Its All About Viral News Around The World !: April 2021

Friday, 30 April 2021

Want to Move to Our Town? Here’s $10,000 and a Free Bike.

By Alyson Krueger from NYT Real Estate https://ift.tt/3e64qmo

‘Death Is the Only Truth.’ Watching India’s Funeral Pyres Burn.

By Aman Sethi from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3gRp3oc

100 U.S. colleges will require vaccinations to attend in-person classes in the fall.

By Cierra S. Queen and Jordan Allen from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/32Y3J8d

Inside the Chauvin Jury Room: 11 of 12 Jurors Were Ready to Convict Right Away

By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2QKpsOv

What Is ‘Cheugy’? You Know It When You See It.

By Taylor Lorenz from NYT Style https://ift.tt/32XYy8p

Good Luck to Republicans if Biden’s Family Plan Becomes Law

By Paul Krugman from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2QKBZkO

Grammy Awards scrap controversial voting committees

The anonymous committees had been accused of a lack of transparency and inclusivity in their choices.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3ufbcfi

New on Sports Illustrated: The Texans' Drafting of Davis Mills Makes it Clear They Don't Expect Deshaun Watson Back

Houston has finally acknowledged what it wouldn't earlier in the offseason: The team needs a new long-term answer at quarterback.

There is an ocean of information—

not to mention formal legal proceedings—to wade through before we could even begin to talk responsibly about the idea of Deshaun Watson seeing an NFL field again.

His story has taken on an eerie quiet of late, as the football world has thankfully taken a break from reporting on the relentless wave of trade rumors that preceded the lawsuits of 22 women alleging sexual misconduct during massages over the last two years. Even the most hardheaded among us understand the idea that this must run its course before we return Watson’s primary context to a children’s game.

But with their first draft pick of the Nick Caserio era, the Texans seemed to signal what they thought the landscape might look like whenever we reach that point. By picking Davis Mills, a high-upside quarterback out of Stanford who was once the most sought-after recruit in the country, Houston admitted what we all thought a few months ago for very different reasons: Watson has played his last down of football in Houston, and perhaps in the NFL, for some time.

The first half of that statement was true back when he demanded a trade, even when Caserio and the new staff didn’t want to admit it. Back then, the phone was unplugged from the wall and the team treated Watson’s desires like the flailing of an emotional teenager. One day, it would pass and we would all move on, their public messaging seemed to say. It is all clearly true now, given that the NFL has acknowledged opening an investigation, and that a team so threadbare at every position on the roster decided to use its most significant morsel of draft capital on a quarterback.

A spin through Houston’s team needs heading into the draft was dizzying. Entire position groups will likely fail to reach the cumulative replacement-level threshold necessary for mediocre football. Outside of running back, where a platoon of late-career veterans swung by for a cash grab, the Texans will have a mountainous journey ahead of them to present a passable product in 2021.

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Mills, like Tyrod Taylor, did not sign up for this. The situation will be chaotic and ugly. For the better part of a year, they’ll be operating under the cloud of circumstances beyond their control, as the organization struggles to lift itself out of both a disastrous personnel hole of its own making, and a crisis at the position that has mushroom clouded into something beyond its control.

As NFL Network noted during the broadcast, Mills did not have significant contact with the Texans throughout the process. He found out about their “interest” in him the moment most of the sentient football world did: late on Friday night when it was announced on TV. This isn’t subterfuge. This is grabbing a hold of the last sturdy object in the ground as the wind starts to pick up.

For the moment, this will be couched as pragmatism. Sure, if Watson’s situation suddenly clears and his grievances with the Texans magically subside, Mills remains a good player with high upside who can formidably back up a Pro Bowler and ably run Pep Hamilton’s offense. Pay no attention to what’s happening behind the curtain, because this is a move the Texans would have made regardless of the situation!

Of course, we all know that’s not the case. The team that has not come out and admitted, well, anything about their process (or lack thereof) to mollify Watson has said all it needed to say with the first chance it got to turn in a draft card. When the time is finally right to discuss the next phase of Watson’s football life, the hope in Houston is that the Texans will be in a place that doesn’t seem so chaotic, uncertain and wholly desperate as it does right now.

And maybe they’ll even have a blossoming young quarterback plucked out of the draft’s second-tier.

More NFL Draft Coverage:
• Live Tracker: Pick-by-pick grades
• Orr: Is Urban Meyer ready for Trevor Lawrence?
• Orr: Drafting Trey Lance will define Kyle Shanahan's legacy
• Vrentas: The Patriots' post-Brady era begins now

New on Sports Illustrated: Jayson Tatum Scores Career-High 60 Points as Celtics Rally From 32-Point Deficit

Tatum notched a career-high 60 points as Boston came back from a 32-point deficit to beat San Antonio in overtime.

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For a while, it seemed like the Celtics were doomed to drop their fifth loss in their last seven games, inching them closer to the NBA play-in tournament they'd so desperately love to avoid.

Instead, Jayson Tatum had other ideas.

Tatum scored a career-high 60 points as Boston rallied back from a 29-point halftime deficit to defeat the Spurs, 143-140, in overtime on Friday night.

The Celtics trailed by as many as 32 points in the second quarter and gave up 77 points in the first half before staging their comeback in the second half. Tatum shot 20-for-37 from the field to go along with eight rebounds, five assists, one block and no turnovers.

The outburst tied Tatum with Hall of Famer Larry Bird for the most points in franchise history, per ESPN Stats & Info. At 23 years and 58 days old, he's the second-youngest player to score 60 points in a game behind Devin Booker (20 years, 145 days).

The 29-point halftime deficit was the second-largest overcome in NBA history.

Friday marked Tatum's second 50-point game this month after he scored 53 against the Timberwolves on April 9, making him the first Celtic to have two 50-point games in the same season. He's the third player to score 60 points this season, joining Stephen Curry (62 against Portland on Jan. 3) and Bradley Beal (60 against Philadelphia on Jan. 6).

With the win, the Celtics are a half-game ahead of the Heat and remain in the No. 6 seed. On the season, Tatum is averaging 26.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Texans Draft Davis Mills in Third Round With Uncertainty at QB

With uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson's future with Houston, the Texans used its first pick of the 2021 draft on Stanford QB Davis Mills.

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The Texans used its first pick of the 2021 NFL draft on Stanford quarterback Davis Mills in the third round. Houston's first and second round selections were dealt as part of the Laremy Tunsil trade back in 2019.

With Deshaun Watson's status uncertain, it's not surprising the Texans are adding to the QB room. Watson is facing 22 civil lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.

Prior to Watson's legal issues, he expressed his frustrations with team brass and reportedly asked to be traded.

Mills was the eighth quarterback selected in the first 67 draft picks in this year's draft, and the third passer selected on Day 2.

The Norcross, Ga., native threw for 3,468 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions while averaging 7.9 yards per pass attempt in 11 starts in his college career.

Mills redshirted for the Cardinal in 2017 before backing up K.J. Costello in 2018. In his redshirt sophomore season in 2019, he made six starts and threw for more than 1,900 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In his final season at Stanford, Mills threw for 1,508 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 66.2% percent of his passes. The junior threw for seven touchdowns and three interceptions on the year.

Mills is the highest-drafted Stanford quarterback since former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was drafted No. 1 in the 2012 NFL draft.

The Texans finished the 2020 season 4-12 and third in the AFC South behind the Titans and the Colts.

More NFL Draft Coverage:

India's over-18s vaccination to start

The drive has begun to lag at a time when a second deadly wave is devastating the country.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Bucs Select Florida QB Kyle Trask With Second-Round Pick

Trask was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior at Florida and could potentially replace Tom Brady after the future Hall of Famer retires.

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Three months after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the defending champs might have just nabbed their quarterback of the future.

The Buccaneers selected Florida quarterback Kyle Trask with the final pick of the second round, acquiring a potential replacement for 43-year-old Tom Brady.

Trask put together a banner senior season at Florida, throwing for 4,283 yards with 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions, leading the country in scoring passes. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing fourth in the voting behind DeVonta Smith, Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones.

Florida coach Dan Mullen wished Trask well on Twitter, calling Trask "the true definition of perseverance and grit."

After five quarterbacks were selected in the top 15, none were taken until Trask's selection at pick No. 64. Trask will compete with Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin for the backup quarterback job behind Brady.

Brady will turn 44 in August and is set to begin his 22nd season in the NFL. Last year, he completed 65.7% of his passes for 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He threw 10 touchdown passes in the playoffs, including three in the Super Bowl to win Super Bowl MVP honors for the fifth time in his career.

Brady is currently under contract with the Bucs through the 2022 season after signing a contract extension in March.

More NFL Draft Coverage:

New on Sports Illustrated: LeBron James to Return From Sprained Ankle Friday vs. Kings

James hasn't played since March 20 after suffering a sprained ankle, and returns after a 20-game hiatus.

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At long last, the king has returned.

Lakers star LeBron James will return to action Friday night against the Kings, the team announced more than an hour before tip-off. James has been out since suffering a sprained ankle against the Hawks on March 20.

James has missed the team's last 20 games, during which the Lakers have posted an 8-12 record. The stretch marks the longest absence of James's 18-year career.

Speaking to reporters before the game, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said James would not have a hard cap on his minutes tonight, with the only guiding edict to "be responsible, per Bill Oram of The Athletic. Star big man Anthony Davis recently returned from injury and was limited to 17 minutes in his first game back. Since returning, Davis played in four games and averaged 16.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Prior to his injury, James had been among the frontrunners for the MVP award. In 41 games, he's averaging 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field and 36.8% on 3-point attempts.

With 10 games left in the regular season, the Lakers currently hold the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, one game ahead of the Mavericks for the No. 6 seed and two ahead of the Trail Blazers for the No. 7 seed.

More NBA Coverage:

Covid: Australians could face jail or fines if they return from India

Australia makes it temporarily illegal to return from India, which is being ravaged by Covid-19.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3ueMdZy

New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Veteran Anderson Varejão Reunites with Cavaliers

Varejão spent 12 seasons with the Cavaliers before going to play with the Warriors. He hasn't appeared in the NBA since 2017.

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Former Cavaliers and Warriors center Anderson Varejão plans to reunite with Cleveland for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, according to the Athletic's Shams Charania.

The 14-year NBA veteran spent 12 seasons with the Cavaliers before being acquired by the Warriors in 2016. Varejão has not played in a NBA game since 2017.

In Cleveland, Varejão averaged 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor. Varejão played in only 36 games across two seasons with the Warriors.

His most productive NBA seasons came in the 2011-12 (10.8 points, 11.5 rebounds) and 2012-13 (14.1 points, 14.4 rebounds) seasons where he averaged double figures in points and rebounds. Varejão was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2010.

Varejão was drafted at No. 30 by the Magic in the second round of the 2004 NBA draft. However, he along with Drew Gooden and Steven Hunter were traded to the Cavaliers in exchange for Tony Battie and two future second-round picks.

Currently, Cleveland (21-41) sits two spots from the bottom in the Eastern Conference standings.

More NBA:

• Beck: The Tanking Era As We Know It Is Over
• Herring: What's Next for the Knicks Now and Beyond?
• Pina: Bam Adebayo Is the NBA's Most Underrated Defender
• P.J. Tucker Q&A: Tucker opens up on being traded to Bucks

New on Sports Illustrated: Broncos Trade Up to Steal North Carolina RB Javonte Williams at No. 35

Broncos trade their picks (40 and 114) for Falcons' pick 35 and 219, leap-frogging Miami to steal UNC's Javonte Williams.

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Broncos fans, meet your new running back—Javonte Williams.

In an early second-round trade, Denver sent its No. 40 and 114 picks to the Falcons in exchange for their No. 35 and 219 picks. In doing so, the Broncos leap-frogged Miami to snag the North Carolina star, who the Dolphins were rumored to have their eyes set on.

Williams had a breakout season in 2020 as he and teammate Michael Carter formed the top running back duo in the country. They set an NCAA record against the Hurricanes, rushing for a total of 544 rushing yards between them (236 for Williams, 308 for Carter).

Williams finished the season ranked third in the FBS with 19 rushing touchdowns and sixth with 1,140 rushing yard. Williams ended the season ninth in the FBS by averaging 7.3 yards on his 157 carries.

He's the third running back off of the board, following Najee Harris and Travis Etienne from the first round on Thursday.

Williams fills a gap for the Broncos left by Phillip Lindsay, who signed with Houston during free agency. The franchise does still have Melvin Gordon, who rushed for 986 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

More NFL Draft Coverage:

Florida plans to fine social media for banning politicians

The Florida bill proposes fines up to $250,000 per day for companies which violate the rules.

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Singapore: What's it like in the best place to live during Covid?

As the pandemic continues to devastate, one Asian island has emerged as the best place to ride it out.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3eJrztU

Covid: Pakistan fears 'Impending doom' threatens Pakistan

A slow vaccine roll out, no lockdown and large gatherings are concerning doctors in Pakistan.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3gSR3aT

How a Nigerian mother fought to hold on to her child in Italy

A Nigerian woman in Italy nearly lost her son as the authorities questioned her parenting style.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3uaGBPE

Alaska's first CSI takes on blood and burglaries in sub-zero weather

Shasta Pomeroy isn't only the first Fairbanks crime scene investigator, she's the first in the state.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2S77YvV

India's Covid vaccine shortage: The desperate wait gets longer

India is facing a severe shortage of vaccines amid a relentless second Covid wave. How did this happen?

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3xBE17y

France-Algeria relations: The lingering fallout from nuclear tests in the Sahara

France says the tests were carried out in uninhabited areas but local residents beg to differ.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3nni07P

Thursday, 29 April 2021

When the Cellos Play, the Cows Come Home

By Lisa Abend from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/3t0WmY4

New on Sports Illustrated: Justin Fields Gives Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy a Second Chance They Desperately Needed

Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy survived a regrettable, high-profile mistake in the 2017 draft. Now the franchise has new life.

How strange and circuitous this NFL world is, that perhaps, while the NFC North is in absolute upheaval and the division’s best quarterback is wielding a pry bar as

he tries to force his way out, the Bears may have somehow become the gold standard of quarterback decision-making overnight?

While a general manager who survived a regrettable, high-profile mistake at the quarterback position is not a narrative fit for Disney studios anytime soon, there is something to be said about the Bears’ performance on Thursday night, which resulted in nabbing Justin Fields with the 11th pick.

Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy could not go into 2021 with Andy Dalton as their presumptive starter. It was not in the best interest of the Bears. It was not in their own personal best interests, with pressure mounting each time Patrick Mahomes torpedoed another behind-the-back touchdown pass, reminding the Bears of what could have been.

Now, thanks to some masterful board work and a timely spring up eight spots, they have instantly transformed themselves from a middling franchise aggressively burrowing toward the mean, while squandering sound play-calling acumen in the process, to something worth game-planning for.

A quarterback obviously changes everything; this was the same thing Pace thought a few years ago when he took Mitch Trubisky. It was the same thing he thought when he stumbled over himself to acquire Nick Foles. But the outlook of the franchise changes considerably now with the arrival of a dual-threat passer who could end up being the second-best quarterback in the class.

During his junior season at Ohio State, Fields added nearly half a point per dropback in terms of EPA (0.32), which was higher than Trevor Lawrence at any point in his Clemson career. Nearly 90% of his balls during his senior year were scored “catchable” from the scouting service Sports Info Solutions. Throughout his college career, his quarterback rating while under pressure was above 100. He torched man and zone coverage with equal efficiency.

This is something that Nagy, a gifted play-caller who has been desperately trying to find ways to stretch out his offense and incorporate many of the wrinkles he smuggled with him from Kansas City, has never had before. In the past, Bears games were a showcase in covering up the fact that anyone was under center at all. All of the gadget plays Nagy became known for during their run to the playoffs in his first season there were not a window into his philosophy, but a visual interpretation of his strain to move the ball forward.

Sometimes, it’s just easier to flip the ball behind your back to Tarik Cohen and then have him pass it to a tackle than to call what you’d like your quarterback to run in the red zone.

The Weak-Side Podcast now has its own feed! Subscribe to listen to Conor Orr and Jenny every week.

Sticking with Pace through it all was a move that caused a lot of agony in Chicago, especially as he actively flailed to make it work, masking the deficiencies with one extraneous signing after another. But in many ways, one has to wonder if Pace was uniquely qualified to take this second swing. Fields could not be more different from Trubisky, and not just in terms of playing style.

In Fields there is more evidence. There is less blind faith. There is more you know you can do on Day One. More that a defense has to account for. We’ll now see the best of Nagy, who was still able to drag this team into the playoffs twice despite the most important position on the field weighing him down.

Those who obsess over the Bears never expected Pace to be the one to save them after everything he’s been through. But only Pace knew how badly he had scrambled the process the first time, and what it would take to piece his vision back together if he had a second chance.

More NFL Draft Coverage:
• 2021 Live NFL Draft Tracker
• Rosenberg: Justin Fields, the Player and the Story Line
• Orr: Is Urban Meyer Ready for the Trevor Lawrence Ride?
• Orr: Jets Hope Zach Wilson Breaks Cycle of QB Dysfunction

New on Sports Illustrated: Steelers Draft Pick Najee Harris Hosts Draft Party at Homeless Shelter Where He Used to Live

Najee Harris, who was drafted at No. 24 by the Steelers, threw a draft party for kids at the homeless shelter where he lived for several years growing up.

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A few hours before the start of the 2021 NFL draft, former Alabama star Najee Harris visited a homeless shelter, Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP), as they hosted a draft watch party in his honor.

It was a homecoming of sorts for the Steelers' No. 24 pick, as Harris, his four siblings and his parents lived in that shelter for several years growing up.

"Just to see him as a grown man with this kind of opportunity for him today and to know that he lived in this shelter among many other places their family had to move around and lives as a homeless man just speaks to [the thought that] anything is possible," Kathleen Sullivan, executive director of the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program, told ABC 7 News.

Harris wasn't just there to say hello, though. He also brought food for the current residents. He told reporters, "There was a time I needed a helping hand. They gave us an opportunity to get back on our feet. So it is my job to give back,"

Returning brought back a lot of stirring memories for Harris and his family. He was in middle school when they stayed at GRIP before his family moved to Antioch.

"It was really emotional for my mom," Harris said. "Almost as if she was crying, in a way, because we have a lot of memories here. That was a time in my life when it was really low."

Harris went on to be one of Alabama's most explosive players, rushing for 1,224 yards and averaging 5.9 yards a carry as a junior in 2019. Despite looking NFL ready, he returned to the Crimson Tide as they battled for another national championship. He went on to win the Doak Walker Award as the country’s top back last season, rushing for 1,466 yards.

More NFL Draft Coverage:

New on Sports Illustrated: Kevin Porter Jr. Becomes Youngest NBA Player With 50-Point, 10-Assist Game

Kevin Porter Jr. turned in the best performance of his career in a win over the Bucks on Thursday.

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The Rockets have already been eliminated from playoff contention in the Western Conference, but at least their young talent is providing a silver lining after James Harden's departure.

Houston guard Kevin Porter Jr. made history on Thursday night as he became the youngest player in NBA history to tally at least 50 points and 10 assists in the same game. Porter Jr. finished the night with 51 points and 11 assists, becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in a single game.

2020-21 marks Porter's second NBA season and his first with the Rockets. He is averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 assists per game, shooting 41.1 percent from the field. Porter is one of many young Rockets earning significant playing time this season alongside forwards Jae'Sean Tate and Kenyon Martin Jr.

Houston advanced to 16–47 on the season with Thursday's victory. They currently sit last in the Western Conference.

More NBA Coverage:

Pina: Bam Adebayo Is the NBA's Best Defender
Woo: 2021 NBA Draft Big Board
Shapiro: NBA Power Rankings
Mannix: The Rise of Julius Randle

India Covid: Delhi seeks more cremation space as deaths rise

Police in India's capital ask for more cremation sites as a fatal second wave sweeps the country.

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Ghislaine Maxwell: Lawyers release photo that shows bruised face

Lawyers release a photo of the British socialite with what looks like bruising under her left eye.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Sau5S9

New on Sports Illustrated: Jets Trade Up to No. 14, Select OT Alijah Vera-Tucker

The Jets added a second pick in the top 15 as they traded with the Vikings on Thursday night.

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The Jets made a move to protect new quarterback Zach Wilson as they traded up to the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday.

New York selected USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker with the No. 14 pick. It sent Minnesota pick Nos. 23, 66, 86 in the deal in order to receive Vera-Tucker and pick No. 143.

Vera-Tucker played two seasons at USC, earning All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. He is New York's second first-round pick on Thursday after the Jets drafted Wilson at No. 2.

New York has missed the postseason in each of the last 10 seasons. It finished last in the AFC East in 2020 at 2–14.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Patriots Select Mac Jones With No. 15 Pick in 2021 NFL Draft

After leading Alabama past Ohio State to the national championship, quarterback Mac Jones is headed to Foxborough in 2021.

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In the span of three months, Mac Jones has gone from winning the national championship during a global pandemic to being selected by the Patriots as the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The 22-year-old, a redshirt junior who was a 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist, still had two seasons of eligibility left given the additional year that the NCAA added across all college athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with four interceptions and a 77.4 completion percentage.

During the national championship in January, Jones tallied 464 passing yards and five touchdowns, shredding the Buckeyes' defense in a 52-24 victory.

Forde: The Brilliance of Nick Saban Continues to Evolve

Although the Patriots spent a substantial amount during free agency, they were quick to pick Jones at their first chance. The franchise finished 7-9 last season with quarterback Cam Newton at the helm after losing Tom Brady to Tampa Bay.

Jones's name consistently remained in the top five during draft conversations. On Wednesday, San Francisco had reportedly narrowed its decision to the Alabama quarterback, Ohio State's Justin Fields or North Dakota State's Trey Lance, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"As much as the 49ers love Mac Jones, and they do, I believe that the gap between Mac Jones and the other QBs like Trey Lance has been narrowed considerably," Schefter said Wednesday. "I can tell you over the weekend they did not know who they were going to take."

More NFL Draft Coverage:

New on Sports Illustrated: Bears Trade Up, Take Justin Fields at No. 11 in 2021 NFL Draft

After leading Ohio State to the College Football Playoff during his two seasons, Justin Fields is headed to Chicago in 2021 after the Bears traded up with the Giants.

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Coming into this year's draft, the expectation was the Bears would take a quarterback at some point, if not in the first round then sometime over the weekend. Instead, Chicago couldn't wait that long.

The Bears traded up from pick No. 20 to No. 11, then selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields as the franchise's next quarterback.

In the deal, Chicago received the 11th pick in this year's draft, and sent the No. 20 pick to the Giants, along with a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick for 2021.

The 22-year-old heads to the NFL after beginning his college career at Georgia in 2018 before transferring to Ohio State in 2019. Fields starred in his two years with the Buckeyes, throwing for 63 touchdowns and nine interceptions over 22 games while completing 64.8% of his pass attempts.

The quarterback led Ohio State to the College Football Playoff each season, with the Buckeyes falling to Alabama in last season's national title game.

The Bears last took a quarterback in the first round in 2017, when they traded up to tack Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 pick. Chicago infamously chose Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

Trubisky struggled to kick-start the Bears' offense and signed a one-year deal with the Bills this offseason to back up Josh Allen. The Bears signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton this offseason on a one-year contract.

Fields's draft stock was all over the board, his projection remaining in the top three until the final days leading up to the 2021 NFL draft. He had been a longtime favorite of the 49ers before reports surfaced that the franchise was more interested in Alabama's Mac Jones and North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

Last week, Fields reportedly informed teams that he is managing epilepsy. He was diagnosed with the neurological disorder as a child and has seen his symptoms get shorter and more infrequent over time, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelisserro.

NFL Network reported that the disorder, which does cause seizures, has not impacted Fields's football career, and doctors expect him to outgrow it. He does take medication for the diagnosis.

Fields is not the first NFL player to manage an epilepsy diagnosis, including Hall of Fame guard Alan Faneca, who took medication to control seizures throughout his career.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Eagles Acquire No. 10 Pick in Trade With Cowboys, Draft DeVonta Smith

The Eagles snagged one of the draft's top receivers after a trade with Dallas on Thursday night.

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Last year's Heisman Trophy winner has found a new home. The Eagles have selected Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith with the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Smith was the third receiver taken in the first round, following Ja'Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle. The dynamic playmaker put together a historic senior season in Tuscaloosa, leading the country in catches (117), receiving yards (1,856) and receiving touchdowns (23) to become the first wide receiver in 29 years to win the Heisman Trophy.

Smith saved his best for last, hauling in 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio State in the national championship game, which Alabama won, 52-24.

For his career, Smith totaled nearly 4,000 receiving yards and 48 total touchdowns. He burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2017 when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime of Alabama's national championship game win over Georgia.

The Eagles traded up to the No. 10 slot to acquire Smith on Thursday. They sent Dallas the No. 12 and No. 84 picks in the 2021 draft in order to move up two slots.

Despite his record-breaking season, questions about Smith's ability to play at the next level lingered during the pre-draft process, largely due to his small frame. Smith measured at 6'1" and 170 pounds, though Alabama coach Nick Saban was adamant that Smith's small stature will not prevent him from being successful in the NFL.

"Tell me how many receivers are tougher than he is—that block better, that play more physical than he does—so I think maybe there's a time when you say 'This guy really overcomes the fact that he's not the biggest guy in the world and he really plays this game really, really well,'" Saban said in March. "I don't think anybody can argue that fact."

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New on Sports Illustrated: Dolphins Select Jaylen Waddle With No. 6 Pick in 2021 NFL Draft

After winning the national championship at Alabama, Jaylen Waddle is now heading to the NFL.

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Jaylen Waddle went from suffering a presumed season-ending ankle injury to winning the national championship last season.

He's now headed to the NFL after the Dolphins selected the wide receiver at No. 6 in the 2021 NFL draft.

Waddle started the 2020 college season with a bang at Alabama last fall, topping 120 receiving yards in four consecutive games to start the season. He tallied 557 yards on 25 catches, adding with four touchdowns during the stretch.

Waddle missed six games after suffering a high-ankle sprain against Tennessee. He returned to the field in before suiting up for the national title game. While visibly limping at times, the wideout hauled in three catches for 34 yards.

"My hat's off to him," head coach Nick Saban said when Waddled declared for the draft. "I had the same injury, so I know the difficulties coming back from that. You're healed but your ankle is so stiff, it's difficult to sort of get the flexibility and the flexion back so you can explode like you want to, especially when you drop your weight on that foot, which comes when you're slowing down, trying to make a cut.

"I have a lot of respect for Jaylen Waddle. His mental toughness and his ability to be able to come back."

During his three-year career with the Crimson Tide, Waddle tallied 106 receptions for 1,999 yards, averaging over 18 yards per catch. He totaled 17 touchdowns, plus three special teams scores.

Waddle is the second straight top-10 pick by the Dolphins out of Alabama. Miami selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Drafting Trey Lance Will Define Kyle Shanahan's Legacy

Shanahan's development of the North Dakota State prospect will turn the conversation away from his Super Bowl letdowns.

Kyle Shanahan’s ascent to infallible NFL mind has more closely resembled the various clanks and twangs a metal ball encounters as it arches its way through the chute of a pinball machine toward the blinking lights at the top of the glass.

His performance as the offensive coordinator in

the Falcons’ record-setting blown 28–3 lead in Super Bowl LI raised questions about his feel for big moments. His performance as the 49ers’ head coach and offensive play-caller in Super Bowl LIV, another double-digit blown lead, was another thwack against the side of the wall. He is a man of contradictions. On one hand, he has developed the offense run by almost a quarter of the NFL. Coordinators from his tree, or those simply smart enough to buy the starter kit on EXOS and imitate it from scratch, are getting hired at a feverish pace. On the other hand, he is 29–35 as an NFL head coach, with just one winning season in four years.

A person of sound mind could argue that his one winning season, which ended in the 49ers’ loss to the Chiefs down in Miami, was due in large part to the 49ers’ defense (second in DVOA) and less the offense he oversaw (seventh in DVOA). Injuries, in addition to some notable big-game performance lapses at the quarterback position, almost certainly played a factor as well.

And yet, there is something undeniable about his acumen, which makes San Francisco’s selection of Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick on Thursday night all the more fascinating. For years we have often chastised players for not living up to their draft position, as if they chose the arbitrary number and extraneous pressure themselves. But this pick, for better or worse, will be more of a direct reflection on Shanahan himself.

Of the possible options (Lance, Mac Jones and Justin Fields among them), Lance is especially polarizing. He threw the fewest attempts out of any of the top quarterbacks available. He played just one game last season. One could view it as Shanahan’s ultimate vote of confidence in himself.

Above the missteps in Super Bowl LI and the unevenness of the last four years, this draft pick could be the defining moment of Shanahan’s early legacy—the buoy that keeps his boy genius reputation afloat, or the heavy metal ball that finally slips off the table’s edge.

Throughout the draft process, we have been subject to the performative ballet of a sage football mind. Admittedly, there was something brilliant about cloaking this decision for as long as the 49ers did. It kept us all guessing, sure. It probably annoyed some of their opponents and the rest of the league, all of whom were possibly looking to lock in trades behind the 49ers to grab whomever they did not. Among the better-leaked tidbits were quarterbacks other than Mac Jones working with Shanahan’s friend and former pupil John Beck, as if they were all being privately vetted for a White House cabinet position.

Now, though, Shanahan has made a concrete decision. The creator of the offense has decided on the avatar who will run his system. Soon, faults cannot be blamed on youth or inexperience or injury. Soon, there will need to be a return on all of the fawning equity that has been placed on the head coach, who strolled into his first job with a contract nearly twice as long as the average coaching life cycle itself.

Much of it is deserved. Shanahan’s talent is undeniable. The way in which he’s turned the draft into a ready-made factory of receiving threats who continue to diversify his offense. The way in which he seems to scoop up a handful of running backs out of the heap and turn them into monstrous downhill threats. With the right quarterback, this team is designed to be good for a very long time. It didn’t waste long identifying the fact that Jimmy Garoppolo was not the right quarterback.

But as coaches will tell you, the minute you make this kind of move—the minute you sacrifice capital and pour your heart and brain out for everyone to see—that’s the moment the clock really starts on what will always be thought of you, and whether the rest of the journey continues to resemble the bumpy ride through the pinball machine.

New on Sports Illustrated: Ja’Marr Chase Heads to Bengals After Being Drafted No. 5

Ja'Marr Chase hasn't played since early 2020 after helping LSU win a national title and setting multiple records along the way.

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Bengals fans, meet Ja'Marr Chase—the No. 5 overall pick.

Although he opted out of the 2020 season, the LSU wide receiver had little to prove after winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver in 2019 and helping the Tigers win the national championship that season. Chase tallied nine receptions, 221 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over Clemson.

By the end of the season, he set SEC records and led the FBS with 1,780 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns in 14 starts.

Dellenger: LSU Exorcises Its Past to Cap Program Reawakening With Historic Title

As a true freshman in 2018, Chase totaled 23 receptions, 313 yards and three touchdowns while starting seven of 13 games.

The move reunites Chase with his college quarterback, Joe Burrow. The pair helped lead LSU to an undefeated national championship season in 2019. Chase caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging over 21 yards per catch and winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best wide receiver.

Chase will team with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to provide Burrow with a bevy of weapons on the perimeter. In 10 games, Burrow completed 65.3% of his passes for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.

As rumors floated throughout the offseason that the Bengals had their eyes set on Chase, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that the Lions tried to trade up to No. 4 to land Chase.

“There was chatter early in the week that the Lions tried to trade up to No. 4 to get Chase, but the Falcons’ asking price was too high,” Fowler wrote.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Kyle Pitts Heads to Atlanta After Being Drafted No. 4

Pitts was the first tight end to be named a Fred Biletnikoff award (top WR) finalist after catching 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.

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Falcons fans, meet your new tight end—Kyle Pitts.

The 20-year-old, who played for the University of Florida, was selected No. 4 overall and is now the highest tight end ever drafted. Pitts was named a first-team All-American and won the John Mackey Award as the most outstanding tight end in college football this past season.

He is the first tight end to go in the top five in 49 years (ex-Broncos Pro Bowler Riley Odoms went fifth in 1972). Only four tight ends (Vernon Davis in 2006, Eric Ebron in 2010, T.J. Hockenson in 2019 and Kellen Winslow in 2004) have gone in the top 10 over the last 24 drafts.

Pitts was also the first tight end to be named a Fred Biletnikoff award (top wide receiver) finalist after catching 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns—tied for third-most in the FBS—in eight starts.

He's a dual-threat as a pass-catching tight end, and with being 6'6" and 245 pounds, Pitts can be a difficult matchup for linebackers and often too big against cornerbacks.

Like several of the other draft prospects, Pitts is one of the first players to join the league who was born in 2000. Trey Lance was the first player to be drafted born at the beginning of the millennium.

The Falcons went 4-12 last season, and head coach Arthur Smith will likely use Pitts all over the line.

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New on Sports Illustrated: 49ers Select Trey Lance With No. 3 Pick

Trey Lance is San Francisco's signal-caller of the future after being selected with the No. 3 pick on Thursday night.

The 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday.

Lance shined in his lone season as a starter in 2019. He threw for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns, adding 14 scores on the ground. Lance did not record an interception in any of his 16 starts.

San Francisco's new signal-caller did appear in one exhibition game in October 2020. He threw for 149 yards in a 39-28 win over Central Arkansas.

San Francisco adds Lance on Thursday after finishing last in the NFC West at 6–10 in 2020. The 49ers

traded up to the No. 3 pick in March in a deal with the Dolphins.

Lance is the third quarterback off the board on Thursday night. Trevor Lawrence went No. 1 to Jacksonville before the Jets took Zach Wilson at No. 2.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Jets, Again, Hope Zach Wilson Will Break Cycle of QB Dysfunction

The Jets are perpetually searching for their franchise quarterback, but their latest rookie will have an infrastructure past Jets QBs haven't.

We’re only three years removed from

the last time we went through this exercise, the one where we pretended the Jets’ acquisition of a quarterback was different this time. How it was, finally, an exercise in competence. How they won’t ruin this one like they did the last hundred. So forgive anyone who follows this team if they meet tonight with either the feigned interest of someone who has been beaten down over time, or the complete opposite: the beautiful, optimistic amnesia that a follower of this organization tends to acquire.

But here’s why Zach Wilson will actually, really, truly be different this time. He is joining an organization in arguably the healthiest place it’s been in for years. There is a general manager who hired a head coach. There is a competent offensive coordinator running the most quarterback-friendly system in the league. There are pillars in place to prevent the entire thing from collapsing, regardless of how long it might take for Wilson to develop.

Leave it to the Jets to wait until the age of nomadic quarterback movement to finally find the recipe for stability. Wilson and, by extension, any quarterback who the Jets take from here to eternity, may never get the chance to replace the Joe Namath-sized hole left in people’s hearts. But he can make them a passable franchise again. He can hoist them to something truly rarified: (somewhat) sustained relevance.

When Mark Sanchez was drafted, the team vacillated between irresponsible coddling and naked indifference. They loaded him up with mercurial wide receivers, completely ignorant of the chemistry Molotov cocktail they were creating and plastered him all over town as if he were the next Namath.

With Geno Smith, it was almost the opposite. From the moment he arrived, it was almost as if the organization was doing him a favor. Brief glimpses of talent and personality were quickly shuttered amid the administrative chaos plaguing the team. They offered more support to the sixth-round pick who uppercut him in the locker room.

With Sam Darnold, the offense was never prepared to support him. There were moments, quite literally, during his rookie year when the game plan featured various checks and calls that meant two different things. He made some brilliant throws in games despite the fact that some aspects of the game plan were irreparably broken. He got mono. He was tossed behind a paper-thin offensive line. He was beat up and had no one to throw to.

The promise of Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh and, by extension, Mike LaFleur, is that there is a general, harmonious competence with it all. Yes, LaFleur may not be his brother, Packers head coach Matt. He may not be Kyle Shanahan. But he has a deep understanding of the system, which gifts quarterbacks the kind of time and space to make correct decisions. It points them in that direction at the snap. This is the system that momentarily made the Mike Pettine Browns relevant. This is the system that rescued Ryan Tannehill’s career. That brought the Falcons to the Super Bowl. That was behind two straight 13–3 Packers seasons.

While the NFL is cyclical, there are few things that have been tested as rigorously.

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There is a quiet desperation to this pick, though one that has little to do with Wilson proving the Jets right. Surely, if he does not succeed, there will be endless speculation as to whether the franchise should have dealt the No. 2 pick and used a bounty of selections in a far deeper 2022 draft to retool.

Instead, this is about the Jets finally proving their competence. Because, in the age where quarterbacks are no longer afraid to pack up and brawl their way out of town, who wants to play for a team that has no track record of development or success? Who willingly signs up for bad health?

Wilson being the first would mean more than just immediate success. It would mean an end to a twisted cycle years in the making.

New on Sports Illustrated: Jets Select Zach Wilson With No. 2 Pick in 2021 NFL Draft

After stunning NFL scouts and Trevor Lawrence at his Pro Day, BYU's Zach Wilson is headed to New York in 2021.

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After stunning Trevor Lawrence and NFL scouts at his Pro Day last month, BYU's Zach Wilson is headed to New York in 2021.

The Jets selected Wilson as the No. 2 pick during the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday evening. Wilson is the second quarterback off the board after Lawrence was drafted by the Jaguars with the No. 1 pick.

Wilson had a breakout year last season, ranking second in the FBS in completion percentage. He tossed 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and finished No. 10 in the FBS with a 307.7 passing yards per game. Wilson also rushed for 10 touchdowns in 12 starts for the 11–1 Cougars in 2020.

Wilson completed 62% of his passes in 2019. He threw for 2,382 yards and eleven touchdowns.

FanNation: Zach Wilson Fantasy Football Rookie Profile

The Jets finished last in the AFC East in 2020 at 2–14. They traded Sam Darnold to the Panthers in early April, three years after drafting him with the No. 3 pick.

Wilson has a gunslinger mindset, possessing the arm talent to create explosive plays inside and out of the pocket. His strength was on full display during his Pro Day, where every NFL team was present except for the Rams. He threw multiple off-balance passes that went 50 yards.

"The goal today was to kind of show what makes me different, the type of throws I can make that I feel like other guys don't practice and don't try to do," Wilson said afterward on a Zoom call. "That was the goal—to show what makes me different."

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New on Sports Illustrated: Trevor Lawrence Is Officially a Jaguar; Is Urban Meyer Ready for This?

The college coaching legend only jumped to the NFL for the top quarterback prospect in decades. Now the pressure is really on.

There will be fairytales written in the coming days about Trevor Lawrence and

the Jaguars’ courtship of Urban Meyer once it became clear that the safest quarterback selection in four decades was headed to northern Florida. How they are on the same wavelength. How they mutually admired one another. How the coach understands the way to maximize an unreasonable amount of potential.

Left out, at least for now, is a question that we should all be asking of Meyer in general as he embarks upon a moment that will forever alter his legacy for better or worse: Why on earth would he sign up for this?

The same might be asked of Lawrence who, just a few weeks ago, admitted that he hoped to have a life beyond football one day and was shredded by the game’s old guard for a perceived indifference. This league is a machine that swallows talent whole and spits it out for no good reason. And Lawrence has a bigger target on his back than any player who has crossed the threshold from college to the NFL since John Elway.

Behind it all is Meyer, who left the cozy life of a broadcaster to prove that he could do something almost no other coach has done successfully—take the secret sauce that made him a successful coach at a different level, with a completely different set of rules and parameters, and apply that trade to a league that is wary of any NCAA intrusion and takes a deep pleasure in fending off anyone giving it a try.

With Lawrence, everything is magnified. The pressure to build a staff is greater. The pressure to construct a complementary roster is greater. The pressure to turn this into a Super Bowl is much, much greater. Most of it rests on the shoulders of a man in his mid-50s, who has left various jobs for health reasons, succeeding at the highest level while also paying a deep personal cost.

In that way, coaches are a rare breed. The lot of us would be content to ride out the circuit, accept a life’s worth of free drinks in every college town in the country and gloat about the three national championship rings—the kinds of things people couldn’t take away from you if you were fully and completely retired.

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Instead, he is signing up for something that is nearly impossible. He is trying to align his flawless (on field, not off) college pedigree with a quarterback pegged to rewrite record books since the moment he stepped on a high school football field as a lanky, marketable blonde and started lighting defenses up.

In that way, it’s truly a fairytale. In the NFL, you cannot simply outwork fellow coaches and succeed. You cannot simply outgrease them. Outscheme them. Outwit them. There has to be a complete and total immersion and understanding of the way things work, and a willingness to bend and twist it at every turn to your advantage. In order for Lawrence and Meyer to meet our outsized expectations, we will truly have to see something from the coaching profession we have never witnessed before: a complete metamorphosis late in someone’s life, leading to something that 31 other crazed, trophy-hunting coaches haven’t thought of yet.

Because that’s the expectation, right? Super Bowls. Pro Bowls. Big things. Fairytales. And that’s what we’ll get until the moment Meyer has to toe the sideline and prove that it’s all possible.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Jaguars Select Trevor Lawrence No. 1 in 2021 NFL Draft

Lawrence finished his college career with the most wins by a quarterback in Clemson history.

The

Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Cartersville, Ga., native will travel nearly six hours to his NFL home in Jacksonville. He joins Jaguars first-year coach Urban Meyer, who never shied away from his interest in the quarterback from day one.

When asked by NBC Sports' Peter King last month whether there was any mystery about Jacksonville's selecting Lawrence first, Meyer said, "I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed.”

Lawrence entered the draft as the presumptive top pick, having excelled at Clemson, finishing his college career with the most wins by a quarterback in Clemson history (34), passing Rodney Williams, Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson.

He won the national championship in 2019 and played again in the title game the following year in Clemson's loss to LSU. In his final college season, Lawrence led the Tigers to a 10-2 record, and a third consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.

Overall, Lawrence's winning percentage (.944) was the third-best as a starting quarterback with at least 30 starts since the Division I split in 1978.

The Unrivaled Arrival of Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville has not recorded a winning season since 2017 when the team finished 10-6 and lost to the Patriots in the 2018 AFC championship game. Jacksonville has compiled a 12-36 record since the 2017 season.

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New on Sports Illustrated: NFL Draft Prospects Sport Show-Stopping Fits on Red Carpet

Zach Wilson sported an Armani suit while Trey Lance was iced-out with a Cartier timepiece. But Kwity Paye stole the show with honoring Chadwick Boseman.

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Move over Oscars, you may have just met your match.

The ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic didn't keep the 2021 NFL draft prospects from pulling out all of the stops as they sports show-stopping fits on the red carpet.

Former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson was seen wearing a Giorgio Armani suit while Florida's Kyle Pitts wore an all-green suit with cognac colored patches on his elbows. North Dakota State's Trey Lance was iced-out with a Cartier timepiece, and Alabama's Patrick Surtain II had a “PS2” chain made for him by Leo Frost.

Others were more sentimental in their approach.

Kwity Paye told GQ's Tyler R. Tynes earlier Thursday that Chadwick Boseman is his hero, and the ex-Michigan defensive end honored the first Black superhero in his suit. In fact, it was made by former Packers player Adonis Jennings.

Here's a round-up of the show-stopping looks from some of college football's finest players. Who had the best fit?

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New on Sports Illustrated: 2021 NFL Mock Draft 5.0: Six First-Round Quarterbacks; Three Projected Trades

The Panthers and Bears trade up for QBs, the Patriots trade for Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers choose Mac Jones in our final mock on draft day.

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My annual crack at the mock draft is normally a one-time deal. This does not mean I slam it down like a holy tome or attempt to cozy up to the legacy of our great mock draft godfather, Paul Zimmerman. Not even close (and I’d have to get more than five right in a given season to start feeling that way). For me, handling the mock draft this way simply reflects the way you can fall in love with a certain way things could go. Based on some phone calls and intuition, you end up slotting people in a certain place and creating a version of the universe that fits neatly together. But as a wise former coworker once reminded me, that universe is only in one place: the brain of the author.

With that in mind, I decided to take another crack at my original mock draft with a fresh set of eyes and obviously some more phone calls. The draft order has also changed, with the Ravens now adding a second first-round pick, thanks to the Orlando Brown deal.

Like Silvio, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. Please use whichever version of my mock draft was more successful as my “real” one.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

The Jaguars are the only ones helping us out here in the mock draft industry. Life is good for Shad Khan, who had his pick of coaches and quarterbacks. Theoretically, his franchise is on the fast track back to relevance after a brief, two-year hiatus. Lawrence’s throwing motion is like something out of a painting. He makes few bad decisions. According to Sports Info Solutions, 89% of his passes last year were catchable balls. That follows the two previous years where 84% were catchable.

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

With Mike LaFleur installed as offensive coordinator, the Jets have their most anticipated pairing of coach and quarterback in modern team history. A look back at recent years shows that the offensive coordinator position’s vision, in general, has either been the product of a coach’s fantasy (Rex Ryan’s ground and pound) or a scheme that was impossible to implement given the talent on the roster (Adam Gase). Wilson would seem to be the ideal avatar for this system. He’s functionally mobile, twitchy and can make throws from awkward angles with one foot half planted on a tippy toe.

3. San Francisco 49ers (from Texans via Dolphins): Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Nothing about this pick makes me happy. From the moment the offseason cards began to unfold, I predicted the 49ers would trade up for one of these quarterbacks. (When I wrote my QB carousel predictor back in February, I thought they would end up at No. 2, after the Jets had acquired Deshaun Watson and the Texans had opted to move back. We live in a different world now.) Trey Lance was the person who immediately stuck in my mind. He has the most upside. He’d provide a power element to this offense, which the NFL is completely unprepared to stop. And yet, at every turn, I’ve been met with people saying Jones really will be the pick.

What tipped me over? Jones is probably more ready to play than Lance, and, at the 49ers’ smoke-heavy predraft press conference, it sure as heck seemed like they were ready to put Jimmy Garoppolo on the block.

If that was a smokescreen, then I think Lance will be the pick and that he’ll sit for a few weeks before transitioning into a starting role. That just doesn’t seem likely at the moment. Also, former Shanahan college teammate and friend Chris Simms mocked Mac Jones to the 49ers, which either means he’s right and has been tipped off, or he is part of the ruse. Trust me, I have thought of everything.

One thing about Shanahan’s people: They like quarterbacks whose accuracy developed before their frame. Jones had to scrape and claw just to get here, and honed the most integral part of the 49ers’ system (accuracy) before he developed into a collegiate-sized passer. That matters.

(Editors note: We can confirm Conor is unhappy. He made us change this pick back and forth 15 times. It’s too late now, Conor, leave us alone.)

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Pitts is the best receiver in this draft class and would give the Falcons some flexibility if they do intend on moving Julio Jones after June 1 (this is not to say—by any stretch—that he’d be a one-for-one replacement. This is merely a suggestion that Jones is either going to be traded or will soon be, by NFL standards, a bit too old and expensive for the Falcons). This weapons overload in Atlanta is the easiest way to pour jet fuel on the Arthur Smith regime, which will again pair Matt Ryan with a successful and dynamic outside zone rushing offense.

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

The Bengals lost 30% of their targeted air yards when A.J. Green departed in free agency. If you’re the Bengals, the cost-benefit analysis here is how much Chase is better than a receiver you could get in the second round vs. how much better Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater is over another offensive lineman early in the second (or back at the end of the first). Joe Burrow’s excessive lobbying, plus the club’s confidence that Jonah Williams will build on a strong first season, all come into play here.

6. Miami Dolphins (via Eagles): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

The Dolphins climbed back up here for a weapon to make their offense work. Waddle is not necessarily the combination of size and speed they were hoping for, but would add several dimensions to this system and provide them with backfield flexibility as well as someone to tear the roof off of opposing defenses.

7. Carolina Panthers (via projected trade with the Lions): Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Detroit's spot in the draft could become a fascinating destination, perhaps with the ability to have both the Panthers’ Scott Fitterer and Broncos’ George Paton on the phone simultaneously. One of you wants the No. 7 pick … who is going to come and get it?

In this scenario, the Panthers want it more.

As I wrote Wednesday, trading Teddy Bridgewater makes it feel more likely that Carolina wants to buttress its QB room with young talent instead of betting on Sam Darnold. Perhaps Fields won’t play right away, or maybe Darnold will become a bridge/insurance option. Either way, this group of coaches has a more intimate knowledge of this year’s QB class than anyone (given Matt Rhule and Joe Brady’s recent college experience). They’ll put it to good use here. Given present circumstances, there is also nothing stopping them from auctioning off Darnold again.

8. Detroit Lions (via projected trade with the Panthers): Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

I can’t imagine Sewell falling out of the top 10, and Detroit has to realize the value they’d get here. Yes, the wide receiver class is exceptionally deep and it represents their biggest need, but this is a complete and total rebuild. So they should worry less about specific need.

9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Both the Broncos and Panthers liked Fields. The Panthers liked him just a little bit more. The Broncos should be tickled with the idea of avoiding a bidding war, standing pat and getting their man at No. 9. Lance fits ideally in Denver, a place where he can sit behind a top-notch mentor (new arrival Teddy Bridgewater) and emerge as a mid-season threat.

10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtan II, CB, Alabama

So begins the second-most interesting stretch of the draft. Three divisional opponents in a row, some with overlapping needs (though not for long, as you’ll see below). What I heard: The Eagles would like either one of the Alabama wideouts, or they would prefer to trade back, just like everyone else picking between here and the end of the first round (in Philadelphia’s case, for a more realistic landing spot for corner No. 2 or 3). Dallas goes first, though, and can take Surtain, who did not allow more than 20 completions in a season throughout his college career.

11. Arizona Cardinals (via projected trade with the Giants): DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Steve Keim can give Dave Gettleman a chance to do the one thing he’s never done as general manager: trade out of a first-round pick. It’s no secret the Eagles covet either of the two Alabama receivers (to the point that they could vacate the No. 12 spot if neither is available). Keim and the Cardinals are all in this offseason, so jumping ahead of Philly for Smith can help push the boundaries of what Kliff Kingsbury’s offense can accomplish.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins): Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

Wouldn’t this have been the perfect place for Washington to come down and take the sliding Trey Lance? Alas, Howie Roseman is not going to hand his divisional opponent a potential steal—an idyllic situation where Ryan Fitzpatrick can groom a player with myriad tools at Philadelphia’s expense. Instead, they’ll stand pat and hunt for a receiver in the second round (plenty will still be available). Again, I’ve heard their 100% dream scenario is taking either Waddle or Smith here at No. 12 and a cornerback slipping in the second round.

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

I think we’ve all kind of settled into a consensus-driven funk here. I’ve seen some really interesting mocks with the Chargers nabbing a slipping wideout or exploring some other options, maybe a toosly edge rusher to pair with Joey Bosa. However, Darrisaw is a strong player who can act as a quick salve for Los Angeles’s rebuilt offensive line. The Chargers’ intentions here have been pretty clear throughout the offseason with some aggressive maneuvers already, including the signing of Corey Linsley and Matt Feiler.

14. Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota Vikings: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

The Vikings need both offensive line help and edge rushing help badly. It would seem that having one of those two things fall into their laps at No. 14 would represent a win for Rick Spielman. Vera-Tucker can start inside and move out as he matures, or cross over in a flash due to injury.

15. New England Patriots: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

In this scenario, I have the Patriots reacquiring Jimmy Garoppolo, thus taking them out of the running for a quarterback. Bill Belichick would probably love the opportunity to trade down here, but there aren’t a ton of great candidates at this point, especially with the Bears unable to come up and get their QB1 of choice. Parsons, formerly a pure pass rusher, has developed into a finely rounded prospect who logs a ton of tackles for loss and can hold his own in coverage. Unless Belichick believes Ja'Whaun Bentley is seasoned enough to step into this role, he can see Parsons as a player who can take his defense in multiple directions again.

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16. New York Giants (via projected trade with the Cardinals): Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

Slater’s game against Chase Young will start to get an awful lot of play. I think Dave Gettleman can’t resist this move, despite some more pressing needs on the edge. Jaylen Waddle is off the board already, and the edge market isn’t quite shaping up yet. For once, it would be hard to argue against Gettleman not trading down. This is good value and would set the Giants up for a more complete offensive line. I’ve read some great arguments against Slater. Playing him at guard, for example, while you tinker with one more year of Nate Solder on the right side, doesn’t make a ton of sense when you could just nab Alijah Vera-Tucker (h/t Art Stapleton of The Record). But you could make a million moves between now and then to clear a space for Slater at tackle.

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

Do I think Eichenberg is the best player available here? No. Do I think the Raiders evaluate players differently? Yes, so much so that I had a version of this mock with North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz there but I pulled back because of the differences between North Dakota State’s offense and Vegas’s. Have they surprised the hell out of us at least once a year? Yes. Do they need a tackle opposite Kolton Miller? Yes. Shake all of this and pour. For what it’s worth, Sports Info Solutions has a breakdown of Eichenberg’s gap vs. zone running responsibilities at Notre Dame and they’re almost identical to Vegas’s heavily zone-leaning system. He’s athletic enough to make the blocks and immediately improve life for Josh Jacobs.

18. Miami Dolphins: Kwity Paye, edge, Michigan

The Dolphins have some developmental players they might want to throw at the guard spot now vacated by the Ereck Flowers trade. Maybe they’ll take a stab at the position in the later rounds as well. Paye is hard to ignore here, especially with Miami’s pressing needs on the edge. Regardless of how Tua Tagovailoa responds to his rookie season, this team can still win games with its opportunistic defense alone. Paye would put them over the edge (pun intended?).

19. Washington Football Team: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

Was Washington’s first visit to Trey Lance’s pro day indicative of a desire to somehow grab a quarterback? We’ll find out. But here, the team can lay the groundwork for whomever that will be. Jenkins is a physical player who can secure Washington’s near future as a team with dominant lines on both sides of the ball. Controlling the trenches means more to Rivera than reaching on a QB.

20. Chicago Bears: Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

The Bears will look at offensive tackle here, or perhaps cornerback. Maybe they are the team that hopes to hit on Caleb Farley, which could make some sense given that Ryan Pace will be searching for astronomical, noticeable value as he tries to punch his way out of embattlement in Chicago. Cosmi, though, would give the Bears some heft up front and some serious athleticism.

21. Indianapolis Colts: Jaelan Phillips, edge, Miami

I’m sticking with my original pick here. I think the Colts would be thrilled if a high-upside player fell here. Phillips’s medical history is an obvious concern, but this team is primed to win now and could be one more impact player away from not only taking the division but making a serious run behind a rejuvenated Carson Wentz.

22. Tennessee Titans: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia

Here’s another pick I’m doubling down on from my Mock 1.0, technically MMQB Mock 2.0 (Why do we do decimals in our mocks? Has there ever been a Mock 1.5?). As I wrote in a profile of Stokes, ask around and you’ll hear that his floor might be in the early 30s. Maybe teams are worried about his relative lack of experience at the position, but you’re not going to find a corner this fast and physical, with extensive reps against the draft’s best wide receivers, anywhere else.

23. New York Jets (via Seahawks): Azeez Ojulari, edge, Georgia

Ojulari isn’t that undersized, and he’s coming to the NFL at 240 pounds. Like I said in the last mock, maybe he’s better suited as someone who can whip off the edge in a different kind of defense, but his production is pretty incredible for his age in the SEC of all places. Fourteen sacks, 42 hurries and 18.5 tackles for loss against premier competition is nothing to ignore. Regardless, Robert Saleh wants an edge player here to complete his suddenly formidable defensive line of Carl Lawson, Sheldon Rankins, Quinnen Williams and a future first-round pick.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

Fine, you all wore me down. To be clear, I don’t agree with this, but the Steelers have invested almost as frequently in first-round running backs during the Kevin Colbert era as they have first-round offensive linemen. It’s a crapshoot. Maybe the theory is that Harris would give them the flexibility they had with Le’Veon Bell. Maybe this is a massive smokescreen and they’ve been showing so much interest in the running back because they’re looking at one of his offensive linemen. Either way, this pick will probably be a running back or a tackle.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Rams): Jason Oweh, edge, Penn State

This would give the Jaguars a formidable duo on the outside. Our Albert Breer noted that Urban Meyer recruited Oweh and could view him as a potential franchise pass rusher despite concerns about rawness. That nugget swayed me an inch off of where I was in the past. I liked Iowa defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon here previously and still think that Jacksonville could—and should—upgrade its run defense. That said, Oweh’s connections and potential could move him up.

26. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

With the three best edge rushers off the board, the Browns would look for a linebacker who can continue to alter the way their defense plays. Owusu-Koramoah is invaluable when facing a player like Lamar Jackson twice a year. He was targeted with regularity last year against a beefy schedule and allowed just a 50% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks.

27. Chicago Bears (via projected trade with the Raves): Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

I’m stealing the Mike Tannenbaum special here. The former Jets general manager and now ESPN analyst says some team is going to come up and get Trask. Why? Because if he pans out, it’ll want the fifth-year option available on first-round picks. I admit the mechanics of this pick are a bit sloppy. Ideally, the Bears would just take Trask at No. 20, since his value to the franchise is greater than that of Sam Cosmi. However, Chicago would look at the layout here, see the QB-needy Saints coming down the pike and opt to take a flier on a player who could possibly supplant Andy Dalton if trouble arises.

28. New Orleans Saints: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State

The Saints need some help at the position. Samuel, Greg Newsome and Caleb Farley might be neck and neck, but Samuel has the pedigree and the temperament to play everything from press man outside to the slot, which he did a bit more of during his early years with the Seminoles.

29. Green Bay Packers: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

The Packers have been sniffing around the cornerback market this predraft process, and while they might be hoping to snap up a talented prospect falling in the second round, Newsome, from a Northwestern program that has great familiarity with the Packers’ organization, would be a solid choice to help them combat the receiver depth they’ll face trying to survive the NFC once again.

30. Buffalo Bills: Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina

The Bills tried to go for it this offseason but I think were brushed back a bit by the market. The Williams maneuver would provide them with an explosive talent who must immediately be accounted for. Why do I like him over Clemson’s Travis Etienne? There seems to be a better pass-blocking pedigree here. Williams is a guy you can leave on the field for three downs.

31. Baltimore Ravens (via Chiefs): Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

I was tempted to steal the idea of Terrance Marshall Jr. here from editor Gary Gramling, who much prefers that scheme fit to Bateman in Baltimore. However, I like the idea of Baltimore doubling up on lottery tickets in the second round to fix its offensive line and get a player who can command the ‘X’ spot and add a different dimension to Baltimore’s offense.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

This is the kind of pick a defending Super Bowl champion can make. While it’s ludicrous to assume the Buccaneers don’t need anything, everyone can use cornerback help. Farley may be able to provide that. He is reportedly going to be ready for training camp and said his combine medical recheck went well, following corrective back surgery.

More NFL Draft Coverage:

• Rosenberg: Trevor Lawrence Is Out to Prove Absolutely Nothing
• Bishop: Trey Lance Is Just Different
• Prewitt: The Year of the Opt-Out Prospect
• Rosenberg: Justin Fields, the Player and the Story Line
• Kahler: The Search for 2021's Prospect X