rad Page 17 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Grading the Raiders' Draft
Grade: A+,Best Pick: RB Ashton Jeanty, No. 6 Overall,What We Liked: The Raiders got a blue-chip guy at six, hard to argue with that. Jeanty is a big-time impact player for a team that never really had an offense that chugged. However, one great pick does not make an A+ draft class. The Raiders knock...
Grading the Dolphins' Draft
Grade: C,Best Pick: DT Kenneth Grant, No. 13 Overall,What We Liked: Effort was made to replace the big-time players who have left Miami for greener pastures. Kenneth Grant is clearly meant to be the next force up the middle similar to how Christian Wilkins operated for the Fins, and Dante Trader Jr....
Grading the Chargers' Draft
Grade: B,Best Pick: WR Tre Harris, No. 55 Overall,What We Liked: The Chargers picked up lots of talented players. The Omario Hampton pick should help the Chargers offense play more toward Harbaugh's strengths as a coordinator who loves to pound the rock. Tre Harris helps build out a wide receiver ro...
Grading the Steelers' draft
Pittsburgh Steelers,Grade: C- ,Best Pick: DT Derrick Harmon, No. 21 overall,What We Liked: Lots of big, strong men in this draft. Harmon and Yahya Black (No. 164) shore up the defensive tackle room, giving quick fixes to one-tech and three-tech, hopefully opening up edge rusher T.J. Watt and linebac...
Grading the Lions' Draft
Grade: B-,Best Pick: OG Miles Frazier, No. 171 Overall,What We Liked: The Lions continue their emphasis on size after solid results. Tyleik Williams is a big hog molly who can handle double teams with ease and should help build out a line that is hopefully less ravaged by injuries this year. Tate Ra...
Grading the Jaguars' Draft
Grade: B,Best Pick: CB/WR Travis Hunter, No. 2 Overall,What We Liked: That Travis Hunter trade was incredible. Getting two top-end weapons for the price of one is worth any amount of pick capital you have to pay to get up there. James Gladstone is making an incredible splash in his first year as a g...
Grading the Colts' Draft
Grade: B+,Best Pick: RB DJ Giddens, No. 151 Overall,What We Liked: The Chris Ballard strategy of taking exclusively pure athletes seems to have cooled off, as now Ballard is taking guys who also play good football. After a few years of middling draft classes, this is a group of guys you can feel con...
Grading the Titans' draft
Tennessee Titans,Grade: B+,Best Pick: QB Cameron Ward, No. 1 Overall,What We Liked: An all-around good draft for the Titans, who are putting together a crack offense in an attempt to actually win some games this year. Ward was the clear QB1 this year. His confidence and ability to handle lots of res...
Grading the Bengals' draft
Cincinnati Bengals,Grade: B-,Best Pick: Edge Shemar Stewart, No. 17 Overall,What We Liked: Stewart has an impressive physical profile that should pair well with Trey Hendrickson coming off the line. The Bengals need a big splash after stagnating after their Super Bowl run, and they need more than a ...
Grading the Texans' Draft
Grade: B+,Best Pick: Jayden Higgins, No. 24 Overall,What We Liked: The Texans kicked off the draft incredibly well, getting the dynamic wide receiver from Iowa State and Aireontae Ersery, two players who could immediately earn starting time on the Texans and will help return Stroud to rookie form. J...
Grading the Ravens' Draft
Grade: B,Best Pick: Malaki Starks, No. 27 Overall,What We Liked: Lots of good value early. The Ravens continued their strategy of taking advantage of teams not valuing safety and have now created an imposing secondary between Starks and Kyle Hamilton. Mike Green is a good upside play that far down t...
Grading the Panthers' draft
Carolina Panthers,Grade: B+,Best Pick: Edge Nic Scourton, No. 51 Overall,What We Liked: Getting two edge rushers (Scourton and Princely Umanmielen at No. 77) feels like a great maneuver to fill out the room. Especially adding Scourton to the mix, a crazy good power rusher whose hands will make waste...
Grading the Packers' Draft
Grade: C-,Best Pick: WR Matthew Golden, No. 23 Overall,What We Liked: Golden at 23 was impressive value that I would've salivated over if I was a general manager. He should be the top target for Love instantly and finally provide an alpha presence to that room of complementary pieces. GM Brian Gutek...
Grading the Bills' Draft
Grade: A-,Best Pick: DT TJ Sanders, No. 41 Overall,What We Liked: Incredible value outside the first round. Their three players after their first pick all had first-round buzz at some point in the draft cycle and will go a long way in rebuilding a defensive line that lacked intensity and sack produc...
Grading the Falcons' draft
Atlanta Falcons,Grade: B-,Best Pick: S Xavier Watts, No. 96 Overall,What we liked: The selections were impressive values in comparison to consensus; Jalon Walker (taken 15th) was seen by many as a potential top 10 pick thanks to his explosive nature; edge James Pearce's testing numbers make his pote...
Grading the Cardinals' draft
Arizona Cardinals,Grade: A,Best Pick: CB Will Johnson, No. 47 Overall,What We Liked: Everything. The Cardinals went for the best football player available at every turn, from ending the surprising fall to the second round for Michigan cornerback Will Johnson to their first pick of Walter Nolen, who ...
Michigan lands 4-star QB Brady Smigiel from Newbury Park (CA)
Brady Smigiel, a four-star quarterback in the Class of 2026, announced his commitment to Michigan on Saturday.,A three-year starter at Newbury Park (Calif.) High School, Smigiel had verbally committed to Florida State in June 2024 before decommitting in January following Florida State's 2-10 season ...
Rapids look to emulate Sounders' success
The Colorado Rapids own the better record heading into their Saturday night match with the Seattle Sounders, but still view their next opponents as premier Western Conference contenders.,The Sounders (3-3-3, 12 points) have won two MLS Cups and reached four finals since 2016 under manager Brian Schm...
Clemson, Brad Brownell agree to extension through 2031
The Clemson board of trustees has approved men's basketball coach Brad Brownell's new six-year contract extension through the 2030-31 season.,Financial terms were not disclosed in Friday's announcement, however The State reported it was worth a total of $27.5 million. Brownell's total salary will be...
Grades for all 2025 first-round picks
Grading the draft in real-time is an exercise in scrutiny, projecting player and position value against the history and roster needs of each team as the picks come off the board. ,We're slapping letter grades on each pick in the first round with a summary of what we love, dislike and all things in b...