BY JEFF YODER

APR. 26, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

It's a weekend of dreams! A historic Round 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books. Six quarterbacks and seven receivers were selected, and those were both tied for draft records. A few twists and trades made things interesting, too. Plus, Joel Embiid dropped 50 in the face of adversity, and we deliver our first MLB power rankings after one month of baseball.

This weekend’s must-watch list isn’t for the faint-hearted. Six more rounds of draft coverage and 23 playoff games (NBA & NHL) await. Check back on Monday for the full rewind.

Letter Rip!

NFL DRAFT

Pick-6: A 1st-Round of QB History

Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images

2024 NFL Draft Ties Record With 6 Quarterbacks & 7 Receivers in Round 1; No Defensive Players Taken Until 15th Pick

The 2024 NFL Draft was full of history last night. As expected, the Bears (Caleb Williams), Commanders (Jayden Daniels), and Patriots (Drake Maye) took their quarterbacks with the first three picks. Three more QBs were taken by Pick No. 12, tying the NFL record for the most QBs drafted in Round 1 (1983). The biggest twist of the first round came at the 8th pick when the Falcons selected Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal in free agency. Seven receivers were drafted, which was also tied for a Round 1 record. The first round had five total trades, but most came at the back end with a few pick swaps early. And with all that history in a unique draft, the first 14 picks were all offense. That's never been done before, either. Six more rounds await, but here’s the draft recap from Round 1:

2024 NFL Draft (1st Round)

Top-10

1. Bears: QB Caleb Williams (USC)

2. Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)

3. Patriots: QB Drake Maye (UNC)

4. Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU)

5. Chargers: OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame)

6. Giants: WR Malik Nabers (LSU)

7. Titans: OT J.C. Latham (Alabama)

8. Falcons: QB Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

9. Bears: WR Rome Odunze (Washington)

10. Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)

Picks 11-20

11. Jets: OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State)

12. Broncos: QB Bo Nix (Oregon)

13. Raiders: TE Brock Bowers (UGA)

14. Saints: OT Tailese Fuaga (Oregon State)

15. Colts: EDGE Laiatu Latu (UCLA)

16. Seahawks: DT Byron Murphy II (Texas)

17. Vikings: EDGE Dallas Turner (Alabama)

18. Bengals: OT Amarius Mims (UGA)

19. Rams: EDGE Jared Verse (FSU)

20. Steelers: OT Troy Fautanu (Washington)

Picks 21-32

21. Dolphins: EDGE Chop Robinson (Penn State)

22. Eagles: CB Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo)

23. Jaguars: WR Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU)

24. Lions: CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama)

25. Packers: OT Jordan Morgan (Arizona)

26. Bucs: C Graham Barton (Duke)

27. Cardinals: EDGE Darius Robinson (Missouri)

28. Chiefs: WR Xavier Worthy (Texas)

29. Cowboys: OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)

30. Ravens: CB Nate Wiggins (Clemson)

31. 49ers: WR Ricky Pearsall (Florida)

32. Panthers: WR Xavier Legette (South Carolina)

2024 NFL Draft Tracker

Best Available Players (Round 2)

CB Cooper DeJean (Iowa), DT Jer’Zhan Newton (Illinois), CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama), WR Adonai Mitchell (Texas), WR Ladd McConkey (Georgia), WR Keon Coleman (Florida State), LB Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M), C Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon)

SI: 2024 1st Round Draft Grades for All 32 Picks

Yahoo! Sports: 1st Round Picks, Trades, Grades as Caleb Williams Goes No. 1

B/R: Kirk Cousins Reportedly ‘Had No Idea’ Falcons Were Going to Draft QB

NBA PLAYOFFS

Embiid's 50 Saves Philly 😤

Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

76ers’ Joel Embiid — Amid Medical Diagnosis — Drops 50 Points in Game 3 Win; Magic Get One Back & Nuggets Push Lakers to the Brink

Just hours after 76ers’ big man Joel Embiid announced that he had been diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy on Thursday, the reigning MVP put up 50 points in a critical Game 3 against the Knicks. It was a whirlwind of a day for Embiid and the Sixers after Embiid disclosed his recent medical situation. Bell’s Palsy is a form of facial muscle paralysis, and it’s reportedly been affecting him since the playoffs began. The condition also includes symptoms like blurred vision and dry eyes, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell based on his play last night. Embiid carried Philly with a 50-piece (13-for-19, FG / 5-for-7, 3pt / 19-for-21, FT). The 76ers beat the Knicks (125-114), and Embiid’s dominance saved Philly from a 3-0 deficit.

Other Games: The Magic would’ve grabbed today’s feature if not for Embiid’s huge night. Orlando steamrolled Cleveland by 38 points to win their first game of the series. Out west, the Lakers faltered in the second half, and the Nuggets are on the verge of a sweep.

NBA Playoff Highlights (Round 1)

Gm 3: 76ers def. Knicks (125-114)

NYK Leads Series (2-1)

Gm 3: Magic def. Cavaliers (121-83)

CLE Leads Series (2-1)

Gm 3: Nuggets def. Lakers (112-105)

DEN Leads Series (3-0)

Yahoo! Sports: Nuggets Erase Double-Digit Deficit (Again) to Take 3-0 Lead on Lakers (Again)

NHL PLAYOFFS

Sweep Warnings On Ice 🚨

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Panthers & Hurricanes on the Brink of 1st-Round Sweeps

In less than a week of postseason action, two Eastern Conference teams are standing tall and skating straight toward a first-round sweep. The Hurricanes weathered a comeback attempt by the Islanders last night (3-2) to take Game 3 and put New York in danger. The Lightning finally held a lead for the first time in the all-Florida series, but the Panthers scored three unanswered to swipe a 5-3 victory. Matthew Tkachuk had two goals and Gustav Forsling tallied two assists. Both the Lightning and Islanders are now down 3-0, a situation only overcome by four teams in Stanley Cup Playoff history.

Stanley Cup Playoffs (Round 1)

Gm 3: Panthers def. Lightning (5-3)

FLA Leads Series (3-0)

Gm 3: Hurricanes def. Islanders (3-2)

CAR Leads Series (3-0)

NHL.com: Tkachuk Fuels Panthers to Game 3 Win, Pushes Lightning to Brink

MLB

MLB 1st-Month Power Rankings 📊

Photo: Kevin D. Liles / Getty Images

Analyzing the MLB’s 1st Month of Play: Who’s Up? Who’s Down? 5 Teams Showing Us Something Special…

The 2024 MLB season is officially one month old today. We’ve seen most teams play roughly 25 games, which is barely 15 percent of the entire season. But hey, it’s enough to get a taste of who’s who, right? A few surprises have jumped out in the first month, including hot starts by the Yankees, Cubs, Guardians, and even the Royals. The usual suspects are still high on the list, including the Braves and Dodgers. Here’s our first-month download of the MLB hierarchy, based on a combination of current record and full-season potential:

MLB Power Rankings

1. Braves (17-6)

2. Yankees (17-9)

3. Orioles (16-8)

4. Dodgers (16-11)

5. Guardians (18-7)

6. Brewers (16-8)

7. Phillies (16-10)

8. Cubs (16-9)

9. Royals (16-10)

10. Reds (14-11)

Teams 11-20: 11. Rangers (13-13), 12. Blue Jays (13-13), 13. Red Sox (14-12), 14. Mets (13-11), 15. Padres (14-14), 16. Diamondbacks (12-14), 17. Mariners (13-12), 18. Tigers (14-11), 19. Rays (13-13), 20. Pirates (13-13)

Teams 21-30: 21. Giants (12-14), 22. Twins (11-13), 23. Cardinals (11-14), 24. Astros (7-19), 25. Nationals (10-14), 26. Angels (10-15), 27. Athletics (10-16), 28. Marlins (6-20), 29. Rockies (7-19), 30. White Sox (3-22)

CBS Sports: MLB Power Rankings: Braves Back at No. 1, Are the Guardians For Real?

STORYLINES

🏈 Biggest Draft Busts for Every Team

Finding out the great players and busts who emerge from the draft is what makes the event the ultimate reality TV show. Here are the 32 biggest busts — one for each team — in league history. (CBS Sports)

🏒 Every NHL Playoff Team’s Biggest Flaw

We’re seeing the best of the best battle it out for the Stanley Cup. The irony of the NHL postseason, though, is that no matter how good these teams are, they've still got some issues to contend with along the way. (Bleacher Report)

🏀 NBA’s 6th Champion in 6 Years?

The NBA has had five different champions in the past five years. Another new winner this year would make six in six — tying the longest streak in league history. Are dynasties dead? What will this year tell us about the state of the NBA? (The Ringer)

NEWS 📰

🏈 Transfer QB Jaden Rashada to Play for Georgia in 2024 After Leaving Arizona State (ESPN)

⚾️ Max Scherzer Calls for Umpire Relegation System: ‘We Need to Rank the Umpires’ (CBS Sports)

⚾️ Cubs Place Cody Bellinger on IL With Rib Fracture After Wall Collision (Yahoo! Sports)

⛳️ Nelly Korda’s Bid for 6th Straight Win on Hold After Withdrawal From L.A. Event (Golf Digest)

🏀 Warriors’ Steph Curry Voted 2023-24 NBA Clutch Player of the Year (NBC Sports)

🏈 Eagles Make WR A.J. Brown Highest-Paid Receiver With 3-Year, $96 Million Extension on Draft Night (FOX Sports)

WEEKEND SCHEDULE 🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

🏈 NFL Draft

Rounds 2-3 (Fri. 7:00 pm, ESPN/NFLN)

Rounds 4-7 (Sat. Noon, ESPN/NFLN)