The NFL draft has finally arrived! We’re so excited, we’re sending today’s newsletter a bit early so you could pregame with all of our draft coverage.
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Our team takes you inside the draft war rooms, where teams debate players and make trades, with lots of wild stories from people in the know. Also: We had our draft-obsessed political reporter Ben Kamisar put together a mock draft. We think he’ll do better than some of the experts.
Tonight, we’ll be live-blogging the first round, so be sure to come hang with us as we provide instant analysis on all the picks and deals. We have more NFL draft coverage, and will have more coming, on the NBC News website.
Inside the War Room
Leading up to the NFL draft, teams try to plan for everything. They hold marathon meetings to rank prospects, weigh trade offers and walk through every possible scenario. But there is, almost always, something unforeseen right around the corner. They might be deceived by other teams, undermined by their owner or surprised by the way the draft unfolds.
“Shoot, there are stories, man,” former NFL coach Jeff Fisher told NBC News.
As the NFL draft begins today, teams will hunker down in their “war rooms,” which sound more exciting than they are. They’re essentially conference rooms. But often, these are the rooms where the planning is done, where the debates are had, decisions are made. They’re also the home of the team’s draft board, the final ranking of the players, the result of all their hard work.
In the weeks before the draft, a team of decision-makers gathers there and hears reports on each player, discusses them and arranges the players on the board by a grade. They’re going through a process insiders call stacking the draft board.
“Nobody’s pounding the table. It’s all very collegial and in many ways academic,” said Bill Polian, the former general manager of the Indianapolis Colts.
Polian and his team would start with about 500 player cards. In the end, only about 125 players would make the front draft board, and typically only about 18 to 20 received first-round grades. If they had conviction in a player, they’d put a Colts helmet sticker on his card so he’d be easily identifiable.
But then, come draft day, anything can happen. NBC News spoke with people in the know and gathered lots of wild stories. This was just an excerpt. Read the rest of our report here.
Our Mock Draft
By Ben Kamisar, NBC News national political reporter
After spending way too many hours poring over college statistics, combine measurables, team needs and positional value, here is what I think will happen in the first round.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first — I’m a national political reporter, not a plugged-in NFL insider. My days are spent walking the halls of Congress and going over election data, not talking ball with players and coaches.
But I’ve been draft-obsessed since I was a little kid, taking my Walkman through the airport so I could listen to the sixth round on the radio while going to visit my grandfather. And after a few years of me posting my mock drafts to social media, the brass here at NBC News suggested I channel my obsession into an outsider’s take. Here are my picks:
1. Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. Jets: Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State
3. Cardinals: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
4. Titans: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech
5. Giants: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
For the explanation of Ben Kamisar’s picks and the rest of his mock draft, read the full story here.
NBA Playoffs
Frustrations spilled into the postgame press conference after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns 120-107 on Wednesday, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
Suns star Devin Booker, typically a measured player, ripped the referees after the loss, targeting official James Williams. Booker was called for a questionable technical foul during the game.
“In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James [Williams] was terrible tonight through and through,” Booker said. “It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as a WWE if they’re not held responsible.”
Booker added: “It just feels disrespectful.”
Phoenix was a big underdog this series, and it’s played out that way so far. The Suns have let those frustrations appear on the court as well, with burly forward Dillon Brooks getting into a heated exchange with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during Wednesday’s game.
Brooks also expressed displeasure with the officiating after the game, which has become a common theme for opponents of the Thunder’s physical brand of basketball.
While OKC has cruised to two victories, forward Jalen Williams re-aggravated his left hamstring last night, which could be a factor moving forward in the playoffs.
Earlier Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons evened their first-round matchup with the Orlando Magic at one game apiece, winning a throwback slugfest 98-83.
Cade Cunningham scored 27 for the Pistons, and this time he got some help. After only two players for Detroit scored in double figures in Game 1, six did so in Game 2, including all five starters.
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What We’re Reading
Mike Vrabel will attend counseling this weekend in the wake of the scandal involving Dianna Russini. He’ll miss the final day of the draft.
Italy is underwhelmed at the prospect of being named to the World Cup if Iran backs out.
Baseball players are saying ABS is shrinking the strike zone.
Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of Barcelona’s season with a hamstring injury but is expected to recover in time for the World Cup.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the Grizzlies aren’t leaving Memphis but floated the idea of playing some games in Nashville.
Keldon Johnson, a bruising forward for the San Antonio Spurs, won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
What We’re Watching
How many TVs do you have in your household? You might need an extra one today — one to watch the start of the NFL draft, the other to follow the NBA playoffs. In the NBA, there are a couple of pivotal Game 3’s, in two series that are tied 1-1.
Don’t forget: We’ll be live-blogging the draft tonight, providing expert analysis on every pick and keeping you up to date on all the latest moves.
All times are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, on Amazon Prime
- 8 p.m.: Round 1 of the NFL draft, on ESPN
- 8 p.m.: No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors, on Amazon Prime
- 9:30 p.m.: No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, on Amazon Prime
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
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