Yahoo Sports AM: NFL Draft Round 1 Wrap-Up – Here’s What Went Down!

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🚨 Headline

🏀 Historic Comeback: The Thunder achieved the largest halftime comeback in NBA playoff history, overcoming a 26-point deficit to defeat the Grizzlies 114-108, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Memphis had a significant lead, reaching 29 points in the second quarter, but fell short after Ja Morant sustained a hip injury.

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🏒 Another Overtime Win: Simon Benoit netted a slap shot, securing a 3-0 series lead for the Maple Leafs with a second consecutive overtime victory over the Senators in the “Battle of Ontario.”

💰 $7 Million Jersey: An NBA jersey worn by Kobe Bryant during his first game sold for an impressive $7 million at Sotheby’s, making it the second most valuable piece of NBA memorabilia ever, following Michael Jordan’s jersey which fetched $10.1 million from Game 1 of the 1998 Finals.

🏀 Mobley Named DPOY: Evan Mobley of the Cavaliers was awarded NBA Defensive Player of the Year, beating out Dyson Daniels of the Hawks and Draymond Green of the Warriors.

⛳⛳️ Golf Updates: PGA Tour rookies Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Bello recorded a tournament record of 58 (-14) at the Zurich Classic, a unique team event. Meanwhile, Haeran Ryu and Yan Liu are tied for the lead at the LPGA’s Chevron Championship, the season’s first major.

🏈 NFL Draft: Round 1 Overview

The 2025 NFL Draft kicked off as anticipated, with Miami QB Comeward being the top pick for the Titans. The Jaguars made a significant move, trading up to select Colorado’s Travis Hunter as the second overall pick.

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Draft Insights: Out of the first 12 selections, seven were linemen (four offensively, three defensively), and only six quarterbacks were chosen, with Ward and Jaxson Dart drafted after both were anticipated to be top picks last year.

Analysis:

Still Available: In a surprising twist, Colorado QB Shedale Sanders remains unselected as one of the top players entering Round 2, alongside Marshall Edge Mike Green (ranked 11th) and Michigan CB Wil Johnson (ranked 13th).

🧀 Stunning Scene: 205,000 fans turned out at Rambo for the round one festival, nearly double Green Bay’s population (~106,000).

Statistics for MVP Contenders

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads NBA players in metrics that predict MVP outcomes, providing a comprehensive view of player impact.

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LeBron? Metrics developed by Bball Index, creatively nicknamed after King James, include a unique acronym: lUCK Adjustment Player eUse bOx Prior rEdularization Above-off.

• Our estimation assesses player value per 100 possessions against the league average, yielding an average score of zero. This season’s top 25 players ranged from SGA (6.73) to LeBron (2.27).

• LeBron’s metrics account for various factors to accurately reflect players’ on- and off-court contributions, adapting to their roles. For instance, SGA is categorized as a “Star” (rotation role), “Shot Creator” (offensive archetype), and “Helper” (defensive role). Nicola Jokic follows closely as a “Star,” “Postscorer,” and “Mobile Big.”

Noteworthy Metrics: The league leader in stats has been named MVP in 13 out of the last 15 seasons, with Gilgeous-Alexander poised to continue this trend, as MVP winners are typically announced soon.

*Two notable exceptions: Derrick Rose ranked 11th when he won the MVP in 2011 (with Chris Paul topping the list), and Joel Embiid was fourth in 2023 (with Jokic at No. 1).

Premier League Expands in the US

Premier League: Known as the wealthiest league of soccer clubs globally and a key component of English sports, next season 11 out of 20 teams will have American ownership.

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New Additions: Leeds United, owned by San Francisco’s 49ers Enterprises, and Burnley, backed by New York’s Alk Capital, have secured their spots in the Premier League.

Will there be more? With two games remaining, nine teams in the championship still vie for a final Premier League spot.

Explore Further: The American invasion of British soccer (Yahoo Sports AM)

The Journey of Captain Landeskog

Gabriel Landeskog’s Return: Captivating homemade signs—“I’m so proud of you, Daddy!”—deriving from his 032-day journey back to the ice.

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A Long Road Ahead: The Avalanche captain returned to the lineup in Game 3, marking his first appearance since June 26, 2022, when the team celebrated lifting the Stanley Cup. This long break included surgeries and rehabilitation for a persistent right knee injury.

Emotional Homecoming: Fans erupted in cheers, shouting “Randy! Randy!” as Landeskog took the ice for warm-ups. The atmosphere nearly erupted when the 32-year-old was named in the starting lineup, but the real highlight was seeing his children, Linnea and Luke, holding supportive signs.

“It was overwhelming… I looked around and saw their big smiles (on them). They probably thought I was lying about playing hockey; they’ve grown up so much since I last played.”

Performance Recap: Despite the Stars spoiling Landeskog’s return with a 2-1 overtime victory, he made an impressive comeback with six hits, helping position the Avalanche for a crucial game in Denver.

📺 Watchlist: Hoops and Hockey

Upcoming NBA and NHL Playoffs will feature six games tonight, followed by eight games on Saturday and another eight on Sunday.

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See More:

• 🏈 NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3 (Friday 7pm, ABC/ESPN2); Rounds 4-7 (Saturday 12pm, ABC/ESPN)

• ⛳⛳️ Golf: LPGA’s Chevron Championship (Friday, ESPN+/Golf/NBC); PGA’s Zurich Classic (Friday, ESPN+/Golf/CBS); LIV Mexico (Friday, FS1/FS2)

• ⚾⚾️ MLB: Guardians vs. Red Sox (Friday 7pm, Apple); Giants vs. Rangers (Friday 10pm, Apple); Royals vs. Astros (Saturday 7pm, FS1); Cubs vs. Phillies (Sunday 7pm, ESPN)

• 🍌 Baseball: Savannah Bananas vs. Party Animals (Saturday 7pm, ESPN2) … Clemson’s Memorial Stadium is expected to sell out with a capacity of 81,500.

• 🏁 NASCAR: Talladega race (Sunday at 3pm, Fox) … known for its chaotic history, including a record 28-car crash in last season’s playoffs.

• ⚽⚽️ Copa del Rey: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (Saturday 4pm, ESPN+) … A crucial match as Barça seeks to solidify its standing ahead of the finals.

• ⚽⚽️ FA Cup: Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa (Saturday 12:15 PM, ESPN+); Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City (Sunday 11:30am, ESPN+) … semi-final showdowns.

• ⚽⚽️ Women’s Champions League: Chelsea (1-4) vs. Barcelona (Sunday 9am, YouTube); Lyon (2-1) vs. Arsenal (Sunday 12pm, YouTube) … semi-finals, second leg.

Plus: 14 MLS matches (San San, Apple); 7 NWSL matches (Friday, Prime/CBS/Aeon); UFL Week 5 (Friday, FOX/ESPN); 3 PWHL matches (Sat-Sun, YouTube).

NFL Draft Trivia

Camward is the seventh quarterback to be selected first overall in the past eight NFL drafts. Can you name the other six?

Tip: Five have won the Heisman.

Answers will be revealed below.

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Yahoo Sports App: Your ultimate companion for draft weekend, featuring expert analysis, detailed breakdowns, and live discussion feeds for all your picks.

Favorite Feature: The live activity updates each pick in real time on your lock screen, keeping you informed without needing to unlock your phone.

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Download the app.

Trivia Answer: Baker Mayfield (2018), Kyler Murray (2019), Joe Burrow (2020), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Bryce Young (2023), Caleb Williams (2024)

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