The NFL Draft is just two days away and while it will be a lot different this year – the whole thing will be conducted virtually rather than in Las Vegas as it was scheduled to be before the COVID-19 pandemic hit – there is still a lot to get excited about.
Watch the first round of the NFL Draft live on TSN Thursday starting with preshow coverage at 7pm et/4pm pt.
With the pre-draft process concluded and teams’ draft boards set, TSN.ca takes a look at seven questions ahead of the NFL Draft.
Will a team trade up to select Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa?
Palmer: After Burrow, Tua is the best quarterback in the draft
There is so much uncertainty surrounding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his true value heading into the NFL Draft. Should he be considered a top five pick? TSN Football analyst Jesse Palmer shares his thoughts and explains why the Dolphins should snag him if he’s available.
Quarterbacks are always at a premium in the NFL Draft and if the top-ranked Joe Burrow goes first overall to the Cincinnati Bengals as expected, Tagovailoa will be next in line at the position when Washington is on the clock at second overall.
The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers, who select fifth and sixth overall respectively, are both in need of long-term solutions at the quarterback position and it’s hard to see Tagovailoa falling past both of them. So any team looking at Tua will likely have to jump to fourth overall at the latest to get him.
Washington, the Detroit Lions, and New York Giants select second, third, and fourth and should keep their phone lines open before submitting their picks.
Where will Utah State QB Jordan Love be selected?
There seems to be a fairly solid consensus on where the top three quarterbacks in the draft will be selected: Burrow is likely to go first overall to the Bengals, Tagovailoa somewhere in the Top 5, and Justin Herbert somewhere in the Top 10.
And then there’s Jordan Love, whose name has been all over the first round during mock draft season. Love could go as high as the top 10 or he could have to wait until the latter stages of the first round to hear his name called.
If Burrow, Tagovailoa, and Herbert land where expected, a couple teams with a potential need at quarterback worth keeping an eye on are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold the ninth and 20th pick, and the New England Patriots, who hold the 23rd pick. Which brings us to our next question…
Will the New England Patriots draft a quarterback in the first round?
For the first time in 20 years the Patriots don’t have an All-Pro behind centre for next season. Tom Brady’s presence hasn’t stopped head coach Bill Belichick from drafting a QB in the past, most notably taking Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round in 2014, but with Brady now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the need appears to have increased.
The answer to this question likely comes down to how Belichick really feels about Jarett Stidham, the Pats’ fourth round selection from a year ago he is reportedly high on.
Belichick also has a reputation for draft day trades and loves trading down to accumulate more picks. Sitting at 23rd overall heading into the draft, the Pats are at best on the outer limits of landing one of the sure-fire first round QBs, and any trade down would certainly push them to the second tier at the position where they’d be looking at names like Washington’s Jacob Eason and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts.
How many wide receivers will be taken in the first round?
It has been said by more than one NFL general manager that this year’s class of wide receivers could be historically good. And not just in the first round, but through the first three rounds the draft is loaded with potential star receivers.
The record for most receivers taken in the first round is seven, which occurred in 2004, and there seems to be the talent available this year to challenge that number. That year, however, three receivers were taken in the top 10: Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams, and Reggie Williams. With the expected run on quarterbacks and offensive linemen early in the draft this year, it’s unlikely three receivers, and maybe not even one, will go that early. Things should get started, at the latest, between picks 11-13, where three receiver-needy teams in the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, and San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to make selections.
Top prospects Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs III all appear to be locks to go in the first round, with Justin Jefferson likely to hear his name called Thursday as well. Then what follows is a group of five to seven receivers who could go in the first round or could fall to the second, names that include Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk, and Denzel Mims. It will be up to that group to prove to teams this year deserves to make draft day history.
Will there be a running back selected in the first round?
First round running backs aren’t quite the scourge they used to be, with high picks like Todd Gurley (10th overall, 2015), Ezekiel Elliott (4th overall, 2016), and Saquon Barkley (2nd overall, 2018) doing their part to restore their position’s reputation on the first day of the draft.
But we’re coming off a year when only one running back was taken in the first round in Josh Jacobs, taken 24th overall by the Oakland Raiders. But he, too, justified his first round slot with a strong rookie season last year.
While there’s definitely no Gurley, Elliott, or Barkley in this year’s draft, there could be a Jacobs or two. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Ohio State’s JK Dobbins, and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor all have late first round grades and with first round running backs now more acceptable, at least one of the three should find a home Thursday night.
How will the virtual draft affect things?
There have been some ‘doomsday’ predictions since it was announced the entire NFL Draft would be conducted virtually, things like the wifi going down and teams missing picks. But this isn’t your buddies’ fantasy football draft and with multimillion-dollar decisions on the line, bank on organizations being prepared and having more than a few failsafes in place from a technology standpoint. From a scouting standpoint on the other hand…
The NFL conducted a practice draft Monday and while there was reportedly a few early glitches, the whole process was smoother as it went along.
It will be interesting to look at this draft a couple years down the road and compare it to others, ones when scouts had full access to prospects and teams had an uninterrupted pre-draft process, to see if the picks turned out more or less successful.
Will there be any surprises in the first round?
Yes, there always are. Here’s a few that have been bouncing around the pre-draft rumour mill:
Could Washington select QB Tua Tagovailoa?
All this talk about a team trading up for Tagovailoa but maybe Washington makes it all moot by grabbing him second overall. The idea seems a bit farfetched considering Washington selected a QB in the first round in 2019 in Dwayne Haskins. But the team has a new coaching staff, Haskins struggled in his rookie year, and this very scenario happened in last year’s draft when the Arizona Cardinals selected Kyler Murray first overall one year after taking Josh Rosen 10th overall.
Could Henry Ruggs go off the board before Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb?
It’s a three horse race to be the first wide receiver selected this year and while Jeudy and Lamb seem to have the pre-draft edge, Ruggs offers teams something different than the two: a potential Tyreek Hill-like playmaker that can be utilized all over the field.
Will CJ Henderson rise up draft boards?
The consensus second best cornerback in the draft behind Jeffrey Okudah, Henderson has landed in the late teens or 20s in most mock drafts and big boards until recently. CBs are like QBs – teams sometimes reach for them.
Was Jalen Hurts’ Combine performance good enough to convince a team to take him in the first round?
Hurts was a Heisman finalist at Oklahoma last year but it wasn’t until the Combine, when he impressed both on the field and in interviews, that he started shooting up draft boards. Likely now at least a second round pick after starting the pre-draft process as a third-rounder, Hurts could find himself in the top five at his position, which might be enough to sneak into the first round.
Will a Canadian be selected in the first round?
There are two highly-ranked Canadian prospects this year in wide receiver Chase Claypool and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. Claypool is in tough to land in the first round because of the loaded receiver class but Gallimore, in a thinner defensive line class, has an outside chance.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
