Sign up for the daily newsletter, Jay’s Plays of the Day, to get sports betting recommendations for the top games of the night and the week ahead.
Merry Draft-mas Eve, friends
I love the draft. You know this.
The first round commences Thursday night in Green Bay and the intrigue continues to build.
We have had multiple discussions on the biggest swing name in this draft.
It’s Shedeur Sanders. The numbers and projections that matter most are the betting odds.
Sure, Adam Schefter gets the most NFL scoops. Mel Kiper Jr. gets the most respect in the mock-draft realm. “Todd, Todd, Todd.”
(Side question: What happened to Todd McShay? He was better at this than a lot of the folks they have kept at ESPN through the layoffs.)
But the odds are set by folks looking to make money and lure as many bets as possible on both sides.
We mention that because in the course of the last 24 hours, Deion’s son’s odds about dropping into the second round have exploded.
Tuesday morning, Shedeur Sanders falling to Friday was at plus-400 (bet $100 to win $400). This morning, it had flipped to minus-125.
That’s right, Vegas thinks it’s likely Sanders won’t be a first-round pick.
Draft names not Shedeur
Beyond the eye-grabbing Sanders — man, the Sanders crew are flush with the attention-drawing gene, right? — there are five guys in my mind who will steer the narrative Thursday night.
> Ashton Jeanty. By all accounts, he has tested off the charts and impressed in every way. In fact, there are talks of teams trading up into the top five. For a running back. Well, he better be a monster.
> Abdul Carter. The best pass-rusher in the draft feels like the safest pick, and most have him slotted at three overall. First, if I’m Cleveland, this is the pick, because for all the issues, Carter and Myles Garrett would give the Browns the best pass-rushing tandem in the league. No need to blitz. You counter the Steelers strength and have a four-man rush that could confound Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. If Carter’s on the board at 3, the Giants possibly moving back becomes a real possibility.
> Jaxson Dart. Speaking of trading back, the QB-starved Giants have a slew of connections to Dart. Former coach in New York Joe Judge was an analyst with Ole Miss last year. Charlie Weis Jr. called plays at Ole Miss last year; his father Charlie Sr. is long-time buddies with Giants Coach Brian Dabol. Hmmm.
> Whichever skill-position the Falcons waste their first-round pick on. In this USAToday mock draft, which compiles the consensus picks from multiple mockers across the inter webs, Atlanta takes Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, which would be the fifth straight year of taking a skill position player with the first-day selection. Spy, pass the Goody’s headache powders, please.
> SEC defensive freaks Shermar Stewart (A&M DE) and Jihaad Campbell (Alabama LB) will be middle-of-the-first-round selections that will be viewed as home runs. Stewart was getting top-five whispers at one point, and Campbell is an every-down athlete who will be a steal whenever he’s picked.
Thoughts, and we’ll project team fits Thursday. Deal? Deal.
Iamaleava intrigue — shocking, I know
Welp, it’s a day that ends in “Y” so there must be NIL-Iamaleava drama.
So, water is wet and the sun will set toward Sequatchie County from downtown.
This one is for younger Iamaleava and Arkansas.
Madden Iamaleava, Nico’s younger brother and a former four-star QB prospect who signed with the Razorbacks, is portalling.
And just as his brother Nico has become the face of the mismanaged negotiations of more NIL money parting ways with UT on his way to UCLA, Madden will be the cover boy for NIL recoup and buyouts.
Madden entered the portal Tuesday. In less than a few hours, Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek made it clear that this is far from done in the eyes of the school and the program’s football collective.
“I have spoken with the leadership team at Arkansas Edge and expressed my support in their pursuit to enforce their rights under any agreement violated by our student-athletes moving forward,” Yurachek said on social media. “We appreciate Edge’s investment in our student-athletes and acknowledge the enforcement of these agreements is vital in our new world of college athletics.”
Madden claims he entered the portal because he’s “homesick,” which happens to students and student-athletes all the time all across the country.
But like the precedent I think UT and Josh Heupel set with the hard stance on Nico, I believe Arkansas looking for some of its NIL money back from portalling Madden will be the protocol moving forward.
Thoughts, and who could have ever imagined the Iamaleava clan’s lasting imprint on the sport would be as the faces of NIL?
This and that
› Braves played. Braves lost. That bullpen is stinky pants.
› Wow, according to Forbes, Lucy Guo is the youngest female self-made billionaire. The 30-year-old co-founder of Scale A.I. got to a 10-figure net worth at a younger age than previous titleholder Taylor Swift.
› TFP sports editor Stephen Hargis has a strong column on the need for cohesion between the state legislature and the TSSAA on upcoming issues. This is worth your time.
› Longtime sports announcer Mike Patrick, who was an ESPN staple on a variety of college sports back in the day, has died. He was 80.
› OK, this could get me to watch pro Pickleball. Andre Agassi is turning pro. Yes, that Andre Agassi. Man, is there any married couple that would dominate mixed double more than Mr. and Mrs. Agassi? (Yes, Mrs. Agassi is Steffi Graf.)
Today’s question
Which Way Wednesday starts this way:
Which is your first purchase if someone gave you a $1 million? Which is atop your wish list to celebrate hitting $1 billion?
Which player not named Shedeur has the most intrigue entering the first round of the NFL draft?
Which will be more lasting, Nico’s negotiation precedent or Madden’s NIL recoup scenario?
Answer some Which Way Wednesdays, ask some WWWs.
As for today, April 23, let’s review:
Happy birthday, Billy Shakespeare, who would have been 461 today.
He also died on this day in 1616 at the age of 52.
He’s the GOAT writer, right? Or would that be write? Shirley Temple would have been 97 today.
John Cena is 48 today.
The first YouTube video was released on this day 20 years ago.
If YouTube had a video Rushmore, what four make it — and keep it clean, friends.