Cam Ward goes to Titans at No. 1 in the NFL draft. Travis Hunter picked 2nd, Shedeur Sanders waits
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Cam Ward went from zero-star recruit to No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Travis Hunter cost Jacksonville a premium. Jaxson Dart was selected before Shedeur Sanders. While Ward, Hunter and Abdul Carter went 1-2-3 as expected, Sanders kept slipping. Sanders was passed over by every team that had a need for a potential franchise quarterback, even though some draft analysts had him rated higher than Ward. The New York Giants had two chances to take Sanders and went with Penn State edge rusher Carter with the No. 3 pick, bolstering an already strong pass rush. The Giants then moved back into the first round and selected Dart, a quarterback from Ole Miss, at No. 25.
Shedeur Sanders is still on NFL draft boards after QB-needy teams pass on him in 1st round
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Shedeur Sanders is still on the board. The New York Giants passed on the former Colorado quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the NFL draft. So did Las Vegas, the New York Jets, New Orleans and Pittsburgh, four teams seemingly in need of signal callers. How far will Sanders fall now? He definitely will be available when the second round begins Friday. There was some thought a team would trade into the bottom end of the first round and grab Sanders. But no one did. Concerns about Sanders’ arm strength have become an issue in recent weeks, although his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, laughed at that notion.
A stunner in Jacksonville: Jaguars trade up to land 2-way star Travis Hunter in the NFL draft
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up three spots to select Heisman Trophy winner and two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter with the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft. The Jaguars gave up four picks to land one of the most intriguing NFL prospects in draft history and set the tone for a new regime that features first-time general manager James Gladstone, first-time head coach Liam Coen and first-time executive vice president Tony Boselli. Now, they have the first two-way player in franchise lore.
Seahawks select guard Grey Zabel of North Dakota State with No. 18 pick in NFL draft
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks selected North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel with the 18th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night. Zabel started 41 games over five seasons at every position on the offensive line except center. He was an FCS All-American at left tackle as a senior last season. The 23-year-old started the final 36 games of his collegiate career, and figures to slot in on the interior of the Seahawks’ line, which is particularly in need of help. Zabel could quickly replace Seattle’s starting left guard from last season, Laken Tomlinson, who is now a member of the Houston Texans.
Former Seahawks WR Lockett says he’s joining the Tennessee Titans
Longtime Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett announced on social media that he is joining the Tennessee Titans. In 10 NFL seasons, all with the Seahawks, Lockett had 661 catches for 8,594 yards and 61 touchdowns. ESPN reports that Lockett has agreed to a one-year deal with a base value of $4 million. Incentives could push that to $6 million. Lockett was a first-team All-Pro pick in 2015 and a second-team choice in 2016 and 2017. Lockett joins a Tennessee team that ranked 26th out of 32 teams in yards passing per game last season.
USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas injured in LA car crash
LOS ANGELES (AP) — University of Southern California basketball recruit Alijah Arenas has been involved in a vehicle accident. The university’s men’s basketball coach called for prayers for Arenas and his family in a Thursday social media post. Arenas is a Los Angeles high school basketball star and the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. The Los Angeles Police Department says officers responded shortly before 5 a.m. to a single-vehicle collision in the San Fernando Valley. Police said an 18-year-old was transported to the hospital in stable condition. Multiple news outlets including the Los Angeles Times and ESPN said Arenas was the driver, citing sources.
Cleveland’s Evan Mobley wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year award
Evan Mobley said his goal coming into the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers was to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He got it done. The Cavs consider Mobley to be their best defensive player, and the league thought even more highly of him. Mobley held off fellow finalists Dyson Daniels of Atlanta and Draymond Green of Golden State for the award, the results being announced Thursday night in a broadcast on TNT.
Celtics list Tatum as doubtful for Game 3, Mazzulla tells radio station wrist bruise is ‘severe’
Jayson Tatum remains listed as doubtful for the Boston Celtics, meaning the reigning NBA champions do not expect him to play Friday when they visit the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series. Tatum is dealing with a bone bruise in his right wrist, an injury suffered on a hard fall after getting fouled in Game 1 of the series. Tatum did not play in Game 2, when the Celtics prevailed for a 2-0 series lead.
Schmidt scores again, Bobrovsky has 19 saves as Panthers beat Lightning 2-0 for 2-0 series lead
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nate Schmidt scored his third goal in two games, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 shots and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series. Sam Bennett added an empty-netter with 4 seconds left. Bobrovsky got his fourth career playoff shutout, and his first since Game 1 of last year’s Stanley Cup final against Edmonton. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 21 saves for Tampa Bay. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will be Saturday at Sunrise.
Barkov misses final 10 minutes of Panthers’ win after taking hit from Lightning’s Hagel
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida captain Aleksander Barkov missed the final 10:09 of the Panthers’ win in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series at Tampa Bay on Thursday night, after taking a hit from the Lightning’s Brandon Hagel. Barkov remained down on one knee briefly after the hit, then skated off and went to the Panthers’ locker room. He did not return and after the game, Panthers coach Paul Maurice had no update on Barkov’s condition. Hagel drew a 5-minute major for interference on the play.
Commanders take Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th pick in the NFL draft
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders selected Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th pick in the NFL draft. Audible cheers could be heard inside the team facility before it was announced. Taking Conerly is another upgrade to the offensive line protecting franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. The 6-foot-5, 311-pounder started 14 games at left tackle for the Ducks as a junior last season. He was a third-team AP All-America selection. Conerly is expected to be moved to the right side after the Commanders acquired standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil in a trade with Houston last month.