Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and at a time of heavy hearts and uncertainty, the evening gave football fans a much-needed distraction… and some hope, too.
Considering all the technology and communication and variables and moving parts that go into such a massive production, the Round 1 virtual draft appeared to viewers to be a huge success – as was the on-going Draft-A-Thon, the NFL’s fundraising initiative to help support the fight against COVID-19.
Looking at the draft board, the night looked like a big success for teams, too. Though we didn’t see the kind of trade drama we may have expected, most football fans appeared to go home (er, stay home), happy with their clubs’ haul.
Here’s a look at the biggest winners from Thursday night.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals did what we all knew they’d do: select quarterback Joe Burrow with the first-overall pick. It was the biggest no-brainer of the draft, the easiest decision they’ll make all year, and the start of a new chapter for the Bengals. A win all around.
The Ohio State
The Buckeyes are well-represented at the draft every year, but Thursday night’s draft board took the football powerhouse’s clout among the scouts to a whole new level.
Players drafted in top-5 of the #NFLDraft since 2016 by school
Ohio State 6 (including Chase Young & Jeff Okudah) LSU 3 Oklahoma 2
This year marked the first time in NFL draft history that the top three picks were all college teammates at one time, as Joe Burrow (No. 1, Cincinnati), Chase Young (No. 2, Washington) and Jeff Okudah (No. 3, Detroit) were all with the Buckeyes football program in 2017.
Young and Okudah were freshmen that year, and would go on to wreak havoc on opposing offences over the three years that followed with Ohio State, while Burrow transferred to LSU for a better opportunity to be a starter in 2018.
At No. 3, Okudah is now the highest-picked cornerback in more than two decades, and adds his name to a growing list of other strong corners out of Ohio State including Marshon Lattimore, Denzel Ward and fellow 2020 first-rounder Damon Arnette (No. 20, Raiders).
New Lions CB Jeff Okudah is the highest drafted corner in 23 years. Last one to go third overall? Fellow ex-Ohio State CB Shawn Springs.
The Vikings went into Thursday night with two-first round picks and two big roster needs: a wide receiver to replace Stefon Diggs after dealing him to Buffalo last month, and a cornerback after veteran Xavier Rhodes was released. By evening’s end, they’d filled both spots and brought in a bit of extra draft capital in the process.
After selecting LSU receiver Justin Jefferson at No. 22 (the pick they received from Buffalo in the Diggs deal), GM Rick Spielman traded back with San Francisco – pick No. 25 in exchange for No. 31, a fourth-rounder and a fifth-rounder.
Justin Jefferson can move over some of his purple wardrobe. Both LSU and the Vikings have the same shade of purple (Pantone 268c) pic.twitter.com/ybVBKfldoE
With pick No. 31, the Vikings took cornerback Jeff Gladney – a perfect fit for their secondary and the consensus best player available.
The #Vikings spent a lot of time digging on TCU Jeff Gladney, who was known in that program as one of the most competitive guys around. Loves football. The type of player they needed with several veterans gone.
Sounds like the Vikings are very willing to move up in the second round tomorrow. “Hopefully looking forward to manipulating up the board,” GM Rick Spielman said.
The motto in Miami for much of 2019 was “Tank For Tua.” The tank didn’t exactly go as planned – they finished the season 5-11 — but their draft ultimately did.
Despite questions about whether the Dolphins might try to trade down to secure their next franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa out of Alabama, they didn’t need to. They held on to their No. 5 pick and got their guy.
In doing so, they also put an end to the speculation around how much Tagovailoa’s injury history might affect his draft stock.
Scared money don’t make money.
Through all the smokescreens and negative reports, the Dolphins loved Tua the whole time and they got their guy.
This was a critical draft for the Dolphins. All season, Miami fans watched a rotation of quarterbacks start games, and talented young players exit as GM Chris Grier has overhauled the roster and hoarded draft picks in their place.
After selecting Tagovailoa, the Dolphins addressed two other needs: offensive tackle Austin Jackson, to help protect their new QB, and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
Well I guess the dolphins are patriots south east and are gonna yet to have the best secondary in football. Noah Igbinoghene is gonna be an awesome slot corner. Man the dolphins are gonna be hard to throw on.
The Kansas City Chiefs brought fast, fun, offence-first football to the AFC West and won it all. Now their division peers, unable to contain them, look like they’re going to try to go stride-for-stride with them instead.
The Los Angeles Chargers did well to get their quarterback of the future in Justin Herbert, but it’s the Raiders and Broncos who won the night in the AFC West with a pair of Alabama receivers.
With the 12th overall selection – and the first-ever pick made by the Las Vegas Raiders – GM Mike Mayock channelled Al Davis energy and took the fastest receiver in the class in Henry Ruggs III, the first wide receiver off the board.
Gruden gets his version of Tyreek Hill in Henry Ruggs.
Three picks later, Denver landed the man many regarded as the most complete receiver in this draft class, Jerry Jeudy, who will run perfect routes opposite breakout speedster Courtland Sutton.
The #Broncos made noise about coming up, but that quieted over the last few days. They decided to stay where they are… and take at No. 15 #Bama WR Jerry Jeudy. A complete WR and weapon for Drew Lock.
But then, with Dallas on the clock at pick No. 17, a gift: wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
No one expected Lamb, who topped some wide receiver rankings going into the draft, to be there at No. 17 — especially not the Cowboys. But after the Raiders took Henry Ruggs III and the Denver Broncos claimed Jerry Jeudy, the Cowboys seized the opportunity to take one of the most exciting players in the draft.
Cowboys VP Stephen Jones said they did many mock drafts and didn’t have CeeDee Lamb falling to them in any. Dallas had him as the 6th player on its board. “Really surprising to see CeeDee sitting there.”
He should probably stay off Packers Twitter for a little while — fans in Green Bay weren’t exactly thrilled by the pick, especially considering the team’s need for more offensive weapons or help at secondary. But quarterback Jordan Love was essentially just given one of the most prestigious internships in the game, an opportunity to learn behind the best in Aaron Rodgers.
There’s an obvious comparison ripe for the picking here: the legendary Brett Favre was 35 years old when the Packers took Aaron Rodgers with the 24th-overall pick back in 2005. Rodgers is now 36, with four more years on his deal, and he just watched his team trade up to take his potential successor at No. 26.
Will Love play any time soon? Definitely not. Will Rodgers be thrilled to answer questions all year about the dynamic in the QB room? We’re gonna say no. But Love came into this draft as a prospect in need of more time and development, and that’s what he’ll get in Green Bay.
“That’s one of the GOATs right there in the game,” Love told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber after being drafted, when asked about Rodgers. “I’m excited to learn as much as I can.”
Baker Mayfield & Sam Darnold
The greatest gift you can give your quarterback? A bodyguard. That’s what the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets gave their young gunslingers Thursday night.
The Browns got a steal of a pick with Jedrick Wills Jr. at pick No. 10, widely regarded as the top offensive tackle in the draft. Wills, who will likely suit up at left tackle opposite free agency acquisition Jack Conklin on the right, already got a warm welcome from some of his Browns teammates:
#Browns Baker Mayfield reached out to LT Jedrick Wills shortly after he was drafted and “he said he was going to be there for me,” Wills said.
Sure, Kingsbury’s Cardinals drafted an elite, versatile defender in Isaiah Simmons, but… did you see the man’s living room?
The virtual draft gave viewers a rare glimpse into the war rooms (and dining rooms, basements, and… yachts?) of NFL brass, from Bill Belichick’s bare-bones setup to Mike Zimmerman’s Minnesota mansion, and… whatever was going on at Mike Vrabel’s place:
But if we’re talkin’ interiors, Kingsbury wins the night.
One thing I’ve learned during this draft – NFL execs have terrible taste in home decor.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
