First-round picks get most of the spotlight as NFL rookies, but the ones drafted on Day 2 are just as talented and don’t have to deal with added pressure, allowing them to play freely to make an immediate impact.
Last season rookies Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III, two running backs drafted in the second round, quickly established themselves as dynamic playmakers and had their respective teams in position to make the playoffs.
Author: Michael
The AFC is loaded. The AFC South is not.
Looking at the division, it seems to be the Jaguars and everyone else. However, intrigue abounds in the South, with C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson taking over the Texans and Colts, respectively, while the Titans are potentially transitioning to Will Levis no later than 2024.
But how did the division fare this offseason? We tried to evaluate each based on free agency, trades, drafting and new hires. Here’s our report card:
Houston Texans
The Texans drafted two big pieces in the first round, taking Stroud and Will Anderson Jr.
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Lonnie Walker IV just carried LeBron James to a pivotal playoff win.
Lonnie Walker IV probably thought he wasn’t going to play another meaningful minute this season for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 24-year-old guard was out of the Lakers’ rotation by the end of the season after the team reloaded its roster at the trade deadline.
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The Sixers need to figure out how to best utilize their MVP if they want to advance past the Celtics.
The Philadelphia 76ers may have won Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and knotted up their series with the Boston Celtics at 2-2, but they surrendered a 16-point lead and needed a heroic James Harden game-winning three (again) to do it. That’s not even mentioning the fact that they were saved by the bell, as Marcus Smart’s game-sealing triple was released after time expired.
Yesterday we took the over on 8.5 runs in the White Sox-Royals game, and we’re doing it all over again Tuesday.
Not only did yesterday’s game go over, it went way over. In fact, the Royals hit the over on their own – winning by a score of 12-5.
Even though Dylan Cease took the loss, he did exceed his K prop of 5.5, ending with exactly six strikeouts. Unfortunately, the White Sox lost the game and spoiled our three-leg parlay.
The reason why we pounded the over Monday was simple: bad bullpens. And guess what? They are no better today.
Lonnie Walker IV scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and took over Monday night’s Game 4 to put the Lakers one win away from the Western Conference finals.
People betting on Colorado and Deion Sanders to win the national title are proof Las Vegas didn’t build huge casinos thanks to winners.
Sanders has injected a lot of life and energy into the Colorado Buffaloes, and for the first time in a long time, there’s excitement about the state of the football team in Boulder.
However, there’s still a long way to go before anyone knows whether or not Colorado can be competitive. There’s been a huge roster turnover and Sanders hasn’t even coached a game yet.
Jim Harbaugh might soon be a new member of the Thursday Night Mowing League.
One of OutKick’s most prominent contributions to the internet and society is Joe Kinsey’s excellent TNML. He managed to unite dads and men around the country who love one thing:
Mowing their lawns.
Well, it turns out nothing gets the blood pumping for Jim Harbaugh like firing up his mower and clipping some grass.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are getting big games from complementary players every night, while Stephen Curry is left to go it alone.
New York prides itself on defense and rebounding, but Miami has taken that identity and stormed through the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.