The opening round of the 2023 NFL Draft featured plenty of unexpected twists and turns, including six Day 1 trades.
Rounds 2 and 3 are up next Friday night, and the fun should only continue as teams seek out more talent.
Here’s a look at our Day 2 projections:
Round 2
32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Pittsburgh shores up its secondary by picking the son of former Steeler great Joey Porter.
33. Arizona Cardinals – BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
Arizona needs pass-rush help, and Ojulari offers a ton of burst off the edge.
34. Detroit Lions – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
The Lions continue to ignore positional value and select the versatile Mayer. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will love getting a reliable blocker with great hands.
35. Indianapolis Colts – O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
Top-five pick Anthony Richardson continues playing with a Florida teammate. Torrence is an absolute mauler on the offensive line.
36. Los Angeles Rams – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
The Rams get their quarterback of the future. Levis’ cannon isn’t dissimilar to what current signal-caller Matthew Stafford had in his prime.
37. Seattle Seahawks – John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
John Schneider continues to add instant-impact players. The Minnesota product should start sooner than later.
38. Las Vegas Raiders – Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Washington helps fill the void left by Darren Waller while upgrading the team’s blocking tremendously.
39. Carolina Panthers – Josh Downs, WR, UNC
No. 1 pick Bryce Young gets a new weapon. Downs’ quickness from the slot complements veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark nicely.
40. New Orleans Saints – Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech
New Orleans loves picking up big bodies with versatility on the defensive line. White fits that description to a tee.
After taking offensive lineman Peter Skoronski in the first round, the Titans grab their future signal-caller in the second. Hooker’s ACL recovery is going well, and he could take over before the end of the 2023 campaign.
42. Green Bay Packers – Matthew Bergeron, OL, Syracuse
Bergeron can help solidify the offensive line in front of presumed new starter Jordan Love.
43. New York Jets – Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
The Jets need to add bodies on the offensive line, and Jones is one of the biggest bodies available. He could start at right tackle as early as Week 1.
44. Atlanta Falcons – Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
Atlanta adds the versatile Branch to a new-look secondary featuring A.J. Terrell, Jeff Okudah, and Jessie Bates.
45. Green Bay Packers – Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
The Packers lack a proven player at tight end after losing Robert Tonyan in free agency. Enter the supremely athletic Musgrave.
46. New England Patriots – Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State
Mauch plays with the kind of nasty demeanor necessary to establish the run early and often – something the Patriots love to do.
47. Washington Commanders – Steve Avila, G, TCU
Washington addresses the offensive line after selecting corner Emmanuel Forbes in the first.
48. Detroit Lions – Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
Detroit needs another cornerback, and Cam Smith matches head coach Dan Campbell’s aggressive style.
Adebawore tested off the charts. Pete Carroll will love finding mismatches for the Northwestern product.
53. Chicago Bears – Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Ringo has a tantalizing combo of size and athleticism. Coach Matt Eberflus will look to unlock his immense potential.
54. Los Angeles Chargers – Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
Sanders can play up and down the line of scrimmage. He’ll contribute both on the edge and as an off-ball defender.
55. Detroit Lions – Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
Ika is unlikely to contribute much as a pass-rusher, but there aren’t many players in the draft with this kind of size to eat up blocks in the run game.
Stevenson loves battling with receivers at the line of scrimmage and should get plenty of opportunities opposite Tyson Campbell.
57. New York Giants – Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin
The Giants fill one of their biggest holes and get better in both the run and pass games as a result.
58. Dallas Cowboys – Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
Henley flies all over the football field. He adds a sideline-to-sideline element to the second level of Dallas’ defense.
59. Buffalo Bills – Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
Simpson’s tools are maybe the best of any linebacker in the draft.
60. Cincinnati Bengals – Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
Kraft oozes potential. He looks and plays like a modern tight end should.
61. Chicago Bears – Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame
Foskey ran an impressive 4.58 40-yard dash that should help him get to quarterbacks at the next level.
62. Philadelphia Eagles – Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
Philly adds a bruising power back to complement offseason addition Rashaad Penny’s explosive running style.
63. Kansas City Chiefs – Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
Kansas City finds a new weapon for Patrick Mahomes with the former Volunteer. Tillman is one of the few big-bodied receivers in this draft, and he’s got the talent to contribute early in his career.
Round 3
64. Chicago Bears – Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State
65. Houston Texans – Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
66. Philadelphia Eagles – Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.
The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.
Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.
He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.
Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.
Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.
Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.
Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.
Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.
WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.
“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”
Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.
Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.
Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.
Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.
The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.
Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad
Forwards
Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.
The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.
He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.
Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.
He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.
Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
