Former NFL cornerback Alphonso Smith Jr. has died at the age of 40 after sharing a deeply troubling message on Facebook in which he apologized to his loved ones and reflected on painful experiences from his childhood.
Smith, who played for the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions, reportedly died by suicide in Florida on Wednesday, September 2, according to TMZ.
His death came just hours after the lengthy Facebook post appeared on his account.
The message immediately raised alarm, with Smith writing that he had fought what he described as “demons” and insisting that he had tried everything he could to overcome them.
“I did not want to be that WAY!” Smith wrote, adding that he knew he had disappointed people and that he had “HURT so many.”
He then delivered one of the most heartbreaking portions of the message, writing:
“I needed help & did not get it!”
Smith continued by apologizing for his behavior and describing himself in brutally self-critical terms.
“I am A COWARD! A HUGE COWARD!” he wrote.
He went on to address his children, writing, “To my kids, daddy is SO SORRY!”
He also apologized to his friends, telling them that although he loved them, “your boy was f–ked up!”
Smith’s message then turned toward his family and his childhood.
Police tape blocks off an area. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
He claimed that something had happened to him when he was young involving an older woman.
Smith suggested that the experience had profoundly affected him and made the disturbing claim that he subsequently “did the same onto others.”
Smith did not elaborate on the allegations in the post, but repeatedly asked those he had affected for forgiveness. He also urged his loved ones and others reading the message to pray for their families and for everyone impacted by his actions.
Near the end of the post, Smith described himself as “the WORST” and wrote that while he believed his heart was pure, his “BRAIN & experience” were deeply troubled.
The disturbing message has since become a central part of the coverage surrounding Smith’s death.
Before his death, Smith had built an impressive career on the field.
The Florida native starred at Wake Forest from 2004 to 2008, finishing his college career with 21 interceptions. He earned All-American honors as a senior and was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
The Denver Broncos selected Smith with the 37th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played one season in Denver before being traded to the Detroit Lions, where he spent three seasons.
Smith appeared in 42 NFL games, recording 88 tackles and eight interceptions before his professional football career ended following the 2012 season.
Now, Smith’s final words have cast a painful shadow over the legacy of a player once celebrated for his accomplishments on the football field.
Our condolences go out to Alphonso Smith’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.
“Telling each other our stories is the single most revolutionary act in every way.”
The advice written for feminists and organizers listed on Gloria Steinem’s website, aptly, since before her… E! Online (US) – Top Stories
Supporters on primary election night in New York, June 23, 2026, cheer winning candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democrat and member of the Democratic Socialists of America running for the House.Seth Wenig/AP Photo
The Democratic Party’s coalition headed into the 2026 midterms is as broad as it’s been in years. That seems likely to help them pick up dozens of seats in Congress and win majorities back from Republicans in either or both chambers.
In the 2026 election cycle, DSA-affiliated candidates have won a handful of Democratic primaries. Most did so in districts that Democrats are very likely to win in November. As a result, at least a half-dozen DSA-affiliated candidates are all but guaranteed a seat in the next Congress.
But history tells us that a “big tent” party is also likely to face big divisions and even bigger challenges when putting together a governing coalition in Congress. Depending on the size of the Democrats’ possible majorities, the DSA-affiliated lawmakers’ reach and power, despite their small numbers, could extend beyond elections and deep into the process of legislating.
If the Democrats win a House majority in the midterms, how will Democratic leaders handle DSA-affiliated House members? wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus
The challenge of selecting a leader
Before any policy can even be debated, Congress has to elect its leadership. In the Senate, the party with the most seats selects the “majority leader” and the other party the “minority leader.” This vote is fully internal to each party: Democratic senators will vote on their leader and Republicans on theirs. But in the House, this vote is on full display. Per the Constitution, the full House must select the speaker of the House. Because only a simple majority is required to win, the majority party typically dominates the speaker selection process.
While these processes seem simple on paper, they may be a hurdle for relatively unpopular Democratic leaders facing an ideologically divided caucus and slim margins of control. This is particularly true in the House, where a public, on-the-record roll call vote may pressure some members to rebel against the Democrats’ current House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is largely presumed to be the next Democratic speaker.
For evidence of this potential, look no further than the 118th Congress: Following the election of a new Republican majority in 2023, then-leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, faced a grueling 15 rounds of ballots before finally being elected speaker. The culprit? The ideologically extreme, far-right members of the Republican Party that didn’t want to support him.
Who the speaker is, and to whom they are beholden in their caucus, matters greatly for the policy goals of the upcoming 120th Congress.
Costs of compromise
The speaker controls House floor proceedings, shepherding legislation to the floor or preventing it from ever seeing a vote. They also head the steering committee, which determines committee assignments, manages a large and powerful staff, and controls the messaging of constituent communication.
For a speaker faced with managing an ideologically diverse coalition, these procedural advantages can be tools to protect their party from tough votes or, perhaps, to appease ideological extremists.
But as leaders of both their party and the entire chamber, balancing the demands of partisan peers can come into conflict with the necessities of lawmaking.
For instance, despite making policy and procedural deals with conservative members in his leadership bid, Speaker McCarthy was ultimately removed from office by his own party less than 10 months later for the transgression of compromising with moderate Democratic members to prevent a government shutdown.
While compromise may be necessary for a functioning government, it’s also antithetical to the goals of the conservative movement.
The man who took over the GOP leader’s job, current Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, appears to have learned from this lesson: In the 119th Congress, his leadership has been defined by his deference to President Donald Trump and party conservatives, rather than trying to find the moderate middle between the two parties.
As Democratic leaders look to the upcoming 120th Congress, this same policymaking challenge will likely await them as well, regardless of which Democrat wins control of the speaker’s gavel.
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3, 2023, in a vote forced by hard-right conservatives.
Advantages of size and discipline
Yet ideological alignment alone is not enough to accelerate chamber action. Key to the success of any group seeking power in Congress is the size of its party’s advantage over the minority and the ability of ideological groups to organize.
That’s because narrow margins between the two parties force the majority’s leaders to pay attention to the demands of every member of their caucus in any effort to pass legislation.
Large majorities, meanwhile, can allow errant members to wander, with little risk to the majority party’s policy goals. And in 2026, with the median prediction in some models giving Democrats control of the House by as many as 30 seats, the half-dozen or so DSA-affiliated members may not always be essential to passing legislation.
Yet margin size alone does not guarantee clout. Groups must also be organized and cohesive.
In order for any ideological group to have a say in policymaking, it must not only be unified in policy goals but prepared to act as a voting bloc in the face of leadership. A potential DSA insurgency could take heed of the lessons of the conservative – and effective – Freedom Caucus before it, just one recent example from a long history of ideological rebellions in Congress.
But when ideological groups are disorganized, they don’t have much power to influence policy. So the ample resources and processes available to party leaders present an opportunity for the leader-driven lawmaking that has defined much of the modern congressional era.
The realities of effective lawmaking
Even the most organized, ideologically driven coalitions face a few underlying realities of lawmaking that political science tells us remain true.
For one thing, despite its reported demise as a victim of polarization and more recent bare-knuckle partisanship, bipartisanship still produces many significant legislative agreements in Congress. The 21st Century Road to Housing Act to increase access to affordable housing, the CHIPS and Science Act to encourage domestic technological development, and the First Step Act to reduce rising prison populations are recent examples of major bipartisanship policy solutions. And research has shown that members who attract more bipartisan co-sponsors tend to be more successful legislators.
Furthermore, most of these likely-to-be-elected DSA members are either political newcomers or have been successful only outside of the traditional Democratic establishment. This may have been a selling point in their primary campaigns, but these new members’ lack of experience and lack of experienced staff could limit their ability to maneuver in a Congress that even today is heavily structured by rules and norms, many of which are dictated by party leadership.
Leadership also has key institutional advantages that even the most fiery new members of Congress may find themselves unable to overcome.
Evidence since the 1970s demonstrates the deteriorating lawmaking capacity of individual members, particularly compared to party leaders. That makes it difficult for any member of Congress – particularly new, inexperienced members – to direct floor activity or get consideration of their biggest policy priorities.
DSA-affiliated members may be able to enhance their power by forming coalitions with other younger, establishment-skeptical new members, or with more experienced progressives such as Democrats Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts or Maxwell Frost from Florida. These members may share many of the DSA’s values but do not specifically affiliate with their political movement.
As leaders of both their chambers and their parties, speakers and majority leaders have a responsibility to pass necessary legislation. But in cases of tight margins and well-organized ideological caucuses, the job of negotiating often comes within their own membership.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
People cheer rescue workers on their way to the site of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. After major disasters, people often extend help beyond their social circles, crossing political, socioeconomic and religious divides.Peter Turnley/Archive Photos via Getty Images
The aftermath of such a disaster can place enormous strain on a community. If disruption is prolonged, support is inadequate and the economic and social structures that hold a community together are damaged. Relationships can fracture, trust can erode, and conflict can emerge. Disaster researchers describe this pattern as a “corrosive community.”
As a social work researcher who has studied disaster recovery and worked alongside disaster-affected communities for more than two decades, I have witnessed another side of the human response to catastrophe: Amid tremendous hardship and loss, people reach for connection and find strength in community.
What happens after a disaster
A national survey conducted just after 9/11 found that about half of Americans had responded to the crisis by giving to charity, and nearly a quarter donated or tried to donate blood. Volunteer sign-ups surged.
The research I conducted with colleagues on marriage and divorce following 9/11 offered another window into the disaster’s effects. We examined divorce rates across all 62 New York counties, comparing the four years after the attacks with the decade before them. Divorce rates were significantly lower than expected in three of those four years. Even by 2005, the statewide divorce rate remained about 8% below what the previous decade’s trend would have predicted.
These patterns point to something I have observed in the decades since: During collective crises, people often turn toward family and social relationships.
I saw that instinct again in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, which killed nearly 1,400 people and caused more than US$125 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Amid enormous devastation and displacement, families took in relatives, and volunteers and organizations from across the country stepped forward. In our research on more than 7,200 children and adolescents from Louisiana communities heavily affected by Katrina, we found that two years after the storm, disruptions such as separation from family and community were among the experiences associated with greater post-traumatic stress symptoms. In our work with crisis counselors in Louisiana, we found that people who had experienced significant losses themselves described finding meaning and healing through helping others recover.
Recovery happens together
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has documented a sharp rise in billion-dollar disasters in recent decades. In 2024, the last year for which NOAA shared data, the U.S. saw 27 such disasters, compared with an average of about nine a year since 1980. As these events grow more frequent, understanding what helps communities recover will become more urgent.
For some communities – like those on the Gulf Coast – disasters are not isolated events but repeated experiences. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 – the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history, which released 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf – I asked 41 residents what advice they would give others facing similar crises. Many of them had endured multiple disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav. Their advice was striking in its simplicity: Lean on your faith and find strength in community.
Years later, I heard the same message thousands of miles away when I visited Hawaii after the 2023 Maui wildfires, which destroyed the town of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. During my research for a book about community resilience, residents spoke to me not about individual survival, but about community and a shared commitment to rebuilding.
These were different disasters, places and decades, yet the message was remarkably similar.
Volunteers deliver food and bottled water to elderly residents impacted by the 2023 wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Corrosive communities
Recognizing the strength within a community does not diminish its losses or lessen the responsibility to support it. People recovering from catastrophe need housing, economic assistance, mental health services and sustained investment.
Without adequate resources to rebuild, the connections that help people move forward can themselves become strained, contributing to a corrosive community.
The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history. It killed hundreds of thousands of birds and other wildlife and billions of fish eggs, driving families and businesses dependent on fishing into bankruptcy. In its aftermath, the community of Cordova, Alaska, experienced years of economic loss, prolonged litigation and uncertainty. Researchers documented declining trust, weakened social connections, conflict and population decline – effects that, in some cases, persisted for decades.
A corrosive community becomes more likely when recovery is prolonged, resources are inadequate or uneven, and trust erodes. Communities are more likely to cohere when support is adequate, resources are distributed fairly and institutions are trusted.
In my assessment, recovery is rarely an individual accomplishment; instead, it happens through families, neighbors, community organizations, volunteers and, sometimes, strangers.
What disasters reveal about us
The American Psychological Association reports that 62% of adults identify divisions in society as a significant source of stress. And despite being more connected than ever through technology and social media, roughly half of Americans show signs of loneliness.
Our differences do not disappear after catastrophes, but people find ways to connect despite them.
Research following Hurricane Maria, a 2017 storm estimated to have killed nearly 3,000 people, found that survivors extended help beyond their social circles, crossing political, socioeconomic and religious divides and even past conflicts.
Disaster solidarity may be temporary, but it reveals something enduring: Our capacity for connection does not appear when a hurricane makes landfall, wildfire spreads or an unimaginable act of violence like 9/11 occurs. It’s already there.
There is something to learn from a disaster that can help in the everyday moments that test us, too.
Tonya Cross Hansel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Despite her lengthy career and her even longer life, Steinem never actually retired.
Still sporting her signature look, she continued to endorse candidates and meet with fellow feminist leaders to discuss matters such as human rights, gender equality, and more.
She continued to host talking circles involving hundreds of people in her home.
She also continued to write.
Autumn is only weeks away. Steinem’s planned memoir release was (and perhaps, still is) set to come out during this upcoming season.
On Thursday, September 3, The Gloria Steinem Foundation announced that the legendary women’s rights advocate had passed away the day before. (Image Credit: Instagram)
She continued her advocacy until the end
Gloria Steinem was one of the most celebrated figures in human rights during the 20th Century.
In the ’60s, she worked as a journalist.
Attending rallies where women spoke out for abortion rights helped to launch her new career as an advocate for women’s rights.
Steinem traveled, speaking at college campuses and at community centers, organizing marches for equality.
Remember, this was a time before women could open their own bank accounts, when some restaurants only allowed men during certain hours.
Gloria Steinem helped generations of women believe they belonged in rooms where decisions are made. She never stopped fighting for equality and opportunity for everyone.
I’m deeply honored and humbled to have earned her support of my campaign for U.S. Senate.
We all owe Steinem a debt, because our society is better for having had her in it.
Whether you enjoy superhero stories or like being able to hang out with friends or date freely in a society where women are people rather than property, Steinem and other advocates like her have impacted all of our lives in a positive manner.
There have been catastrophic setbacks in women’s rights in recent years. It puts the tragedy in perspective when we imagine how many human rights gained but then lost recognition during one figure’s lifetime.
But this gives us something to fight. Things have been worse than they are now — even if it doesn’t feel that way. We can make the future into something better than any of us have ever known.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that anyone wishing to honor her memory with a financial gift donate to her foundation.
What better way to celebrate the return of college football and the NFL than with a fresh mock draft? Much will change between now and April 29, 2027, so take this forecast as it is intended — a projection of the current top prospects at the college level coupled with the anticipated needs of NFL teams. As always, it will be fun to monitor how both change over the course of the season. Of course, among the many things that will certainly change in the coming months is the selection order. For the purposes of this mock, we’re taking the inverse order of DraftKings’ latest Super Bowl odds. With a subpar roster (including at quarterback) and forced to compete against three legitimate Super Bowl contenders within their division, the Cardinals have the easiest route to the No. 1 selection. Manning isn’t without his flaws, but there are plenty of signs that he could be the sort of franchise-changer the Cardinals need to become relevant again. I’m more bullish on Malik Willis as a starting quarterback in the NFL than the folks at DraftKings seem to be, but like the aforementioned Cardinals, it seems unlikely that Miami is going to jump in the standings given its own limitations as well as its schedule. I would love to match Willis with Ohio State’s phenomenal receiver Jeremiah Smith here, but the opportunity to land a blue-chip quarterback doesn’t come often, and Moore is certainly that. He is currently a more instinctive and accurate passer than Manning and looks like a lock at this point to be among the first two players selected next spring — even if it requires another team trading up to get him. I like the veteran additions made by the Jets (on both sides of the ball) and expect the club’s native first-round pick to be much lower than No. 3 overall. That said, with two other first-round picks added via trades, the Jets have the firepower to do whatever they want. With all due respect to the quarterbacks, Smith is arguably the best player in this class, with a frame, speed and star power similar to a young Julio Jones. The 2027 first-round selection the Browns received from the Rams in the Myles Garrett trade won’t come until much later on Day 1, but with the top quarterbacks off the board and several blue-chip defensive prospects available, Cleveland should be satisfied with reloading on that side of the ball with this pick. Stewart’s blend of burst, bend and length is the building blocks of a future All-Pro. Adding him to a defensive line already featuring Jared Verse and Mason Graham would be exciting. Based on the investment made this past spring in No. 1 overall selection Fernando Mendoza and veteran Kirk Cousins, new head coach Klint Kubiak may very well push for a wide receiver (Cam Coleman?) with the Raiders’ top choice. But it would be hard to pass up a talent like Moore here. He’s right with Derek Stingley and Patrick Surtain II as one of the cleanest cornerback prospects I’ve evaluated over the past decade. Moore combines size, agility, instincts and ball skills to project as a future NFL star. Perhaps the Falcons will be feeling better about their edge group a year from now, but with James Pearce Jr. out for half the season (suspension) and Jalon Walker out for the entire season (torn ACL), the club has little choice but to have contingency plans. A former linebacker turned edge rusher following a similar path as Arvell Reese and Micah Parsons, Simmons is a one-man wrecking crew who could fix what currently ails Atlanta’s pass rush. The Titans invested a lot of money ($82 million over four years) in left tackle Dan Moore Jr., and the results last year were typical of what he’d shown earlier in his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers — he surrendered eight sacks over 16 regular-season games. If picking this high, the Titans could see Goosby as an upgrade as Cam Ward’s blindside protector. Goosby put a scare into the Longhorns (and scouts) by going down with a knee injury in August, but he reportedly suffered a bone bruise that should take just weeks, not months, to heal. Goosby was fantastic last season, but it was his first as a starter. If he can build upon it, he has the talent to be the first offensive lineman drafted this spring. Four Longhorns among the first eight selections of the 2027 NFL draft? It could happen, which is a big reason why Texas is my pick to win the national title this year. An acrobatic one-handed grab shared on social media from camp this summer had fans gushing, but scouts have been tracking Coleman since he flashed at Auburn. A springy athlete with excellent size and tracking skills, Coleman reminds me a lot of another star wideout playing in Texas: Cowboys star George Pickens. Pairing Coleman with reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan would give the Panthers the opportunity to better evaluate Bryce Young in what will be the last year of his rookie contract. I like the Saints’ young nucleus in the secondary, but GM Mickey Loomis has been doing this too long to think he wouldn’t consider adding another premier cover corner, if available. Robinson isn’t as big or as physical as the aforementioned Leonard Moore, but he possesses elite agility, acceleration and ball skills. Trading away Dexter Lawrence left a massive hole in the middle of John Harbaugh’s defense, and I think he’ll prioritize replacing him in the draft. Washington may not have the statistics (33 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2026) one normally associates with a first-round selection, but had he entered the 2026 draft, I believe he would’ve joined Caleb Banks (Minnesota) and Peter Woods (Kansas City) as a Day 1 pick. Football is a big man’s game, and Washington has rare quickness for his 6-foot-3, 330-pound frame. We are all eager to see Jayden Daniels back on the field, but unless the Commanders surround him with more dynamic pass-catchers, Daniels might remain largely a one-man show on offense. Call Green a wide receiver or a tight end, the 6-foot-7, 240-pound target is a matchup nightmare. It would be fascinating if the Jets use the selection gained in the Sauce Gardner trade on a cornerback, but replacing defensive lineman Quinnen Williams on the inside should be an even higher priority. Echoles isn’t as stout at the point of attack as Williams, but he’s cat-quick and passionate, playing with the high-revving motor Aaron Glenn would appreciate. The Bucs showed clear vision back in 2020 with the selection of Tristan Wirfs out of Iowa and could return to the deepest well for offensive linemen in college football with Lauck, whose lack of ideal length and foot speed could push him inside to guard in the NFL. Big, powerful and technically sound, Lauck is arguably the “safest” of this year’s offensive line prospects. A big contract will certainly be the most important factor in bringing Baker Mayfield back, but boosting the offensive line wouldn’t hurt. The Vikings surprised some during the 2026 draft with the gamble on uber-talented but inconsistent defensive tackle Caleb Banks. I could see defensive coordinator Brian Flores pushing for a similarly unique prospect in Jones at cornerback. The 6-foot-4, 196-pound Jones allowed a total of 11 receptions last season, corralling receivers with his long arms and shockingly light feet. New general manager Nolan Teasley saw a lot of success in Seattle with oversized cornerbacks and might also be willing to bet big on Jones’ potential. Patrick Queen is entering the final season of a three-year, $41 million contract. Brown — an All-ACC honoree after each of his first two seasons at Clemson — plays with similar speed at a much lower salary. The Jaguars saw Devin Lloyd leave for Carolina (and $45 million) in free agency and could be targeting a cheaper (and more versatile) replacement in the 2027 draft. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Cole has been moved all over Georgia’s defense the past two seasons, so he doesn’t have the stats to suggest he’ll be a first-round pick. But his raw athleticism has scouts projecting him as one of this year’s breakout stars. Few teams bet on traits like the Bears, and Seaton is as gifted as there is. The biggest question about the former five-star recruit concerns the level of competition he faced at Colorado the past two seasons. The 6-foot-5, 307-pound Seaton boasts rare quickness and agility. If he passes the SEC test, he has a chance to be the first blocker taken next year, and long off the board by this point. Armed with three first-round picks in a class widely expected to boast a rich quarterback crop, Jets general manager Darren Mougey probably would get run out of town if he didn’t invest a single Day 1 pick on the game’s most important position. Carr is an intriguing fit for New York because he showed exciting awareness and accuracy as a first-year starter last year for Notre Dame and is perhaps better prepared for the mental rigors of playing in the Big Apple — given the scrutiny he’s endured with the Irish along with being the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. The Bengals traditionally use their first-round selections on big, fast athletes with high ceilings, but they might make an exception with Bolden. Officially listed by Georgia at 6-0, 195 pounds, Bolden is slighter than most teams want at safety, but his instincts, physicality and closing speed pop off the tape. The Broncos boast one of the NFL’s most well-rounded rosters, and I think they’ll be picking later than DraftKings’ current projection. Even after investing a couple of Day 3 picks on tight ends in 2026, the position remains one of the few that I think Denver could use reinforcement. Remember, veterans Evan Engram and Lucas Krull are impending free agents. Johnson was overshadowed by Kenyon Sadiq at Oregon last year, but he’s one of my favorite breakout candidates this season. Catastrophic injuries to Tank Dell and now Jayden Higgins are compromising the Texans’ passing attack and stunting the development of young quarterback C.J. Stroud. Rather than banking on a return to health from the undeniably talented pass-catchers already on the roster, GM Nick Caserio may opt to add to the room. A Texas native who inherited his parents’ track-star speed, Wesco could be a perfect fit for Houston. With expected starting center Cade Maye fracturing his wrist in training camp, Detroit GM Brad Holmes might wish that he could invest his club’s 2027 first-round pick on Pieper right now. It isn’t often that teams are willing to select centers in the first round, but if Pieper’s transition to center (from right guard) this season goes as expected, he’ll earn it. He’s the most intriguing interior offensive lineman of this class. Recruited by Jim Harbaugh to Michigan, Hill could be traveling west to rejoin his former head coach. The 6-foot-2, 189-pound Hill doesn’t have the gaudy statistics one normally associates with first-round cornerbacks (two career interceptions), but his length and physicality project well to the next level and I think he’ll flourish under Kyle Whittingham in Ann Arbor this fall. Everyone knows that Nick Bosa is one of the NFL’s elite edge rushers, but he’s missed a lot of action over his career and is coming off a third torn ACL. Whether it be to complement Bosa or plan for the future, the 49ers must invest in more pass-rushers, and Pierre has both the twitch and toughness that would fit well with their current bunch. There have been more flashes than consistency from top Kansas City receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy since they entered the NFL in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Perhaps it all comes together for one (or both) this year. If not, Becker is a polished route-runner and hands-catcher whose dependability could be especially coveted by the Chiefs. I’m a believer in Javonte Williams and head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s offense, but I think the Cowboys will consider adding more juice to their backfield in the near future. It isn’t often that NFL teams are willing to invest a first-round pick on a running back who weighs less than 200 pounds, but Lacy led the SEC with 306 touches and 24 rushing touchdowns a year ago. Some scouts believe he is the second coming of De’Von Achane. As one might expect of the defending AFC champs, the Patriots boast one of the league’s most complete rosters. Depth at safety is a question, however, especially with veterans Kevin Byard and Mike Brown approaching free agency. Johnson has size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), speed and ball-hawking skills. Yes, the Eagles boast reigning All-Pros Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean at cornerback, but both will be seeking a big payday soon enough, while fellow projected starter Riq Woolen is on a one-year deal. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound Hampton looks the part of a future NFL star and has flashy tape, but his technique is inconsistent. Given all the talent in Philly, this defense could be the perfect spot for him to blossom. Siereveld was the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle a year ago and plays with surprising balance at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds. I think he might be even better inside at guard or center due to his broad, powerful frame. A fearsome “Darkside” defense powered the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run, but reinforcements are needed on the edge. DeMarcus Lawrence has already announced that this will be his final season in the NFL, while Uchenna Nwosu (who turns 30 in December) is in the final year of his deal. Enter the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Uiagalelei? He wins against the pass and the run with his length, power and pro-ready technique. Ed Oliver was limited to just three games a season ago due to injury and is grieving the tragic drowning of his 2-year-old son. Buffalo is another situation where the general manager might wish he could use his 2027 first-round pick on a more immediate contributor at a specific position. Should the Bills wait until the draft, adding Moten would make a lot of sense. While he needs to prove that last year’s breakout was not merely the byproduct of opponents focusing heavily on 2026 first-round edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. (Bucs) and Akheem Mesidor (Chargers), Moten has all the traits to earn first-round consideration. For decades, Browns fans have wished their beloved team would earn the final first-round pick of a given NFL draft. Well, having acquired the Rams’ first-rounder in the Myles Garrett trade might finally provide the opportunity. In the interest of securing the No. 32 pick via winning the Super Bowl, Cleveland will almost certainly target a quarterback on Day 1 of the 2027 draft. One intriguing option is Leavitt, who flashed at Arizona State and I believe will flourish at LSU with Lane Kiffin.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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