The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off live from Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 23 and the latest crop of rookies will be hearing their names called all weekend long. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the biggest need is an obvious one: Quarterback.
All signs indicate 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh for his 22nd NFL season. The Steelers haven’t had a long-term solution at QB since Ben Roethlisberger. However, Pittsburgh might not fill its quarterback need until next year’s draft. Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are in line to back up Rodgers again.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Pittsburgh Steelers for this year’s draft, including a round-by-round look at picks and a potential trade candidate already on the roster.
Ponds is undersized but tested as one of the most athletic cornerbacks at the NFL combine. At 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, he could be a force in the slot for the Steelers’ defense. Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean look set on the outside. Ponds could thrive at the nickel alongside those two in an improved secondary.
Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft trade candidate: LB Patrick Queen
Per USA TODAY’s Jack McKessy:
Queen’s 2025 follow-up to a 2024 Pro Bowl season was disappointing. The veteran linebacker set a career high in missed tackles while seeing his performance in pass coverage decline as well. As Queen enters his walk year in 2026, Pittsburgh could seek out a team looking to improve its linebacker corps and give the veteran a change of scenery before hitting free agency. The Steelers could use the extra draft capital to keep improving their offense after a shaky 2025 season.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 16: A detail view of a New England Patriots helmet during the third quarter of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off a Super Bowl berth, the New England Patriots have a clear plan in mind for the 2026 offseason: it’s about remodeling, not rebuilding, as head coach Mike Vrabel said after the season.
The NFL Draft naturally is a major part of this process. Until the event in late April, the Patriots — led by Vrabel and EVP of player personnel Eliot Wolf — will be conducting interviews, working out prospects, inviting them for a finite number of pre-draft visits, and in general try to get as complete a picture as possible. It remains to be seen what this process eventually leads to, but there will be plenty of news to report.
In order to find out who the Patriots have already spoken to or worked out thus far, please make sure to bookmark this regularly-updated pre-draft tracker. We will have all contact listed to the best of our knowledge.
(Note: Please scroll down for a meeting-by-meeting breakdown)
Quarterback
Jalon Daniels (Kansas): 30 visit
Joe Fagnano (UConn): Local visit
Athan Kaliakmanis (Rutgers): Private meeting
Haynes King (Georgia Tech): Pro Day
Behren Morton (Texas Tech): 30 visit
Brady Olson (Central Connecticut State): Local Pro Day
Cole Payton (North Dakota State): Pro Day
Sawyer Robertson (Baylor): Virtual meeting
Running back
Kaelon Black (Indiana): 30 visit
Greg Desrosiers (Memphis): Local Pro Day
Cash Jones (Georgia): Pro Day
Jordan McDonald (Boston College): Local Pro Day
Kejon Owens (Florida International): Senior Bowl
Adam Randall (Clemson): 30 visit
Jordon Vaughn (Abilene Christian): College Gridiron Showcase
Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas): Combine + Pro Day
Wide receiver
Cyrus Allen (Cincinnati): 30 visit
Lewis Bond (Boston College): Senior Bowl + Local visit
J. Michael Sturdivant (Florida): East-West Shrine Bowl
Max Tomczak (Youngstown State): American Bowl
Tight end
Nate Boerkircher (Texas A&M): Combine
Jed Castles (Abilene Christian): Pro Day
Oscar Delp (Georgia): 30 visit
Enyi Falayi (Wake Forest): Local Pro Day
Ademola Faleye (Washington State): Local Pro Day
Jeremiah Franklin (Boston College): Local Pro Day
John Michael Gyllenborg (Wyoming): Senior Bowl
Louis Hansen (UConn): Local Pro Day
Eli Raridon (Notre Dame): Shrine Bowl + Senior Bowl
D.J. Rogers (TCU): Senior Bowl
Dan Villari (Syracuse): Hula Bowl + Senior Bowl
Offensive tackle
Chris Adams (Memphis): Pro Day
Markel Bell (Miami): Virtual meeting
Jude Bowry (Boston College): Pro Day + Local visit
Travis Burke (Memphis): Pro Day + 30 visit
Kevin Cline (Boston College): Local Pro Day
Max Iheanachor (Arizona State): Combine + 30 visit
Kamar Missouri (UTSA): College Gridiron Showcase
Ryan Mosesso (UMass): Pro Day + Local Pro Day
Jake Pope (Illinois State): Pro Day
Jayden Williams (Mississippi): Pro Day
Interior offensive line
Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M): 30 visit
Kage Casey (Boise State): Senior Bowl
Greg Crippen (Michigan): Pro Day + Local Pro Day
Desmond Daniels (Alabama State): FCS Showcase
Nick Dawkins (Penn State): American Bowl
Jalen Farmer (Kentucky): Combine
Ashton Grable (Florida A&M): HBCU Legacy Bowl
Delby Lemieux (Dartmouth): Senior Bowl + Local Pro Day
Peter Nygra (Louisville): East-West Shrine Bowl
Brian Parker II (Duke): East-West Shrine Bowl
Walker Parks (Clemson): Pro Day
Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon): 30 visit
Keylan Rutledge (Georgia Tech): Senior Bowl
Logan Taylor (Boston College): Pro Day + Local Pro Day
Connor Tollison (Missouri): American Bowl
Jeremiah Wright (Auburn): Pro Day + 30 visit
Interior defensive line
Nick Barrett (South Carolina): Combine
Rayshaun Benny (Michigan): Senior Bowl
Gracen Halton (Oklahoma): Pro Day
Kody Huisman (Virginia Tech): American Bowl
Kevin Jobity Jr. (Syracuse): Pro Day
Rene Konga (Louisville): Virtual meeting
Sedarius McConnell (Boston College): Local Pro Day
Kayden McDonald (Ohio State): 30 visit
Noah Miles (Howard): HBCU Legacy Bow
Tyler Onyedim (Texas A&M): Combine + Pro Day
Michael Otty (Bryant): Local Pro Day
Kaleb Proctor (Southeastern Louisiana): Combine
Landon Robinson (Navy): East-West Shrine Bowl + Pro Day
Jernias Tafia (Colorado State): Pro Day
Defensive edge
Noah Barrett (St. Olaf): Pro Day
Keyron Crawford (Auburn): Combine + 30 visit
Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State): Senior Bowl
George Gumbs Jr. (Florida): 30 visit
T.J. Guy (Michigan): Local Pro Day
Dayon Hayes (Texas A&M): American Bowl
Michael Heldman (Central Michigan): Hula Bowl
Romello Height (Texas A&M): 30 visit
Cashius Howell (Texas A&M): Combine
Quintayvious Hutchins (Boston College): Combine + Local Pro Day
Gabe Jacas (Illinois): 30 visit
Malachi Lawrence (UCF): 30 visit
Michael Lunz II (South Carolina State): HBCU Legacy Bowl
Akheem Mesidor (Miami): Combine
T.J. Parker (Clemson): Senior Bowl
Kaghen Roach (Abilene Christian): Pro Day
Tyreak Sapp (Florida): Pro Day
Bryan Thomas (South Carolina): Pro Day
R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma): 30 visit
Dion Wilson Jr. (Syracuse): Pro Day
Chris Wright (Abilene Christian): Pro Day
Zion Young (Missouri): Combine + 30 visit
Linebacker
Shad Banks Jr. (UTSA): Hula Bowl
Ernest Hausmann (Michigan): Pro Day
Khalil Jacobs (Missouri): Pro Day + Virtual meeting + 30 visit
Namdi Obiazor (TCU): Virtual meeting
Bryun Parham (UConn): Local Pro Day
Jimmy Rolder (Michigan): Pro Day
Steven Ward (Pittsburgh State): Pro Day
Wade Woodaz (Clemson): Pro Day
Javin Wright (Nebraska): American Bowl
Cornerback
Keith Abney (Arizona State): Virtual meeting
Caleb Anderson (Michigan): College Gridiron Showcase
Elias Archie (Brown): Local Pro Day
Shahid Barros (Iowa): Local Pro Day
Rashad Battle (Pittsburgh): American Bowl
Nasir Bowers (Toledo): Pro Day
Jadon Canady (Oregon): East-West Shrine Bowl
Elijah Culp (James Madison): American Bowl
Michael Dansby (Arizona): American Bowl
Andre Fuller (Toledo): East-West Shrine Bowl + Pro Day
Malcolm Greene (UMass): Local Pro Day
Al’Zillion Hamilton (Fresno State): American Bowl
Devon Marshall (N.C. State): Virtual meeting + Local Pro Day
Karon Prunty (Wake Forest): Pro Day + 30 visit
Jaden Rios (Texas State): Hula Bowl
Keionte Scott (Miami): Combine
Avery Smith (Toledo): Combine + Pro Day
Safety
Bud Clark (TCU): Virtual meeting
Dathan Hickey (Youngstown State): College Gridiron Showcase
Jalen Huskey (Maryland): Private meeting
Cam Smith (Marshall): Hula Bowl
Gavin Gibson (North Carolina): Hula Bowl
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo): 30 visit
Kamari Ramsey (USC): Combine
Robert Spears-Jennings (Oklahoma): Pro Day
Jalen Stroman (Notre Dame): Senior Bowl
Zakee Wheatley (Penn State): 30 visit
Sean Williams (Dartmouth): Pro Day
Malik Spencer (Michigan State): 30 visit
Specialists
Garrison Grimes (LS | BYU): East-West Shrine Bowl
Ben Mann (LS | Boston College): Local Pro Day
Laith Merjan (K | Kansas): Hula Bowl
Whereas the list above gives an overview over the prospects the Patriots have been in contact with before the draft, the following overview is a breakdown by meeting opportunity plus the source of each report.
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off live from Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 23 and the latest crop of rookies will be hearing their names called all weekend long. For the Houston Texans, the biggest need is an obvious one: Interior offensive line.
Solidifying the trenches must continue to be a priority for the Texans. Houston has guards Ed Ingram and Wyatt Teller along with Jake Andrews in the interior, but they need more depth at the position after they ranked in the bottom three in both pass block win rate and run block win rate, via ESPN. Additionally, the Texans could continue to bolster their defensive tackle position to complement their outstanding edge rush duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Houston Texans for this year’s draft, including a round-by-round look at picks and a potential trade candidate already on the roster.
Houston needs a big body in the middle of the defensive line to free up Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to wreak havoc on opposing offensive linemen. Banks brings size with impressive explosiveness for a player measuring in at 6-foot-6 and 327 pounds. A foot injury at the combine could cause him to fall and the Texans may be able to sweep him up late in Round 1.
Houston Texans NFL Draft trade candidate: QB Davis Mills
Per USA TODAY’s Jack McKessy:
The Texans should not touch their defense given the dominance the unit has displayed in recent years. Texans GM Nick Caserio has made it clear that he and the team have no intentions of trading quarterback C.J. Stroud this offseason, but what about Mills? Houston’s backup quarterback has a solid resume: two years of starting experience, plus a 3-0 record filling in for Stroud in 2025. The Texans likely wouldn’t recoup overly valuable draft picks in return for Mills, but there would be a few teams interested in trading for a more competent backup quarterback. Houston could go on to draft a quarterback this year to replace Mills, simultaneously preparing a contingency plan for a post-Stroud era in future years. The Texans’ starter has regressed since his strong rookie season, and his playoff meltdowns are still fresh. If the Texans aren’t convinced he’ll bounce back, they should start planning ahead. Trading Mills gives them some of the leeway needed to do so.
Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen has repeatedly voiced his disdain for F1’s new era in 2026, describing the new regulations as “anti-racing” and “like Formula E on steroids”, such is the focus on energy management. Red Bull are also struggling, languishing sixth in the championship standings, with Verstappen ninth in the drivers’ leaderboard.
Norris, who pipped Verstappen to the 2025 drivers’ title by two points, has also been critical of the new cars, labelling some instances of overtaking as “artificial”. However, when asked about Verstappen’s threat to leave the sport at the last round in Japan, the Briton believes his rival could stay in the paddock longer than many are led to believe.
“Max has earned the right to do whatever he wants,” said Norris, at a McLaren media event on Wednesday. “He’s very open to saying what he thinks, he’s himself and that’s a good way to live your life.
“He’d be a miss and it’d be a shame for the sport. He’s one of the best-ever drivers in Formula One. It’d be shame for us, as much as he makes our lives incredibly tough at times, it’s always cool to race someone with four world championships.
“To be honest though, I also enjoy watching him race GT3s at the weekend. It’s all relative – when you see the new guys, they say the cars are sick. For previous drivers, we have something to compare them against and it’s all relative.
“I’m sure he’ll stay longer than people say.”
Similarly, Norris’s McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri said that Verstappen’s exit would be a “big loss for the sport”.
“It would be a shame if that ended up happening,” said Piastri, who missed out on last year’s world championship having held the lead for six months.
“The Red Bull doesn’t look like the most competitive car at the moment but the regulations that are being worked on, they’re more complex.
“It would be a shame for the sport to lose Max, it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole. We want to race against the best, Max has shown his calibre over 10 years and over the last five or six years, he’s been the benchmark.”
Lando Norris, right, is confident Max Verstappen, left, will stick around in F1 (PA Wire)
Norris also gave his initial reaction to tweaks made on Monday to this year’s regulations, designed to reduce “lift and coast” and “super-clipping.”
“If you compare to qualifying last year, there was nothing to have as an excuse for something happening,” Norris explained.
“It was about trying to brake as late as possible, crack open the throttle to be as much on the limit as possible, that extra 1 per cent more in qualifying – but now it went away.
“That’s the special 1 per cent which makes it surprising – a guy on pole deserves it because they’ve taken risks and now that’s been taken away.
“This year, when you make a mistake, sometimes it benefits you, the battery redeploys and you gain.
“In an ideal world, you wouldn’t have that.”
After a five-week break, F1 next goes racing at the Miami Grand Prix on 1-3 May.
Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Khamil Pierre (12) shoots for the basket over Southern California Trojans forward Vivian Iwuchukwu (0) during the first quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
NC State is returning six players from last year’s roster, officially: Zoe Brooks, Khamil Pierre, Qadence Samuels, Destiny Lunan, Maddie Cox, and Adelaide Jernigan. Pierre is the only one whose status seemed unclear recently, but the Pack’s Twitter account was dropping hints about her return the last couple of days.
To those six NC State will be adding incoming freshmen Kamora Pruitt (SF) and Annsley Trivette (F/C).
Remodeling this team to be more defense-forward is going to require at least one more addition up front, which I say without having a clue about how the incoming freshmen project at that end. The team’s defensive rebounding has got to get better, which involves getting tougher as much as anything else, but there you’re probably going to want a little bit of college experience.
NC State also needs to make multiple additions to the backcourt, and we’ll see how that goes. Assuming Jernigan is not going to be a rotation player, State needs at least one more backcourt player who can play significant minutes. I like Lunan’s breakout potential in 2027 but the lack of experience is concerning.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves got the superstar bump they needed from Anthony Edwards to win Game 2 at Denver and square up their intensifying first-round playoff series with the Nuggets.
Edwards contributed 30 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a loud voice of encouragement for his teammates. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had already been reassured by Edwards’ influence as the four-time All-Star left the court following a lackluster performance in Game 1.
“He was calm and gave confidence to the guys,” Finch said, reflecting on the series opener after practice on Wednesday. “When we were down early and big, he was really into them with the right messages, to stay calm but to do the things that were asked to be done — put a little bit more work in, be a little smarter with the fouling, all that kind of stuff. So I thought that was really key.”
Edwards was instrumental in urging Rudy Gobert on to a dominant defensive effort against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. He has also demonstrated his leadership by playing through the right knee pain that sidelined him for 11 of the last 13 regular-season games.
“It definitely uplifts me. I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t give my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level,” teammate Julius Randle said.
For the Timberwolves to beat the team that has recently become their biggest rival three more times and reach the second round, they will need a steady supply of Edwards’ energy on both ends of the court, on the bench and in the locker room.
The Nuggets are sure to bring their own moxie on the road to Minnesota for Game 3 between these well-matched opponents on Thursday. The other Game 3s on Thursday are New York at Atlanta and Cleveland at Toronto.
Over the last four years, including the regular season and playoffs, the Timberwolves and Nuggets have each won 15 of their last 30 meetings.
“Who doesn’t love a big game? Who doesn’t want to wake up for a game with a lot of excitement, a lot of back and forth in it?” Timberwolves sixth man Naz Reid said.
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Knicks by 1 1/2.
What to know: The Knicks were outscored 28-15 by the upstart Hawks in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden in Game 2, a one-point loss to stew on as they seek to regain home-court advantage in the series. Even in the Game 1 win, the Knicks saw a 19-point lead with a little more than three minutes left shrink to eight in the closing seconds. “We’ve got to play better with the lead,” point guard Jalen Brunson said. The Hawks have plenty of reason for optimism as they come home, considering they split the first two games with little beyond the clutch play of veteran C.J. McCollum to relish from their performance.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 8 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Cavaliers lead 2-0.
Betting line: Cavaliers by 3 1/2.
What to Know: The Cavs are seeking a 3-0 lead in a first-round series for the second straight year. If they get there, they would set an NBA postseason opponent record with a 13th straight playoff win over the Raptors. Donovan Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven playoff games, averaging 33.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists during that span. Cleveland is 21-7 when its lineup includes James Harden, who became the second player in franchise history with at least 28 points and five steals in the 115-105 win in Game 2 on Monday. Toronto point guard Immanuel Quickley has missed the first two games with a left hamstring strain and remains questionable. Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram is aiming to bounce back after going 3 of 15 from the field and only scoring seven points in Game 2. “He’s our go-guy guy. We trust him and believe in him. We know he’s going to get shots to drop,” Scottie Barnes said.
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Nuggets by 2 1/2.
What to know: With so much recent drama between these division rivals — who are facing off in the postseason for the third time in four years — and plenty of chippy play on the court over the first two games, this series is just getting started. After erasing a 19-point deficit early in the second quarter to win 119-114 in Game 2, Minnesota took some momentum home from the Mile High City. Edwards recorded his sixth 30-point game against Denver in 14 playoff meetings, and guard Donte DiVincenzo was all over the court with a game-high plus-20 rating and 16 points. He’s 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the series. The Nuggets claimed to be unbothered by the postgame barb from Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who said Minnesota’s best offensive strategy was to continue to directly attack the Nuggets because they’re “all bad defenders.”
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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York and AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves got the superstar bump they needed from Anthony Edwards to win Game 2 at Denver and square up their intensifying first-round playoff series with the Nuggets.
Edwards contributed 30 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a loud voice of encouragement for his teammates. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had already been reassured by Edwards’ influence as the four-time All-Star left the court following a lackluster performance in Game 1.
“He was calm and gave confidence to the guys,” Finch said, reflecting on the series opener after practice on Wednesday. “When we were down early and big, he was really into them with the right messages, to stay calm but to do the things that were asked to be done — put a little bit more work in, be a little smarter with the fouling, all that kind of stuff. So I thought that was really key.”
Edwards was instrumental in urging Rudy Gobert on to a dominant defensive effort against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. He has also demonstrated his leadership by playing through the right knee pain that sidelined him for 11 of the last 13 regular-season games.
“It definitely uplifts me. I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t give my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level,” teammate Julius Randle said.
For the Timberwolves to beat the team that has recently become their biggest rival three more times and reach the second round, they will need a steady supply of Edwards’ energy on both ends of the court, on the bench and in the locker room.
The Nuggets are sure to bring their own moxie on the road to Minnesota for Game 3 between these well-matched opponents on Thursday. The other Game 3s on Thursday are New York at Atlanta and Cleveland at Toronto.
Over the last four years, including the regular season and playoffs, the Timberwolves and Nuggets have each won 15 of their last 30 meetings.
“Who doesn’t love a big game? Who doesn’t want to wake up for a game with a lot of excitement, a lot of back and forth in it?” Timberwolves sixth man Naz Reid said.
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Knicks by 1 1/2.
What to know: The Knicks were outscored 28-15 by the upstart Hawks in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden in Game 2, a one-point loss to stew on as they seek to regain home-court advantage in the series. Even in the Game 1 win, the Knicks saw a 19-point lead with a little more than three minutes left shrink to eight in the closing seconds. “We’ve got to play better with the lead,” point guard Jalen Brunson said. The Hawks have plenty of reason for optimism as they come home, considering they split the first two games with little beyond the clutch play of veteran C.J. McCollum to relish from their performance.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 8 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Cavaliers lead 2-0.
Betting line: Cavaliers by 3 1/2.
What to Know: The Cavs are seeking a 3-0 lead in a first-round series for the second straight year. If they get there, they would set an NBA postseason opponent record with a 13th straight playoff win over the Raptors. Donovan Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven playoff games, averaging 33.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists during that span. Cleveland is 21-7 when its lineup includes James Harden, who became the second player in franchise history with at least 28 points and five steals in the 115-105 win in Game 2 on Monday. Toronto point guard Immanuel Quickley has missed the first two games with a left hamstring strain and remains questionable. Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram is aiming to bounce back after going 3 of 15 from the field and only scoring seven points in Game 2. “He’s our go-guy guy. We trust him and believe in him. We know he’s going to get shots to drop,” Scottie Barnes said.
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Nuggets by 2 1/2.
What to know: With so much recent drama between these division rivals — who are facing off in the postseason for the third time in four years — and plenty of chippy play on the court over the first two games, this series is just getting started. After erasing a 19-point deficit early in the second quarter to win 119-114 in Game 2, Minnesota took some momentum home from the Mile High City. Edwards recorded his sixth 30-point game against Denver in 14 playoff meetings, and guard Donte DiVincenzo was all over the court with a game-high plus-20 rating and 16 points. He’s 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the series. The Nuggets claimed to be unbothered by the postgame barb from Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who said Minnesota’s best offensive strategy was to continue to directly attack the Nuggets because they’re “all bad defenders.”
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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York and AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
Jamey-Lyn Horth says she barely has a scratch on her – which is ironic considering all the head-scratching she’s done since Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 273 loss.
The fight was the third fight on the preliminary card, but ended up a main talking point from the event at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Horth (9-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to JJ Aldrich (15-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) with 29-28s turned in from all three judges. Despite the consistent ruling from the three people with the most important opinions, many viewers who watched the fight were left stunned when Joe Martinez announced the final verdict.
“I would say we were completely confident we won that fight, and even I think when her hand was raised, (Aldrich) didn’t smile,” Horth told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “She didn’t look happy at all.”
Horth usually waits a little while to watch back her fights, but this one was different. She sought an answer for Saturday’s result, so she watched it back Monday. Her coaches all watched it individually, as well.
Was the team’s perception in the moment warped? Did their memories mislead them?
The answer to each of those questions was “no,” Horth said.
“When I watched it, I’m like, 44 seconds of cage control, but over the entire fight,” Horth said. “I had the center of the cage and was moving forward, and she was moving back. I mean, you even hear her coaches say to her, ‘We gotta stop moving back, we can stand with her, we can exchange with her,’ and it’s like they acknowledged it blatantly on TV that she was constantly moving back. The significant strikes that I landed, the damage that I had, not that it means anything post-fight, but she left on a stretcher to the hospital. So it’s like, I don’t really know at what point we didn’t control the center of the ring, land the more significant strikes, and do more damage. I mean, that’s kind of the criteria for judging, if I’m not mistaken. So I’m not really sure. The only thing is the 44 seconds of her two attempts to take me down, which were unsuccessful. So yeah, I’m not too sure.”
While the final scorecards presented the same tally, a round-by-round analysis shows the three judges only agreed on one round: Round 3 for Aldrich. The first and second rounds were split among the judges.
One judge, Junichiro Kamijo, is a widely-used judge with hundreds of UFC fights worked. However, the other two judges didn’t have nearly the same experience level. Dr. Greg Jackson had not scored a UFC fight since 2018 and Laura Baldwin had never scored a UFC fight prior to Saturday’s event.
According to Tapology, the province of Manitoba had only held three combat sports events between 2019 and Saturday. Horth wondered if perhaps lack of repetitions could have contributed to the final outcome, and theorized a potential solution if that was indeed the problem.
“The fact that Manitoba isn’t really a place that has a lot of events, they haven’t had a UFC fight there since 2017, does that play into it?” Horth said. “That the commission isn’t very much immersed and not getting involved frequently in this position? Are they ringside, etc.? Are they up to date on the criteria? I’m sure this is all tru., I’m sure they have all these things, but my initial thoughts are like, we have a UFC roster that travels around with the UFC, and then the commission in each jurisdiction is different. But with judging, is there any way to have more consistent judging? Like with referees, where you have a pool of referees that you bring with you wherever you go. Is there not some way to maybe have some sort of judging where you have a certain amount of judges so that the testing and the criteria for judging is relatively the same for every fight and every fighter?”
Media and fans largely disagreed with the official decision, with 92 percent of fans scoring the fight for Aldrich and nine of 10 media members doing the same (per MMA Decisions).
Horth said Iridium Sports Agency, which represents her, is weighing options about a potential appeal. However, scoring appeals leading to action seldom result in anything besides a denial. Given that, Horth remains optimistic, as she awaits her next fight offer.
It’s a silver lining that doesn’t offset half of her potential pay evaporating, but Horth hopes the promotion views the fight as a win as they continue to handle her career going forward.
“I know my agents are very much connected with the matchmakers and the team with the UFC, and I trust that they’ll get me set up and sort of figure things out,” Horth said. “That’s kind of why I think I have this weird intuitive feeling in my gut that something’s gonna happen, and I just don’t know what it is. But I really do feel like there’s been some conversations with my agent (Jason House) and some of the UFC team, and they felt sort of along the lines of, ‘What the f*ck?’ And yeah, I hope that having a loss on my record is one thing, but it’s just like the trajectory of which I feel like I was climbing and sort of getting favorable fights or matchups and being treated as, ‘maybe this was just a mistake that we just can’t actually overturn, but we can sort of work on.'”
Stephon Marbury is asking for a pen and paper. The waitress brings him an envelope.
To Marbury, the envelope, like many things in his life, has become a basketball court. On this court, constructed with a few strokes of a pen, Jalen Brunson sits at the center. And he’s on an island defending C.J. McCollum, the Atlanta Hawks guard who scored 32 points to hand the Knicks their first loss of the playoffs to even the series at one game apiece on Monday.
Four of his six of his fourth-quarter points, McCollum admitted after the victory, came via brush screens intentionally designed to switch Brunson onto the Hawks’ crafty-scoring guard. On one possession, McCollum used a between-the-legs dribble into a crossover, the “UTEP two-step,” to knock the Knicks’ captain off-balance.
“It’s gonna come down to strategy with Mike Brown,” says Marbury, seated on the 100th floor of a sleek high-rise overlooking Central Park. “It’s gonna come down to structure and strategy with Mike Brown — and I believe he’s going to make the adjustments.”
The Knicks head to Atlanta with more questions than answers as a team with an NBA Finals mandate that has now ceded home-court advantage. Chief among those questions is what adjustments the Knicks will make on both ends of the floor around Brunson, who holds the keys to the Knicks’ title run.
And their future as currently constructed.
“You know that they’re running a high pick and roll. It’s really like a brush screen, just so you can switch. And it’s slow. Like, it’s like stand there, touch his body, drag him down,” Marbury explains. “And now you’ve gotta switch. And it’s embarrassing if you don’t switch, ‘cause you on the court, on the island, by yourself in the NBA. So you standing there like, “Damn.’
“I could literally walk real slow and just grab you like, ‘it’s time,’ and that’s the switch. Now, you’ve gotta stomp your feet, slap the ground, and just get ready every time.”
That future could very well hinge on how effectively the Knicks can cover for their All-Star scoring guard on the defensive end. McCollum called Brunson’s number over and over again to help his Hawks win Game 2. Marbury offered a solution, a newer defensive coverage teams have deployed in recent months to keep weaker defenders off of premier scoring threats.
But it will require all five Knicks on the floor to be on a string.
“Jalen will have to get over the screen on C.J.’s hip and push him downhill, then whoever’s man is creating the switch, they’ll stay in the help position to make C.J. pass the ball. Then, the wing man will cheat over to the middle, and the [Knicks’] corner man will have two men: [Atlanta’s] wing man and the corner man,” Marbury explains. “If Jalen blitzes the screen, now if C.J. goes to drive and the help defender is in the blue position, Jalen can switch back to his man. He can switch to the other guy.
“And that’s how you kill it. Now we’re gonna watch, and we’re gonna see if they’re gonna make that adjustment. Because [Atlanta is] gonna run the same play. They’re gonna do it old-school and make us adjust.”
DISTURBING FREEDOM
These days, Marbury spends his time building WellBall, what he calls the “pickleball of basketball.” That time was interrupted on Monday.
Because, of course, he saw the tweet.
Words Marbury never associated with his Knicks career reached nearly 1 million viewers when a NY Post reporter denigrated the ex-point guard’s time with the franchise. The post included a video from the Knicks’ own social media account of Marbury supporting the team courtside during Game 1.
“The celebration of Stephon Marbury is such a strange thing,” the NY Post reporter wrote. “He was a terrible Knick. Dragged down the franchise for five years. Won zero playoff games.”
Those words are buried inside the archives of Marbury’s iMessage app, incoming and outgoing messages alike, disturbing the freedom he’s worked hard to create.
“I get it. I understand. Things happen. Things didn’t go well,” he says. “But the purity of New York basketball is in my DNA.
“I’m the wrong one. I’m the kid from Coney Island, for real.”
Marbury amassed a 113-174 record during his four-plus seasons in New York. His Knicks went to the playoffs once and were swept by the New Jersey Nets, who lost in the second round to the eventual NBA champion Detroit Pistons.
Marbury was in his late 20s then. Twenty years have passed since his final season in New York. Today, he wants to see the Knicks — yes, the “Nova Knicks” — reach heights he couldn’t during his time in orange and blue.
“I was a Knicks fan before I was ever a Knick. My mom was a Knicks fan. I was a Knicks fan in the womb. I’m almost close to half of a century living on this Earth being a Knicks fan,” he says. “This is why people in your industry are being replaced by former players. What [the NY Post reporter] said doesn’t matter. It gets voided when real people who’ve been on the hardwood speak.”
Marbury admits his years in New York weren’t the best. But when he first joined the Knicks, he got on a plane with then president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas. Thomas, who took the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles, gave him a blueprint on leading a team through tumultuous times as a floor general.
“He said, ‘Teams bring you in when there’s a sh-t storm. You are able to weather the storm when things are going bad, and you’ll come in and just play and do what you do,’” Marbury recalled. “I’ll put on my sneakers. I’m gonna lace them up. I’m gonna play. A lot of people have their opinion about how I played, and I can submit in the moment that I wasn’t perfect in all of what I’ve done.
“But I tried. I was trying, and I came ready, and I came prepared. People that are unprepared, I think those are the people who [critics] will be able to look at and contest. Some of the people that are in my draft class, I lap them. And I’m talking about years played. Not even talent or stats.”
NOTHING WITH CAP
Marbury and Brunson don’t have a relationship, but the former Knick sees a little bit of himself in New York’s current captain.
“His ground attack is crazy, but right now he makes a lot of moves, and when you make a lot of moves, it takes a lot of energy,” Marbury says. “It’s a lot of movement to breathe through all that. He’s conditioned to do it, so he makes it look easy. But it’s super hard to do.”
Marbury believes Brunson has what it takes to make good on James Dolan’s January mandate: that he can lift the Knicks to their first NBA title since 1973.
“We’re behind [Jalen]. We support him, but we also want him to make adjustments,” he says. “Jalen is the guy that we want and we love because he’s a great human being. Now, he’s in the process of making his adjustments towards being a leader worthy of building two statues outside The Garden.
“You’d have to literally build him, then build one with him, Clyde and all the other dudes, if he wins a title.”
To get there, Brunson has to adjust, not just on the defensive end, but offensively, too. He can get his own shot at any moment, but far too often, the offense stagnates: It happened in crunch time against the Hawks when Brunson took eight shots in the final eight minutes while Karl-Anthony Towns took just two.
“I feel like Jalen Brunson has to play like Allen Iverson and John Stockton. He has to find the balance. I don’t think it’s a hard transition for him because he’s smart, and he’s astute, and because he’s smart and astute, he’s aware of what happened,” Marbury says. “Right now, this is the first four years of him being the man where he’s making decisions and he’s going on the court. He’s playing at the highest level and everything is in his hand.
“And he’s got all of the support. We are going to support him because we believe him and we trust him. We believe that. I believe that.”
In the locker room after the Game 2 loss, several Knicks players pointed to the same issue: a lack of ball movement and fluidity down the stretch, when the Hawks closed on a 20-9 run to erase a 14-point deficit.
“We’ll wait and watch and see if that’s something that [Jalen’s] going to do. Because if he makes that adjustment — if he plays like Stockton and Iverson — yeah. We’re going to witness what we all started to believe in and trust in,” Marbury says. “And why we call him Mr. Clutch.”
Marbury also believes Brunson needs more help — from both his coach and his co-star. He wants the Knicks to run more traditional high pick-and-roll with their two All-Stars — “not that Spain action,” he says — and believes Towns has to be more forceful in demanding the ball.
“KAT’s not going to get plays drawn up in this system with Coach Brown. He has to assert himself. He has to demand — he has to demand the ball come his way, man,” Marbury says. “It’s different when you demand something. When you command it, now it’s like, ‘OK, that’s what we’re doing. We’re going there.’ When he puts his hand up and demands the ball, everybody knows to throw it.”
That’s one side of the ball.
The other is Brunson’s own matchup. Because McCollum isn’t going anywhere. And a player used to diagnosing opposing defenses now must do the same to his own.
“What he takes from [Game 2] and how he grows from that night — that’s him. That’s going to be the truth and true honesty in the next game,” Marbury said. “It’s not about playing harder or scoring more or not missing any shots. That’s not it. It’s evaluating how they play him. How am I going to play defensively?
“Am I going to submit and say, look, this is where I need help at? Am I thinking about knowing that I have a weakness right now and now everyone sees it? Everybody in the gym knew it. The whole world sees I can’t defend C.J. McCollum, and I’m gonna have to guard him in the next game.
“How are we gonna prep? And how are you gonna prepare to play against him?”
The NFL Draft is nearly upon us, and the Kansas City Chiefs are dotting their I’s and crossing their T’s to finalize the draft board.
Holding two first-round picks, the franchise can turbocharge the roster rebuild under Brett Veach.
For ESPN’s Matt Miller, in his latest mock draft, he has the Chiefs taking Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 9, and at No. 29, corner Chris Johnson.
But that’s not the headline. It’s what Miller writes about Rashee Rice’s future.
“I believe wide receivers would be in play if the board fell differently, as a team source mentioned that Rashee Rice’s off-field conduct might prevent the Chiefs from re-signing him after his deal expires following the 2026 season,” Miller wrote. “Xavier Worthy also has not broken out yet, but this mock draft is not favorable for K.C. getting a wideout here.”
Well, going by what the team source said about Rice’s off-field issues, it appears that is certainly in play, which, to me, is big news.
In the final year of his rookie deal, it feels like the Chiefs are uncertain as to whether they will be able ot re-sign him after this season, and that would leave a huge hole in Patrick Mahomes’ offense.
Of course, it doesn’t mean the Chiefs won’t re-sign Rice, but it is certainly on the board, at least right now.
As such, the Chiefs might look to add a receiver at No. 29, as insurance.
