, Manning said he is not interested in politics (breath easier Lamar Alexander), does not want to be President of the United States and said he would prefer not to ever be the head coach at his alma mater in Knoxville. (And yes, you can cue the Johnny Vols conspiracy theorists who are thinking, "Yeah, but he didn't say he wouldn't be the OC and save Butch Jones' skin. War Peyton. Come home GOAT.")
- Today is the one-year anniversary of the Titans trading last year's No. 1 overall pick for a slew of picks. Two weeks from today, they will start to enjoy the bounty.
- John Daly being John Daly. Yes, that's him hitting a tee shot off a beer can with a cigarette in his mount. And please notice the caring and sympathetic hustle and concern he gives the beer as it's spilling the glorious golden nectar.
- Fun story here from TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer on a couple of cats with local ties trying to make some coin in Portsmouth.
- Did you see this? This girl reportedly is the first female to sign a college football scholarship. Yes, there have been plenty of other females to kick in a college football game, but they were either walk-ons or on scholarship in another sport.
Today's question
Have you offered a mailbag entry? If not, that's on you.
On this day in 1860, the first Pony Express reaches Sacramento, Ca. On this day in 1970, one of the most famous quotes in the back half of the 20th Century - "Houston, we've got a problem" - is uttered.
Butch Cassidy would have been 151 years old today. As for a Rushmore, we'll offer two
On this day in 143, Thomas Jefferson was born. And considering the dude is on, you know, the actual Mount Rushmore, let's do a Rushmore of who would be on a second American Mount Rushmore after Washington, Teddy R., Abe and TJ on No. 1.
Also, Rick Schroder was born on this day in 1970. Who makes the Rushmore of kid stars in the 1980s, and does then-Rickie Schroder's turn as the kid on Silver Spoons make a push? Go, and mailbag.