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The Bears were shrewd, Tyrod Taylor has competition, the Rams have rough vibes and more on the first three rounds of the draft. After all of the posturing before Round 1 of the NFL Draft about where the top five quarterbacks would go, it was freeing to go into night two talking mostly about safeties, running backs and offensive linemen. Round 1 might have all the glitz and glamour , but Rounds 2 and 3 are the real meat of the NFL Draft, where teams’ preferences diverge, steals are to be had and pick announcements begin to be met with quizzical-but-polite applause from even the most fervent fans. Aside from the fact that we don’t know if Aaron Rodgers or Jordan Love got a new receiver on Friday, here are our picks for the night’s winners and losers. Winners Dave Gettleman What if I told you … Dave Gettleman traded down not once but twice in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft? And that he still was able to get a difference-making receiver in Round 1 and an edge rusher with f

How “Little Dougie,” the skinny kid with Coke bottle glasses, blossomed into a big-play threat on the gridiron. And why, despite a limited role at Iowa State, he became a favorite of NFL scouts. Kene Nwangwu doesn’t look nervous, although he probably should. The former Iowa State running back is standing in the kick return huddle on an October evening in Ames, ready to put his heels on the five-yard line and take the lead role in football’s most violent play. His Cyclones need a spark—a strip sack left them trailing No. 17 Oklahoma by a touchdown with under nine minutes to play. “If you execute your job, I’m going to take this thing back,” he tells his teammates. When he catches the end-over-end kick, he isn’t thinking about the cascade of tacklers charging toward him or the cracking collisions around him. He’s transported home, away from the drizzling rain and biting wind at Jack Trice Stadium, to the Dallas heat rising off a rubber track and his teammate sprinting around its curv

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 sou

Tatum notched a career-high 60 points as Boston came back from a 32-point deficit to beat San Antonio in overtime. View the original article to see embedded media. 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-yo

With uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson's future with Houston, the Texans used its first pick of the 2021 draft on Stanford QB Davis Mills. View the original article to see embedded media. 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 attemp

Trask was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior at Florida and could potentially replace Tom Brady after the future Hall of Famer retires. View the original article to see embedded media. 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 p

James hasn't played since March 20 after suffering a sprained ankle, and returns after a 20-game hiatus. View the original article to see embedded media. 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

Varejão spent 12 seasons with the Cavaliers before going to play with the Warriors. He hasn't appeared in the NBA since 2017. View the original article to see embedded media. 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 M

Broncos trade their picks (40 and 114) for Falcons' pick 35 and 219, leap-frogging Miami to steal UNC's Javonte Williams. View the original article to see embedded media. 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

SI Fantasy expert Michael Fabiano breaks down the fantasy situations for all the relevant first round picks from the 2021 NFL Draft The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft wrapped up on Thursday night, and it came with its share of surprises. The San Francisco 49ers didn't take Mac Jones, bitter division rivals the Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles made a trade (to block another rival, the New York Giants), and the Bears made a big move to try and remove the bad taste of the 2017 NFL Draft. In all, a total of 13 offensive skill position players were selected, including five quarterbacks, two running backs, five wide receivers, and a tight end. With at least part of the 2021 roster puzzle no longer a mystery, let's take a look at the fantasy impact of a first-round that saw some good, some bad, and some ugly picks. 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Everyone knew Lawrence was going to the Jaguars , and now he'll have a chance to be a hero in Duva

Elijah and Rondale Moore, three Notre Dame stars, Davis Mills and Kyle Trask will highlight Day 2 of the draft. Where will they go? ROUND 2 33. Jacksonville: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Interesting that Urban Meyer took the second running back before the safety—value be damned—but Moehrig was the best safety in the draft and slid considerably after five quarterbacks mucked up the first round. Jacksonville gets, essentially, a third first-round pick here at the top of the second. 34. N.Y. Jets: Azeez Ojulari, edge, Georgia The Jets need an edge rusher to book-end Carl Lawson. Ojulari is a bit undersized, but he’s a pure edge burner who fits perfectly in Robert Saleh’s Wide-9 front. 35. Atlanta: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama New defensive coordinator Dean Pees knows the importance of being strong up the middle, and Barmore, who wrecked the college football playoffs, could be a perfect fit alongside Grady Jarrett. 36. Miami (from Houston): Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame A s

Snead tested positive on Thursday morning after coming in close contact with a team staffer who later tested positive. As the Rams prepare to make their first selection in the 2021 NFL draft on Day 2, general manager Les Snead told reporters Thursday night that he has tested positive for COVID-19, per ESPN's Lindsey Thiry . Snead and head coach Sean McVay both had close contact with someone who later tested positive. They found out on Monday, then Snead tested positive Thursday morning, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic . McVay tested negative. Snead said that he was experiencing symptoms and is in a "good spot" right now. He was days away from receiving his second vaccination dose. Because of the positive test, Snead will not join the rest of the Rams contingent at the team's draft headquarters in Malibu, Calif. , and instead will work remotely from his garage. The team unveiled plans earlier this week to conduct their draft in a 9,000-square foot beach house

Northwestern made program history on Thursday night as Rashawn Slater and Greg Newsome II were both selected in the first round. View the original article to see embedded media. Is Northwestern the new powerhouse in the Big Ten? Thursday's NFL draft results suggest as much.  The Wildcats were one of two Big Ten program to produce a pair of first-round picks, with offensive lineman Rashawn Slater going No. 13 to the Chargers before the Browns selected cornerback Greg Newsome II with the No. 26 pick. Perhaps Ohio State has more competition than it originally assumed in the heartland.  Thursday's selections were certainly a rarity for the Wildcats. Northwestern had never previously produced more than one first-rounder in a single draft, and the program's last first-round pick came with the selection of defensive tackle Luis Castillo in 2005. Offensive tackle Chris Hinton is the Wildcats' highest draft pick in school history after being drafted at No. 4 in 1983. 

In Mac Jones, Bill Belichick drafted a Round 1 quarterback for the first time ever—and looks to usher in a return to dominance. Of course the first time Bill Belichick drafts a first-round quarterback, it’s one for whom he could get an unvarnished scouting report from good buddy Nick Saban —and without even having to do any draft-day maneuvering. Now, the post-Tom Brady era in New England really begins. The Patriots treated 2020 as something of a gap year, with a league-high eight opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a starting quarterback, Cam Newton, who didn't sign with the team until June. They were, for the first time in two decades, mediocre, but that 7–9 record bought them the ticket to a fresh start: the No. 15 pick, which they used Thursday night on Alabama QB Mac Jones. The oft-cited statistic that Belichick had never drafted a QB higher than pick No. 62—used on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014—was inherently flawed, given that Belichick had Brady as a starter for 19 of

The Alabama NFL factory continues to churn out blue chip prospects at a record-setting clip. View the original article to see embedded media. Every season, Alabama sends a surplus of talent to the NFL draft. This year, the Crimson Tide has taken that tradition to record-setting heights. Six Alabama players were taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft Thursday night, tying the all-time record by Miami in 2004. When the Canes Ruled the Draft: The Year Miami Had Six First-Rounders Wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith each went in the top 10 to the Dolphins and Eagles, respectively, joining former Alabama quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II also went in the top 10, getting picked by Denver at No. 9. After speculation that he could go as high as No. 3, quarterback Mac Jones slipped to No. 15, where the Patriots drafted him to compete with incumbent starter Cam Newton. The Raiders took offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood two pick

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

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. View the original article to see embedded media. 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.