There’s still time for a few more mock drafts before the real thing kicks off Thursday night in downtown Pittsburgh. But while most fans- even the casuals- have heard the popular shortlist of names linked to the Cowboys in the first round, things can change when you look at the coming draft haul in toto.
With eight picks over three days, the Cowboys simply can’t address all their deficiencies in Round 1. No matter what they do with Picks No. 12 and 20, there will still be holes that need filling. And that’s just the defense. Dallas’s third-round pick, its fourth-round pick, and its three fifth-rounders will have to do some of the lifting, too.
That’s the approach ESPN’s Justin Reid takes with his last mock of the cycle, forecasting all seven rounds of selections for all 32 teams. His picks come from the latest intel from league sources as well as team needs, and while they don’t include any trades, they do provide a clear strategy for how the Cowboys can look to turn their defense- and, by extension, the whole team- around.
1.12: S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
This spot is a little higher than the Oregon product has typically been going in mock drafts, but Reid points outs that Thieneman “has continued to rise throughout each stage of the predraft process.” He’s seen as a versatile defender who can make an impact in pass coverage but also come up and stop the run with regularity… and the Cowboys do need help in both areas.
1.20: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Dallas stays in the secondary, taking one of the many cornerbacks they hosted for an official visit. He hasn’t gotten the buzz that other top corners have, but “Johnson is an ascending prospect about whom multiple sources have raved” in recent weeks, per Reid. Four interceptions, two returned for scores, and zero TDs allowed when targeted in 2025? Yes, please.
3.92: LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
After a long wait between picks, the Cowboys land an intriguing Dallas Day prospect in Elarms-Orr. A latecomer to football, he didn’t become a full-time inside linebacker until 2023, so he’s still raw. Teams supposedly fell in love with his work ethic and athleticism, though, during the predraft cycle. Reid says he “could make a quick impact” next to DeMarvion Overshown.
4.112: EDGE Max Llewellyn, Iowa
The one-year Hawkeyes starter was among the tallest defensive ends at this year’s scouting combine. That and his relentless pass-rush motor could make him an option on Day 3, after the R Mason Thomases and Romello Heights have been taken. He’s better right now as a pass-rusher than a run defender, but Iowa guys have a reputation as being extremely coachable.
5.152: EDGE George Gumbs Jr., Florida
Not using an early selection on one premier edge rusher may force the Cowboys to hedge their bets and take several project players at the position. Gumbs was a walk-on wide receiver at Northern Illinois who transitioned to tight end and then edge rusher before heading to Florida. He learned the position quickly and has logged 21 tackles for loss in his three years at DE.
5.177: CB Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston
McCutchin bounced around three different programs- Oklahoma, USC, and Houston and had to give up a year of ball due to transferring a second time. The 23-year-old is a tough and passionate player who may have to rely on special teams as a way to make a roster while he refines his coverage skills. Dallas still has question marks at corner; depth may be the answer.
5.180: DT Bryson Eason, Tennessee
Reid leaves Louisville’s Rene Konga- a player the Cowboys have demonstrated clear interest in- on the board here and instead mocks Eason to Dallas. Konga is viewed as the better prospect, though Eason has 30 more pounds of mass. The Volunteer also tallied 55 tackles and registered 11.5 tackles for loss over the past two years, all stats that top Konga’s production.
7.218: RB Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
The Cowboys finally go offense with their final pick, adding another young RB to a room that already has Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Not making the nostalgic pick of E.J. Smith (Emmitt’s son) here and instead taking his backfield teammate may rankle some Cowboys fans, but Moss is actually a top-15 running back in this year’s class, providing nice value in the seventh round.
Ilia Topuria hasn’t lost a shred of confidence throughout his unexpected hiatus.
Returns don’t get much bigger for the reigning UFC lightweight champion, who’s preparing for a trip to Washington, D.C. as the UFC White House headliner on June 14. Since talk of the event began last year, speculation abounded about a spectacle to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States — and more specifically, the literal 80th birthday of sitting U.S. President Donald Trump. Ultimately, Topuria won the sweepstakes, signing on to make his first 155-pound title defense against interim champ Justin Gaethje.
Speaking Monday on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Topuria explained what he believes to be the reason for his placement atop one of the UFC’s most ambitious events in its 32-year history.
“It may sound a little bit cocky, but I feel that I’m one of the biggest names right now that the UFC has,” Topuria told Uncrowned. “If they are going to have one of the biggest events in their history, they are going to have — they have to have their biggest stars on the card. So I knew it since the first moment that that event was announced, that I will be on that card.”
Topuria, 29, hasn’t fought since claiming lightweight gold in a vacant title bid against former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last June. Initially targeted to help launch the promotion’s new deal with Paramount in January, Topuria instead took a brief leave of absence to deal with personal issues related to his separation from his longtime partner.
But lofty goals have long been at the forefront of Topuria’s mind. Undefeated since the start of his professional run in 2015, Topuria (17-0) relinquished his UFC featherweight title in April 2025 when he made the permanent move to his current division. For the UFC White House card, rumors swirled that he might repeat his recent history, moving up in weight once again to pursue welterweight gold against Islam Makhachev.
This time would have been different, Topuria said Monday. Unlike his featherweight departure, he would have returned to lightweight after challenging Makhachev, regardless of how his attempt to claim triple-champion status went.
It didn’t matter in the end, as once again a superfight with Makhachev failed to materialize, marking the second time that’s occurred — the first being when Makhachev left the lightweight division in 2025, opening the door for Topuria’s vacant title bout.
“Listen, I don’t know the real story,” Topuria said of why the Makhachev fight was unable to come together. “What I know is that the first phone call that I got [from UFC], I had two options: Islam and Justin Gaethje. We said we want Islam because it’s a bigger fight and all that. Then, the day before they were about to announce the event, they called me in the middle of the night, they wake me up and they told me, ‘Islam is injured. Something happened with his hand or whatever, and you are going to fight Justin.’ [My manager] Malki Kawa had to go through a lot of negotiations with every fight that we close. And finally, I’m fighting Justin. That’s the story from my side. That’s all I know.
“Whatever happens, it’s good for me. If it’s Islam? Good. It’s Justin? Good. The result is going to be the same.”
Makhachev has yet to defend his 170-pound title after a dominant unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November. Had Topuria gotten the chance to follow his fellow pound-for-pound great, he firmly believes he’d do the unthinkable once again.
“When I get the opportunity to fight with someone, I always think about what can I do to really shock the world,” Topuria said. “So with Islam, I’m like, to shock the world, I have to submit him. So this is what I think that’s going to happen. I’m going to take him down, and I’m going to submit him.
“Don’t be surprised when you’re going to see that happen. He’s good. Everyone is good. Justin is good. Alex [Volkanovski] is good. Charles is good. Max [Holloway] is good. Everyone is good. But I’m different.”
Until one of the UFC’s two top champions fall from their thrones, Makhachev vs. Topuria will remain the peak fantasy fight of this era. Thankfully, lightweight always offers intriguing title fights at the top of the division, despite not having seen a champion lose their belt inside the Octagon since Conor McGregor dethroned Eddie Alvarez in 2016.
Topuria’s first challenger fits the underdog role in historic fashion ahead of the UFC’s White House event. Gaethje is a massive underdog at present, with Topuria currently listed as the -1000 betting favorite, according to BetMGM.
Consider it business as usual for the thus-far unbeatable “Matador.”
<p>Ilia Topuria is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters is the world.</p>
Ian Maule via Getty Images
“If he’s not going to start walking backward, I’m going to knock him out in the first round,” Topuria said of Gaethje. “As I always say, I feel that no one can match my level of skills inside the Octagon. And when I say that, they start calling me cocky, that I’m this, that I’m that. But prove me wrong. It didn’t happen yet.”
Gaethje claimed the interim lightweight title at the UFC’s aforementioned January event, when he met Topuria’s longstanding rival, Paddy Pimblett, at UFC 324.
Gaethje and Pimblett battled for the full 25 minutes, bloodying each other in a typical Gaethje effort. The loss snapped Pimblett’s undefeated momentum that dated back to his UFC debut, and in the mind of the champion, drastically exposed England’s “Baddy.”
What was once an easy grudge match with Pimblett to make for the UFC matchmakers is all but a pipe dream at this point, says Topuria.
“I was a little surprised of how bad Paddy really is,” Topuria said.
“I was expecting him to win, be honest. I was expecting him to take Justin down, to — I don’t know — do a different fight. Like to really fight. But what he did inside the Octagon in that fight, it surprised me a little bit. He really proved that he’s a little sausage.”
Topuria doesn’t necessarily believe the loss will spell the end for Pimblett, but he’s confident it marks the last chance Pimblett ever works his way back to the title.
“Rebound from what? From a loss? Of course, but how he’s going to gain the skills, the technique in the sport [to compete for a UFC championship]? Like, that’s basically impossible. He needs to die and be born again,” Topuria said.
“Now he’s too far [away in contention for us ever to fight]. We don’t see Paddy in the horizon. We don’t see him anymore. Bye, Paddy. I didn’t even have to go inside the Octagon to beat him. So that feels even a little bit better, to be honest.”
<p>Justin Gaethje (left) battered Paddy Pimblett in their January title bout.</p>
Chris Unger via Getty Images
Aside from Topuria’s exclusion from the January title bout, the absence of top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan from UFC 324 was also a glaring omission. The Armenian had recently extended his UFC win streak to five straight after a second-round submission of Dan Hooker.
The interim title’s creation added a hitch to the entire lightweight landscape. But if Tsarukyan had been next up for Topuria, the champ wouldn’t have complained.
“As I said in many interviews, I just got the call. They offered me Islam or Justin. I picked Islam, then they told me that Islam was injured. I was told that I was facing Justin,” Topuria said. “If they call me tomorrow and they tell me that Justin is injured and I have to fight Arman, I will fight Arman. No problem. If they call me and they tell me that Arman is injured, I have to fight [Uncrowned’s] Ariel [Helwani], I’m going to fight Ariel. No problem. I go whoever, whenever.”
Still, Topuria couldn’t care less for his potential future rival.
“I’m really impressed with how dumb he is. He’s a r*****. I don’t know. He looks like a kid. He’s a kid. Like his mentality, he’s dumb as f***. I don’t know — everything that I saw about him in the internet, it’s embarrassing, a little bit,” Topuria said.
“F*** Arman. Who cares about him? The thing that I don’t like is when they play that ‘they’re rich’ [card] and they show all that money. It’s like, bro, you’re not even rich. You’re that poor that the only thing that you have is money, and you’re spending your father’s money, not even yours. So you know what I mean, he’s a f***ing kid. You know how they play all that, like they’re all gangsters? When we cross paths, they are like, ‘Oh, how are you? All good?’ They smile. They’re like humble, normal human beings. But on Twitter, everyone is a gangster. Everyone is like, ‘Oh, let’s solve this in the street and all that.’ Bro, I’m a professional athlete. I’m not a street fighter. I’m not a gangster. I don’t know if it’s for show. I think it’s because they are dumb as f***.
“He’s not on my level. If we cross paths, I’m going to break his jaw in the first round. What is he going to do? He’s going to take me down? Please, listen to me. Calm down, calm down — do your thing. Go to those wrestling tournaments. Do your streams. Whenever the moment that arrives, just make sure to show up, and I’m going to do the rest. The little weasel.”
Atlanta Braves All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Monday’s game against the Nationals after Washington starter Jake Irvin hit him on the left hand with a fastball.
The hit-by-pitch was the second of the night for Acuña on an offering from Irvin. The pitch that knocked Acuña out of the game took place in the top of the sixth inning as Washington held a 3-2 lead.
Irvin hit Acuña with a 91 mph fastball on an 0-1 count. Acuña immediately recoiled in pain, then shot a glare at Irvin as the Washington home crowd booed the proceedings.
Acuña was able to take first base and eventually came around to score as Atlanta posted five runs in the inning to take a 7-3 lead. But he didn’t return to his place in right field. Eli White replaced him on defense in the bottom of the sixth.
The Braves announced that initial X-Rays were negative, and that Acuña was considered day-to-day with his injury. The team didn’t initially provide further details on his condition.
Atlanta Braves All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Monday’s game against the Nationals after Washington starter Jake Irvin hit him on the left hand with a fastball.
The hit-by-pitch was the second of the night for Acuña on an offering from Irvin. The pitch that knocked Acuña out of the game took place in the top of the sixth inning as Washington held a 3-2 lead.
Irvin hit Acuña with a 91 mph fastball on an 0-1 count. Acuña immediately recoiled in pain, then shot a glare at Irvin as the Washington home crowd booed the proceedings.
Acuña was able to take first base and eventually came around to score as Atlanta posted five runs in the inning to take a 7-3 lead. But he didn’t return to his place in right field. Eli White replaced him on defense in the bottom of the sixth.
The Braves announced that initial X-Rays were negative, and that Acuña was considered day-to-day with his injury. The team didn’t initially provide further details on his condition.
Atlanta Braves All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. left Monday’s game against the Nationals after Washington starter Jake Irvin hit him on the left hand with a fastball.
The hit-by-pitch was the second of the night for Acuña on an offering from Irvin. The pitch that knocked Acuña out of the game took place in the top of the sixth inning as Washington held a 3-2 lead.
Irvin hit Acuña with a 91 mph fastball on an 0-1 count. Acuña immediately recoiled in pain, then shot a glare at Irvin as the Washington home crowd booed the proceedings.
Acuña was able to take first base and eventually came around to score as Atlanta posted five runs in the inning to take a 7-3 lead. But he didn’t return to his place in right field. Eli White replaced him on defense in the bottom of the sixth.
The Braves announced that initial X-Rays were negative, and that Acuña was considered day-to-day with his injury. The team didn’t initially provide further details on his condition.
With the Eagles seemingly wanting to part ways with a receiver who has become disgruntled, and the Patriots in need of more weapons for Drake Maye, plus the Mike Vrabel connection, it seems clear that Brown will be on the move.
Most know that a post-June 1 trade is the most likely, as the Eagles will save a lot of cap space, and, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes, all roads lead to Brown becoming a Patriot in a couple of months.
“The Patriots remain at the forefront of trade talks for Brown,” Schefter wrote. “Another team could always emerge, and there’s a lot of time between now and June 1. But as of now, multiple sources say they believe Brown will likely become a Patriot.”
It has felt like, for the past handful of weeks, that Brown was only ever going to go to New England, and worst-case scenario, he stayed an Eagle.
But everything that is now coming out about the proposed trade has us thinking it is a matter of when this deal will be done, and after June 1, it will likely move forward.
The Eagles have stated that they want fair compensation for Brown, which most think is a first-round pick, so that would likely be a 2027 selection.
Other teams could come sniffing for Brown as the June 1 date gets closer, but as Schefter stated, all roads lead to Brown being in the AFC East in 2026.
New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp is watching the rumors and speculation surrounding LIV Golf like the rest of the golf world.
While the Tour will consider new avenues for players to return from the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit, a topic that has been circulating again in recent days after reports that LIV Golf was about to have its funding pulled and shut down, Rolapp doesn’t seem to be in a rush to get anything done on that front.
“We’re all reading the same headlines you’re reading. We don’t know what’s going on over there,” Rolapp said on ESPN on Monday. “We know those guys are under contract. We’ll respect that.”
Rumors erupted last week that LIV Golf was in danger of losing its financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and potentially facing a shutdown. The league’s Mexico City tournament ended up taking place without issue, and LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said that the league is “funded through the [2026] season.”
O’Neil’s comments came during a TV interview that was later deleted on social media, however, and there are now significant questions about the league’s long-term viability. The PIF has poured billions into LIV Golf to try and make the startup a legitimate competitor to the PGA Tour since it started in 2022. But the PIF appears to be reconsidering its strategy funding sports-related endeavors.
Questions about LIV Golf’s future aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. If the league does end up folding, there are several big names who would likely look to return to the Tour and still be legitimate competitors — including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith. Those three were eligible to return under the returning members program earlier this year, but declined to do so before the deadline.
That is what allowed Brooks Koepka to make the jump back and immediately start playing. Koepka ended his contract with LIV Golf early and rejoined the Tour in January while agreeing to several conditions. Among other things, he can’t accept any player equity shares for the next five years, isn’t eligible for the FedExCup bonus program this season and has to earn his way into the field at signature events.
Even though there is plenty to speculate about, Rolapp isn’t going to jump the gun or put any restrictions on what is possible down the road. Koepka’s situation was unique, and whatever happens in the coming months is sure to be, too.
“Brooks came back on to the Tour because he made a phone call and said, ‘Look, I’m out of my contract, I’m ready to come back,’ so we’re thinking about it,” Rolapp said. “We’ll react when we have an opportunity to react, but right now we’re focused on making the PGA Tour better.
“But listen, I’ve said it publicly and I’ll say it again: I’m interested in whatever makes the PGA Tour better. That’s what my job is. That’s what I’m interested in doing. That has no limit. That’s how I’ll focus on it.”
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — A mechanical issue with their charter plane forced the Toronto Blue Jays to bus from Phoenix to Southern California on Sunday night, a six-hour drive on a dark desert highway that got the team to its Orange County hotel at around 12:30 a.m.
“I felt like I was back in the Northwest League,” manager John Schneider said before Monday night’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. “But we made the best of it, we all got here safe, and we’re ready to go.”
Schneider said he was informed by Blue Jays traveling secretary Rodney Hiemstra of the mechanical problem at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, as the Blue Jays were finishing a 10-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“There was an issue with the joystick, which is pretty important — apparently, it’s used for takeoffs and landings,” Schneider said. “So the options were to get a new plane, which would have had to fly down from Vancouver and wouldn’t have landed until 10 p.m., or drive. We took a team vote, and the team voted to bus.”
While pitcher Dylan Cease, who was Monday night’s scheduled starter, flew commercial from Phoenix to Orange County, the team unloaded luggage and food from the charter plane and loaded it onto three buses — two for players and one for the rest of the traveling party of about 40, which included the coaching staff.
“The math was a little off,” Schneider said. “It worked out way better for the players, but there was a whole lot of doubling up for us. I had my own two seats, and I still had cases of water around me, and you feel bad reclining on people.”
Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer was on the losing side of the vote — he preferred the team fly to Orange County — but the veteran right-hander was still able to find some humor in the situation.
“I got reprimanded by Max for electing to travel that way,” Schneider said as he showed reporters a letter Scherzer printed out for the manager. “So we’re going to go to a trial in kangaroo court.
“I was like, ‘Max, why don’t you just buy a plane? You’ve got plenty of cash.’ Most of the guys who were playing (Monday night) wanted to get out of there.”
Previously, he had suited up for Alabama for two seasons before transferring within the SEC. He had his most productive season to date at Kentucky.
Mouhamed Dioubate logged 10 starts in 31 appearances. He averaged a career-high 8.8 points, while also chipping in 5.5 rebounds per game. He also perfectly averaged an assist, a block and a steal per game.
While Dioubate had shown some ability to drift out to 3-point range during his final season at Alabama, he was far less effective in that capacity at Kentucky. He shot 46.2% from 3-point range on 26 attempts at Alabama in 2024-25, but his percentage dipped to 21.4% on 28 attempts at Kentucky in 2025-26.
Regardless, he’s a high-motor player who checks in at 6 foot 7, 220 pounds. He should be a strong fit for new LSU coach Will Wade‘s system.
Mouhamed Dioubate turned in arguably his best game of the season in an NCAA Tournament opener against Santa Clara. He recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, an assist and a steal.
That was the 11th performance on the season in which Dioubate logged a double-digit scoring outing. He twice reached the 20-point mark, including with a 20-and-11 double-double against Eastern Illinois early in the year.
The talented Mouhamed Dioubate recorded two double-doubles during the 2025-26 season. Both came early in the year. Interestingly enough, those two games were the only games in which Dioubate reached double figures rebounding, though he was close a few other times.
Prior to enrolling at Alabama, Mouhamed Dioubate was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 99 overall recruit in his class. He checked in as the No. 23 small forward and the No. 4 overall player from his state.
