NFL mock draft 4.0: Detroit Lions get the trade down they desire - Detroit Free Press

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press

Published 9:27 AM EDT Apr 19, 2019

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn’s desire to trade down in Round 1 is real, so I thought I’d try and incorporate some trades into this, my penultimate mock draft. Here goes:

1. Arizona Cardinals

DT Quinnen Williams, Alabama – Kyler Murray is still the favorite to go No. 1 and I might put him back here when my final mock drops next week. But there is chatter now that the Cardinals will go in a different direction.

2. San Francisco 49ers

DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State – It’s nearly a consensus that Bosa and Williams are the two best players in the draft, and in this mock they’re the first two off the board.

3. New York Jets

OLB Josh Allen, Kentucky – The Jets are a team that desperately want to trade down, but even with Murray on the board it’s a huge price to pay for a team in the teens to come up to No. 3.

4. Oakland Raiders

QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma – Murray might not go No. 1, but he’s too dynamic a player to slide far.

More from Windsor: Time for Lions to take a chance in NFL draft, history be damned

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

DL Ed Oliver, Houston – Gerald McCoy has probably played his last down in Tampa. Oliver can be his replacement.

6. New York Giants

DL Christian Wilkins, Clemson – This is higher than most have Wilkins projected, but the more I ask around about defensive linemen, the more I think Wilkins could go in the top 10.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

TE T.J. Hockenson, Iowa – The best tight end in the draft should go off the board somewhere between Picks 7-12.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State – TRADE – Quinn gets his wish as the Bengals go up to get new coach Zac Taylor a quarterback. Cincinnati has 11 picks in the draft, and while five of those come in the sixth round, the price to move up three spots is not prohibitive. It likely would cost the Bengals a third-round pick, and they’d get the Lions’ fourth-rounder back in return.

More: Which NFL teams could draft a QB? Ranking all 32 teams by need for a passer

9. Buffalo Bills

DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State – Sweat could slide into the teens based on character and health concerns, but with Jerry Hughes entering the last year of his deal, the Bills need a pass rusher. 

10. Denver Broncos

LB Devin White, LSU – White has drawn comparisons to Roquan Smith, who was Denver coach Vic Fangio’s first-round pick when he was Chicago Bears defensive coordinator last year.

11. Detroit Lions

OL Jonah Williams, Alabama – TRADE – The Lions miss out on Oliver, Hockenson and White, but Williams is arguably the best offensive linemen in the draft. He would start Day 1 at right guard and could eventually move to right tackle when the Lions are done with Rick Wagner. Bob Quinn loves offensive linemen, and SEC players, and Williams checks both boxes.

12. Green Bay Packers

OT Jawaan Taylor, Florida – The Packers used free agency to fix their defense. They need to focus on offense early in the draft.

13. Washington

QB Drew Lock, Missouri – TRADE – Washington needs a quarterback, and with an extra third-round pick it can go up two spots to secure the one it likes.

14. Atlanta Falcons

DE Rashan Gary, Michigan – The Falcons seem like one of the teams determined to add defensive line help in the draft and Gary is the most talented pass rusher left.

More: Rashan Gary: 'I'm the best player in this draft'

15. Miami Dolphins

DT Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State – TRADE – Dolphins GM Chris Grier said there are five elite defensive linemen in this draft. Simmons is one of them, even if he misses the season with a torn ACL.

16.  Pittsburgh Steelers

LB Devin Bush, Michigan – TRADE – The Steelers have an extra third-round pick they can use to go up and the player they need for the middle of their defense.

More: Devin Bush on cusp of NFL with a style all his own: 'You won't break' him

17. New York Giants

WR D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss – So it’s basically an Odell Beckham for D.K. Metcalf trade.

18. Minnesota Vikings

OL Cody Ford, Oklahoma – If the Vikings don’t do something to improve their offensive line, Kirk Cousins won’t make it through the year.

19. Tennessee Titans

TE Noah Fant, Iowa – With Delanie Walker’s age and health, the Titans would be wise to grab a tight end.

20. Carolina Panthers

OT Andre Dillard, Washington State – TRADE – The Panthers move back four spots and still get help for Cam Newton.

21. Seattle Seahawks

DE Brian Burns, Florida State – Burns needs to pack on a few more pounds, but he’s arguably the most athletic pass rusher in the draft.

22. Baltimore Ravens

WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma – When your current No. 1 receiver is Willie Snead, this is the perfect mix of best player available and value.

23. Houston Texans

CB Greedy Williams, LSU – I’ve surprised myself by having no cornerbacks go in the first 22 picks. That changes here. 

24. Oakland Raiders

DE L.J. Collier, TCU – The Raiders need pass rush help, and this is a bit of a curveball, but Collier had a nice week at the Senior Bowl when Jon Gruden was his coach.

25. Philadephia Eagles

CB DeAndre Baker, Georgia – Baker is better than his testing numbers would indicate, and Ronald Darby is coming off a torn ACL.

26. New England Patriots

QB Daniel Jones, Duke – TRADE – I know, Bill Belichick usually trades out of the first round. But with 12 picks, he’s got enough spare change to go get his Tom Brady replacement.

27. Oakland Raiders

CB Byron Murphy, Washington – You didn’t think they were going to start Nevin Lawson at cornerback, did you?

28. Los Angeles Chargers

OL Dalton Risner, Kansas State – The Chargers still haven’t gotten anything out of 2017 first-round pick Forrest Lamp, and Risner can play everything from right tackle to center.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

Clelin Ferrell, Clemson – The Chiefs are switching to a 4-3 defense, and if Ferrell somehow falls in their lap they should run to the board.

30. Green Bay Packers

RB Josh Jacobs, Alabama – Finally, Aaron Rodgers might have a running game.

31. Los Angeles Rams

DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson – With Ndamukong Suh gone, the Rams take the biggest run-stuffer in the draft.

32. Indianapolis Colts

DB Rock Ya-Sin, Temple – TRADE – The Colts gave up 31 points in a playoff loss to the Chiefs last season. Adding another defensive back won’t hurt. 

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.

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2019-04-19 13:18:00Z
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The Warriors Return to Looking Inevitable - The New York Times

LOS ANGELES — Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, was asked about the concept of inevitability before his team faced the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, which is something that happens during the N.B.A. playoffs. Some questions are more philosophical than others.

In this case, the question had to do with the perception shared by many that the Warriors are invincible, that another championship is theirs to lose: What is it like for Kerr to live inside that bubble, knowing full well that his players are capable of making mistakes and even (gasp) failing?

Kerr took the opportunity to recall a moment from his childhood in Southern California. When he was 9 years old, he watched his beloved U.C.L.A. Bruins defeat the Kentucky Wildcats for another N.C.A.A. championship, their 10th in 12 years. Coach John Wooden retired after the game. In the nearly half-century since, U.C.L.A. has won one championship — in 1995, when Bob Myers, now the general manager of the Warriors, was a reserve forward.

Kerr made sure to note that coincidence. But his larger point was about how sports are unpredictable, which is one of the reasons they are so appealing. Just as no one knew, for example, that the Warriors would make the wrong kind of history by blowing a 31-point lead on Monday, no one knew that they would bounce back on Thursday by obliterating the Clippers, 132-105, in Game 3 of their first-round series.

At the same time, no one knows whether the Warriors will go on to win a third straight championship — or how long this team will remain intact. Nothing is inevitable. Everything is uncertain. All dynasties end.

“So you don’t worry about expectations,” Kerr said. “Just go out there and play and do your best and see if you can sustain it for a long time. But everything comes to an end, and we’re just trying to keep this going for as long as we can.”

The central (if unmentioned) figure in all of this, of course, is Kevin Durant, who has taken on all comers this season in the form of a 7-foot, long-limbed question mark. Bound for free agency this summer, Durant could stay with the Warriors, with whom he has already won two championships — but most expect him to go. Who knows? The agita has sometimes clouded his team’s season.

The only sure thing is his basketball genius, which still belongs to the Warriors — for now if not forever — and was on display Thursday night against the Clippers, as he helped lift Golden State to a two-games-to-one lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday at Staples Center.

“Honestly,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said, “they dissected us.”

It was a resounding statement made by the Warriors in the wake of Monday’s fiasco, and no player was more electric or dynamic than Durant, who made all five of his shots in the first quarter — and somehow seemed to improve as the night went on. He finished with 38 points and 7 assists, shooting 14 of 23 from the field.

“He came out super aggressive, in kill mode,” the Warriors’ Draymond Green said. “That was all the difference for us.”

Durant’s explosion in Game 3 followed a couple of muted efforts for him early in the series. Defended by the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley, a 6-foot-1 guard whom Durant has described in recent days as both a “pit ball” and a “pest,” Durant managed 23 points before he was ejected in Game 1, then struggled even more in Game 2: 21 points and 9 turnovers while shooting just 5 of 8 from the field.

At practice this week, Durant had a scrum with the news media that felt more like a doctoral defense. He explained his approach on offense. He talked about strategy and chemistry and shot selection and rhythm. He may have mentioned the officiating once or twice. He also offered a reminder in case anyone had forgotten.

“I’m Kevin Durant,” he said. “You know who I am.”

After Thursday’s game, Durant said the only difference was that the team had run more plays for him while putting him in better positions to score, often on the low block. Consider: He scored 27 points in the first half, but did not make a single 3-pointer. His mentality, he said, never changes. He was not going to force bad shots. He was not going to turn his matchup with Beverley into some sort of me-first duel.

“I don’t do that type of stuff,” Durant said. “I just play.”

The Warriors have had one bad stretch against the Clippers in this series, and it cost them. But they clearly seem more together and more resilient than they were back in November, when they visited Staples Center and lost to the Clippers in overtime after Green and Durant barked at each other on the bench, then feuded in the locker room. The team wound up suspending Green for a game. Durant, annoyed at questions about free agency, later boycotted the news media for about two weeks. The cracks were showing. Was the dynasty crumbling?

The last few days, then, were in some ways a microcosm of their season: The Warriors reassembled the pieces. They recognize how fragile this all is, how rare their opportunity. And if they needed a reminder, they got one in Game 2 when DeMarcus Cousins, their starting center, tore a quadriceps muscle. He will likely miss the rest of the postseason. In his absence, the rest of them will go on — with an understanding that this run will not last forever.

“We realize how lucky we are to do this,” said Klay Thompson, their All-Star shooting guard. “Leave it out there. Nothing’s ever guaranteed in the future, so play to win now and do it collectively.”

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2019-04-19 11:55:01Z
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He's Kevin Durant, and you're not - ESPN

4:34 AM ET

LOS ANGELES -- When Kevin Durant first joined the Golden State Warriors nearly three years ago, he went through a bit of an adjustment period with his new teammates and coaches.

They'd go out of their way to make him feel comfortable in his new surroundings, often at their own expense on the offensive end. He'd go out of his way not to step on toes, as the new guy trying to blend into what was already a historically great team. It was rather sweet -- an example of Golden State's camaraderie that was so celebrated at the beginning of this dynastic run.

And then sometime after the Warriors lost on Christmas Day to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, everybody stopped being polite and started getting real: Kevin Durant is the best pure scorer on the planet, and the sooner everybody started embracing that, the better it would be for all of them.

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That much is still true. And it's what Durant reminded the world of Thursday night at Staples Center in Golden State's 132-105 drubbing of the LA Clippers in Game 3 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series, giving the Warriors a 2-1 series lead.

After shooting only eight times in Golden State's Game 2 meltdown, Durant came out aggressively from the opening tip and finished with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-23 shooting. Durant didn't even need to take the court in the fourth quarter.

Durant hit all of his first five shots, scored or assisted on 51 percent of Golden State's 73 points in the first half and put to rest any notion that Clippers pesky defender Patrick Beverley had gotten into his head by making 3 of 4 shots when defended by Beverley. According to Second Spectrum tracking, Durant is now 9-of-13 shooting (69 percent) when defended by Beverley in this series.

	Games 1-2	Game 3
Points	44	38
FG-FGA	13-24	14-23
3-pt FG	1	3
Assists	8	7
Turnovers	12	5

"I don't really talk about other players during the series," Warriors power forward Draymond Green told ESPN, when asked about Beverley. "But I like Kevin in that matchup, regardless of what [Beverley] does. I like Kevin in any matchup, with whoever. Anytime. Period.

"No one's defense matters, by the way. I've been on the other side of that [defensive matchup with Durant] and mine didn't either. I like that matchup with anybody."

Green was referencing the years he spent defending Durant, when Durant was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And so much has happened since then.

Durant has won two NBA Finals MVP awards because he had dominant games like he had Thursday when the Warriors needed him most.

Whenever LeBron James or the Cavs seemed as if they might have a way to solve the Warriors, Durant was their trump card.

And when he summons performances the way he did Thursday night, or in Game 3 of the 2017 Finals or Game 3 of the 2018 Finals, it makes you shake your head and wonder how anyone ever stops him.

It's also why he gets questioned so harshly after passive performances, such as he had in Game 2. Stephen Curry's foul trouble had just as much to do with why the Warriors squandered their 31-point lead. Same goes for Klay Thompson's quiet night, or the team's lack of focus defensively during the Clippers' comeback.

But the lion's share of criticism after Game 2 rested on Durant's shoulders, to which he said simply: "I'm Kevin Durant. You know who I am. Y'all know who I am."

And he then proceeded to remind everyone of what that means: As the best scorer in the world, Durant can pretty much take over any game, against any defender, whenever he's locked in and his teammates and coaches run plays that free him up to do that.

"Mostly it's just trying to get him in the right positions," Curry said. "We all know what spots to be in on the floor, where to space, things like that. It allows him to be more aggressive."

Yes, Durant was passive in Game 2. But he does that sometimes, getting lost in the Warriors' offensive flow. It had actually been happening a lot lately, as Durant took 10 or fewer shots in six of his past 12 games. He was focused on playmaking, on the way the team was playing, not getting his. And as he said the other day, the Warriors were playing great, so why change just because Beverley was trying to troll him?

In simpler times, without the threat of his impending free agency hanging over them, Thursday's performance would be seen as the Warriors and Durant coming together as they gear up for another championship run -- the latest example of that Warriors camaraderie.

Executive produced by Kevin Durant, The Boardroom explores the most fascinating trends and innovative endeavors across the business of sports, featuring conversations with athletes, executives and business titans. Watch on ESPN+

But as the context has changed, so has the interpretation.

Durant is so good, it is nearly impossible to compartmentalize his future from his present. And for that matter, Golden State's future with or without him, from their present as they try to win a fourth title in five years.

That is the Warriors' challenge this season though: to find some Zen in the midst of the maelstrom that awaits them this summer. Maybe it's enough just to stay in the moment and appreciate Durant's brilliance on nights like this.

As Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game, "I grew up right here in Los Angeles and when I was 10 years old I watched UCLA beat Kentucky for the national championship. It was their 10th national title in 12 years, and at 10 years old and as a UCLA fan I thought that's going to happen forever, that's going to go on forever. [John] Wooden retired after the game and they've won one national title since.

"But I think the reason people are so attracted to sports is that none of us know what's going to happen. You do your best to build a good team and a solid team, and you hope to get some luck along the way. And I think we've done that and we've experienced the luck, and the bad luck, and it's all part of it. You don't worry about expectations, you just go out there and play and do your best and see if you can sustain it for a long time. But everything comes to an end and we're just trying to keep this going as long as we can."

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2019-04-19 08:39:18Z
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Simmons torches Nets, says Dudley feud 'done' - ESPN

2:56 AM ET

NEW YORK -- With All-Star big man Joel Embiid a late scratch because of left knee soreness, Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said point guard Ben Simmons played one of his "most dominant games" of his young career in Thursday's 131-115 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Simmons, last season's Rookie of the Year, finished with 31 points on 11-for-13 shooting, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals, following up a triple-double in Game 2 with his playoff career high in scoring in Game 3 to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

Brown put the spotlight on Simmons' free throws as a sign of just how locked in he was. He started off 5-for-5 and went 9-for-11 overall, shooting well above his 60 percent average during the regular season.

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"Ben was exceptional," Brown said. "They started trying to foul him. I think at that point he had not missed a free throw, and he did miss the two after they intentionally fouled him, but then he made another two to follow up.

"And so, whether you look at his confidence, his body language walking to the line or with just organic play, I give Ben a tremendous amount of credit. We needed it all tonight, especially without Joel."

Coming into the game, Simmons and Nets reserve Jared Dudley exchanged verbal barbs, with Dudley saying that Simmons was merely "average" in half-court situations. Simmons shrugged off the remark, saying, "It's coming from Jared Dudley. Come on."

Then, hours before tipoff, a "missing" poster mocking Simmons' nonexistent jump shot was affixed to a street sign outside Barclays Center. The poster jokingly offered a $26,620,450 reward for the retrieval of Simmons' shot -- the amount of the point guard's rookie contract.

Brooklyn fans, naturally, made Simmons the target of their ire, lustily booing him whenever he touched the ball.

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Ben Simmons deflects questions on his beef with Jared Dudley and emphasizes that he's "not worried about it."

Simmons mostly let his game do the talking. Even though Dudley finished with zero points on 0-for-2 shooting with two turnovers in 17 minutes, Simmons didn't add to the war of words after the game.

"I don't have energy for that," Simmons said. "Honestly. It's done. People are going to say what they want to say. It is what it is. I just got to play."

Even though Simmons had a couple of demonstrative gestures throughout the game -- flexing after one dunk, hanging on the rim after another and shooting Dudley a stare at one point -- Dudley said he didn't do any trash talking.

"No, no banter," he said. " If you look at the whole quote -- you can look at it if need be, justifying his game or what you want to do -- would you rather guard him in the full court going 100 miles an hour? Or would you rather guard him half court? So I feel real confident when I'm in there guarding against him, but you got to give credit. He played phenomenal. The whole team played phenomenal, and they deserved this win."

Simmons was excellent in the half court on Thursday, finishing 9-for-11 in half-court sets (2-for-2 in transition) and distributing four of his nine assists, according to data compiled by ESPN Stats & Info. His 85 percent mark from the field was the highest field goal percentage in a 30-point game in the playoffs by a Sixers player over the last 35 seasons. And the Nets shot just 8-for-24 when Simmons was the primary defender in Game 3.

Brown said that Simmons' age sometimes gets overlooked when his critics judge him.

"I think we forget he's 22 years old, and we start talking about the growth in his jump shot and all this stuff," Brown said. "Everybody talks about it, and then you see him come out and make the free throws, and whether he's getting booed or there's something else going on as it relates to some level of scrutinizing Ben, he's incredibly confident within himself.

"He has put in a tremendous amount of work apart from being just pretty darn good to earn that privilege. I'm just so happy for him to play like he played tonight. Especially when you zoom in to the free throw line, to make free throws in the NBA playoffs, and have, what, 31 points and shoot the percentage that he did? I think he feeds off that, but it's not like he's out beating his chest over it. I think internally he's got tremendous inner confidence."

Simmons showed some of his confidence when he discussed the team's unpredictable playoff future, with Embiid missing Game 3 because of his sore knee.

"We have the pieces to get games, to complete games," Simmons said. "I think everybody in our organization knows that. It's about everybody stepping up and following the plan, the scouting report or whatever it is and just lock in and buy into what we have to do and that foundation."

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2019-04-19 06:03:31Z
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Kevin Durant ERUPTS For 38 Points in 3 Quarters! | April 18, 2019 - NBA

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2019-04-19 06:09:02Z
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Spurs Lost Starting PG Before Season, Now Derrick White Is Giving 7 Seed Hope - Bleacher Report

Mark Sobhani/Getty Images

Before the San Antonio Spurs' 2018-19 campaign even began, the injury bug sunk its teeth into a team already surrounded with question marks. In a preseason game, starting point guard Dejounte Murray suffered a season-ending injury when he tore his ACL. 

Afterward, The Ringer's Haley O'Shaughnessy wrote, "Without Murray, the newest and youngest of San Antonio’s familiar faces, the one most expected to make a leap, the optimism for one of those classic Popovich playoff runs begins to drain. These are not your mama's Spurs."

And yet, here we stand after San Antonio's 118-108 Game 3 victory to take a 2-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets, potentially on the precipice of another "one of those classic Popovich playoff runs."

It's largely thanks to Murray's replacement—second-year pro Derrick White.

After he logged a total of 139 minutes in 17 games during his 2017-18 rookie season, White suddenly found himself thrust into one of the most important roles in basketball: starting point guard. On Thursday, after nearly six months of on-the-job training, he gave us an exclamation point for the story he's written all season.

Against the second-seeded Nuggets, the 24-year-old scored a career-high 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting to go along with five rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block in the Spurs victory.

In the first half alone, White went off for 26 points while consistently getting to the rim at will.

"We couldn't stop him," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said, per Mile High Sports' T.J. McBride. "They had 62 points in our paint and we gave up 16 blow-bys which is just one-on-one containment."

Just take a look at his shot chart, as seen on NBA.com:

NBA.com

White was so dominant in the first half that Denver was forced to switch the assignment from Jamal Murray to Gary Harris. At times, they even threw double teams at him. In response, White went ahead and dished out four of his five assists in the second half.

As San Antonio marches forward with stolen home-court advantage in the series, it does so with a rising star who's already commanding in-game adjustments and countering them brilliantly.

If we jump back to his full-game box score, the all-around contributions aren't unusual. During the season, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per 75 possessions (think of that as a pace-adjusted version of per-36-minute stats).

The scoring is what's different. White was in single digits for 34 of his 67 regular-season appearances in 2018-19. On a team with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan, the relative newcomer to the league was understandably deferential.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

But in this series against Denver, he's been far more aggressive. After he scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field in San Antonio's Game 1 victory, the young guard earned praise from head coach Gregg Popovich.

"He's spectacular for somebody who got put into that position," Popovich said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "To learn that position with a bunch of new players is really remarkable when he's done what he's done. So hopefully he'll continue to play that way because it's gonna be a long series."

He has. 

In fact, he just keeps getting better. Through three playoff games, White is now averaging 23 points on 69 percent shooting. San Antonio has outscored Denver by 23 points in his minutes and has been outscored by 17 in all others. 

This offensive improvement didn't come from nowhere, though.

"White initiates more pick-and-rolls and burns through more drives than everyone other than DeMar DeRozan," Bleacher Report's Dan Favale wrote when he identified White as the Spurs' postseason X-factor. "His assist percentage on those downhill attacks is a team-high 12.5 percent, and he's boosted his volume on pull-up jumpers this side of the All-Star break."

The on-off numbers from this series track with what White did during the season, as well. According to Basketball Reference, San Antonio was plus-5.8 points per 100 possessions when White was on the floor and minus-0.6 when he was off—a swing of 6.4 points.

You know who else had that kind of all-around impact in his second season? Murray, who boosted San Antonio's net rating by 5.6 points per 100 possessions in 2017-18.

Both guards have plus size for the point guard position, which should pique the interest of more than just Spurs fans. Together, Murray and White can help usher the Spurs into the era of positionless basketball while tormenting opposing backcourts with their defense.

This season, White was second among point guards in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus. Last year, Dejounte Murray was first. If you place those two wing-sized 1s next to DeRozan, the latter's defense may suddenly stop drawing quite as much ire. White and Murray will cover for a multitude of ills.

And with White's newfound emergence as a scorer, answering questions about Murray's offensive limitations may not be as critical. The trio has the potential for synergy on both ends of the floor, and the average age of its members is 25. This is a group on which the Spurs can potentially rely for a while.

In the now? With Murray out, the Spurs will continue to lean on White.

After the Game 3 win, Popovich called him "spectacular" again, per NBA on ESPN's Twitter account:

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA

Coach Pop's first response to a question about Derrick White, who dropped a career-high 36 pts in Game 3: "Eh, he's OK." 😅 https://t.co/ykKVQSNv5H

He'll likely need to be for the rest of this series if San Antonio is to complete the upset. But even if this run ends earlier than some of the Popovich classics to which O'Shaughnessy referred, White is illuminating the path into the future for an organization that dominated the past.

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2019-04-19 05:26:19Z
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Seven-round 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders surprise at No. 4, Panthers and Patriots take QBs on Day 2 - CBS Sports

The 2019 NFL Draft is almost here, and what better way to celebrate the league's biggest offseason spectacle than with a seven-round mock draft? In this version, we have a big surprise near the top and it doesn't involve Kyler Murray. Instead, the Raiders, who desperately need an pass rusher after trading Khalil Mack, take Michigan's Rashan Gary with the fourth-overall pick, even with Quinnen Williams on the board. Gary's a height/weight/speed freak who was miscast in Ann Arbor. And if Oakland can tap into his skills, he could be special.

In other developments, Drew Lock goes before Dwayne Haskins; Daniel Jones sneaks into the top 15, and the Patriots find a big target at the end of Round 1 to help replace Rob Gronkowski's productivity. In subsequent rounds, the Chiefs stock up on shifty playmakers, the Giants get a downfield playmaker, the Pats get a quarterback and the Steelers get one of the fastest players in the entire class.

As for the actual draft, you'll be able to stream our live coverage right here on CBS Sports HQ (or download the CBS Sports app for free on any mobile or connected TV device) breaking down all the picks and everything you need to know during draft weekend. But before that, you should join us for our live mock draft show on CBS Sports HQ from 4-6 p.m. ET today -- yes, today! -- where all your favorite NFL personalities will run through the first round playing general manager, with trades, analysis and plenty more. You can find that above from 4-6 p.m. ET or at this link.

Alright, let's get to all 254 selections.

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

103. Cardinals - Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State
104. 49ers - Daylon Mack, DL, Texas A&M
105. Jets - Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Nebraska
106. Raiders - Bobby Okereke, LB, Stanford
107. Buccaneers - Alex Bars, OL, Penn State
108. Giants - Trysten Hill, DL, UCF
109. Jaguars - Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State
110. Bengals - Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State
111. Lions - Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU
112. Bills - Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State
113. Ravens - Connor McGovern, OL, Penn State
114. Packers - Te'von Coney, LB, Notre Dame
115. Panthers - Antoine Wesley, WR, Texas Tech
116. Dolphins - Mecole Hardman, WR, Georgia
117. Falcons - Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston
118. Packers - Alize Mack, TE, Notre Dame
119. Browns - Bobby Evans, OT, Oklahoma
120. Vikings - Josh Oliver, TE, San Jose State
121. Titans - Gerald Willis, DL, Miami
122. Steelers - Anthony Nelson, DE, Iowa
123. Ravens - Marquise Blair, S, Utah
124. Seahawks - Dillon Mitchell, WR, Oregon
125. Broncos - Drue Tranquill, LB, Notre Dame
126. Bears - Mark Fields, CB, Clemson
127. Eagles - Vosean Joseph, LB, Florida
128. Cowboys - Joe Jackson, DE, Miami
129. Colts - Drew Sample, TE, Washington
130. Chargers - Michael Jackson, CB, Miami
131. Bills - Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Eastern Michigan
132. Giants - Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn
133. Rams - Dennis Daley, OT, South Carolina
134. Patriots - Kingsley Keke, DL, Texas A&M
135. *Colts - Will Harris, S, Boston College (compensatory)
136. *Cowboys - Isaac Nauta, TE, Georgia (compensatory)
137. *Falcons - Emeke Egbule, LB, Houston (compensatory)
138. *Eagles - Ryquell Armstead, RB, Temple (compensatory)

Round 5

139. Cardinals - Daniel Wise, DT, Kansas
140. Raiders - Max Scharping, OL, Northern Illinois
141. Steelers - David Sills, WR, West Virginia
142. Giants - Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami
143. Giants - Joe Giles-Harris, LB, Duke
144. Browns - Chris Slayton, DT, Syracuse
145. Buccaneers - Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State
146. Lions - Gary Jennings, WR, West Virginia
147. Bills - Darius Slayton, WR, Auburn
148. Broncos - Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford
149. Bengals - Corey Ballentine, CB, Washburn
150. Packers - Armon Watts, DL, Arkansas
151. Dolphins - Kris Boyd, CB, Texas
152. Falcons - Chuma Edoga, OT, USC
153. Redskins - Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington
154. Panthers - Ross Pierschbacher, C, Alabama
155. Browns - DaMarkus Lodge, WR, Ole Miss
156. Broncos - Jakobi Meyers, WR, NC State
157. Titans - Tyrel Dodson, LB, Texas A&M
158. Bills - Trevon Wesco, TE, West Virginia
159. Seahawks - Kaden Elliss, LB, Idaho
160. Ravens - Shareef Miller, EDGE, Penn State
161. Texans - Donnell Greene, OT, Minnesota
162. Bears - Ugo Amadi, S, Oregon
163. Eagles - Hjalte Froholdt, G, Eagles
164. Colts - Karan Higdon, RB, Michigan
165. Cowboys - Jalen Hurd, WR, Baylor
166. Chargers - Cortez Broughton, DL, Cincinnati
167. Chiefs - John Cominsky, DE, Charleston (WV)
168. Saints - Foster Moreau, TE, LSU
169. Rams - Beau Benzschawel, OL, Wisconsin
170. Browns - T.J. Edwards, LB, Wisconsin
171. *Giants - Travyeon Williams, RB, Texas A&M (compensatory)
172. *Falcons - Marcus Green, WR, Louisiana-Monroe (compensatory)
173. *Redskins - Travis Fulgham, WR, Old Dominion (compensatory)

Round 6

174. Cardinals - Josiah Tauaefa, LB, USTA
175. Steelers - Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
176. 49ers - Terrill Hanks, OLB, New Mexico State
177. Saints - Hunter Renfrow, WR, Clemson
178. Jaguars - Jordan Ta'amu, QB, Ole Miss
179. Cardinals - KeeSean Johnson, WR, Fresno State
180. Giants - Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison
181. Bills - Hamp Cheevers, CB, Boston College
182. Broncos - Evan Worthington, S, Colorado
183. Bengals - Anthony Johnson, WR, Buffalo
184. Lions - Justin Hollins, EDGE, Oregon
185. Packers - Tyler Jones, OL, N.C. State
186. Falcons - Parker Baldwin, S, San Diego State
187. Panthers - Montre Hartage, CB, Northwestern
188. Titans - Blace Brown, CB, Troy
189. Browns - Blessuan Austin, CB, Rutgers
190. Vikings - Lamont Gaillard, G, Georgia
191. Ravens - Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Virginia
192. Steelers - Deshaun Davis, LB, Auburn
193. Ravens - Michael Jordan, C/G, Ohio State
194. Packers - Jeff Smith, WR, Boston College
195. Texans - Terry Godwin, WR, Georgia
196. Jets - James Williams, RB, Washington State
197. Eagles - Dontavius Russell, DT, Auburn
198. Bengals - Derrick Baity, CB, Kentucky
199. Colts - Austin Bryant, DE, Clemson
200. Chargers - Keelan Doss, WR, UC Davis
201. Chiefs - Mike Edwards, S, Kentucky
202. Saints - Donnie Lewis, Jr., CB, Tulane
203. Rams - Sheldrick Redwine, S, Miami
204. Lions - Jamal Custis, WR, Syracuse
205. *Patriots - Saivion Smith, CB, Patriots (compensatory)
206. *Redskins - Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky (compensatory)
207. *Steelers - Diontae Johnson, WR, Toldeo (compensatory)
208. *Buccaneers - Byron Cowart, DE, Maryland (compensatory)
209. *Vikings - Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska (compensatory)
210. *Bengals - Terrone Prescod, OL, N.C. State (compensatory)
211. *Bengals - Mike Bell, S, Fresno State (compensatory)
212. *49ers - Khari Willis, S, Michigan State (compensatory)
213. *Bengals - Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington (compensatory)
214. *Chiefs - Cameron Smith, LB, USC (compensatory)

Round 7

215. Buccaneers - Cody Thompson, WR, Toledo
216. Chiefs - Isaiah Buggs, DL, Alabama
217. Jets - Zach Gentry, TE, Notre Dame
218. Raiders - Immanuel Turner, DL, Louisiana Tech
219. Steelers - Jordan Brown, CB, South Dakota State
220. Texans - Xavier Crawford, CB, Central Michigan
221. Browns - Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State
222. Bears - Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma
223. Bengals - Trenton Irwin, WR, Stanford
224. Lions - Terry Beckner, DL, Missouri
225. Bills - Bunchy Stallings, OL, Kentucky
226. Packers - Sutton Smith, EDGE, Northern Illinois
227. Redskins - Kendall Sheffield, CB, Ohio State
228. Bills - Tre Lamar, LB, Clemson
229. Lions - Zedrick Woods, S, Ole Miss
230. Falcons - Wes Hills, RB, Slippery Rock
231. Saints - Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State
232. Giants - Olive Sagapolu, DT, Wisconsin
233. Dolphins - Tre Watson, LB, Maryland
234. Dolphins - Gardner Minshew, QB, Washington State
235. Raiders - Jalen Guyton, WR, North Texas
236. Jaguars - Michael Dogbe, DE, Temple
237. Broncos - Iman Marshall, CB, USC
238. Bears - Carl Granderson, EDGE, Wyoming
239. Patriots - Tommy Sweeney, TE, Boston Collge
240. Colts - Oli Udoh, T, Elon
241. Cowboys - Tony Pollard, RB, Kentucky
242. Chargers - Easton Stick, QB, North Dakota State
243. Patriots - Greg Dortch, WR, Wake Forest
244. Saints - Jalin Moore, RB, Appalachian State
245. Giants - Reggie White Jr., WR, Monmouth
246. Patriots - Mike Weber, RB, Ohio State
247. *Vikings - Gary Johnson, LB, Texas (compensatory)
248. *Cardinals - Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State (compensatory)
249. *Cardinals - Jalen Jelks, EDGE, Oregon (compensatory)
250. *Vikings - Wyatt Ray, EDGE, Boston College (compensatory)
251. *Rams - Malik Reed, EDGE, Nevada (compensatory)
252. *Patriots - Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State (compensatory)
253. *Redskins - Lukas Denis, S, Boston College (compensatory)
254. *Cardinals - Isaiah Prince, OT, Ohio State (compensatory)

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2019-04-18 19:55:00Z
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