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In a public response to a recent proposal by the Cleveland Browns to allow NFL teams the ability to trade draft picks five years out, Los Angeles Rams president Kevin Demoff wrote on social media, “Nothing creates more interest in the NFL than trades… More picks to trade = more trades = more interest and team-building options.” We took those words to heart in this mock draft, projecting trades for every pick of the first round. Not all these trades will occur, obviously. But this exercise is intended to demonstrate which teams have the draft capital to be aggressive and which fan bases should be fully expecting their favorite clubs to trade down, rather than stick and pick. FIRST ROUND 1. New York Jets (from Raiders): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana To be clear, I don’t think there is any way the Raiders trade the No. 1 overall pick. They currently have just one QB on their roster (Aidan O’Connell) and a huge part of their recruitment of new head coach Klint Kubiak was surely the opportunity to select Mendoza, a terrific fit for his offense. However, the Jets have the assets necessary to tempt the Raiders and their actions this offseason — including the Nos. 2, 16 and 44 picks in this draft. Moreover, their decision to retain Breece Hall, sign veteran LB Demario Davis and trade for both Geno Smith and Minkah Fitzpatrick speak to the urgency GM Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn are operating with to save their jobs. Mendoza has the talent and intangibles to handle the unique pressure of playing in the country’s largest media market, and he wouldn’t be forced onto the field early with Smith already on the roster. 2. Las Vegas Raiders (from Jets): Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State The Jets would have to pay plenty to move up to the first pick for Mendoza. While I’m still not convinced the Raiders would do it, if they liked any other quarterbacks in this class, the possibility exists. Reese’s ability to play both off-ball linebacker and attack off the edge opposite Maxx Crosby is certainly intriguing, especially given his ability to spy the mobile quarterbacks of the AFC West. 3. Washington Commanders (from Cardinals): Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame If the Commanders are really serious about protecting Jayden Daniels, they’ll insulate him with a dynamic runner and won’t risk losing the opportunity to draft him by waiting until they are on the clock at No. 7 overall. With just six draft picks in 2026 (including no second-round selection), Washington would have to be bold, indeed, to make this move, likely having to trade not only this year’s first round pick but next year’s, as well. 4. Kansas City Chiefs (from Titans): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Jumping from the No. 9 selection to No. 4 overall would likely cost the Chiefs at least their third- (No. 74) and fourth-round (No. 109) picks this year, but adding a difference-maker like Styles would be worth it. The Chiefs need to find a new star to build a reshuffled defense around, and with the dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in the AFC West, the speedy Styles would be an excellent choice. 5. Miami Dolphins (from Giants): Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State The Dolphins are looking for new playmakers after an offseason in which longtime stalwarts Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle (and Tyreek Hill) have been cast aside. New QB1 Malik Willis has little chance at success if the Dolphins don’t give him some weapons. With an NFL-best seven picks among the top 94 — beginning with the No. 11 pick — and 11 overall, Miami has the draft capital needed to be aggressive. 6. Dallas Cowboys (from Browns): David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech Jerry Jones is perennially in win-now mode, but with longtime NFC East rival Washington making the splashy trade up to secure star running back Jeremiyah Love a few picks earlier, the Cowboys may react even more aggressively. It might cost the Cowboys both of their first0round picks in the 2026 draft (Nos. 12 and No. 20) to secure the best pass-rusher in this class, but boosting a rush that finished last season tied for 28th in the NFL should be a top priority. 7. Arizona Cardinals (from Commanders): Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami New head coach Mike LaFleur inherits a team that finished a distant fourth in the NFL’s top division a year ago. This will not be a one-year rebuild. Adding Washington’s first-round pick in a 2027 draft class that is widely expected to be loaded with QB talent gives LaFleur and general manager Monti Ossenfort plenty of flexibility. For now, adding a bully along the offensive line to help protect that future investment at quarterback makes the most sense. 8. Baltimore Ravens (from Saints): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU Delane grew up in Silver Spring, Md., rooting for the Baltimore Ravens, and a bold move up by GM Eric DeCosta to make him the first defensive back drafted in 2026 would undoubtedly be a dream come true for the gifted cornerback. Boosting the secondary could go a long way toward resurrecting Baltimore’s Super Bowl aspirations, making it worth it — at least in my opinion — to consider offering the Saints a couple of middle-round picks (like No. 73 and 136, for example) to do it. 9. Tennessee Titans (from Chiefs): Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami Pairing Bain — the most violent player in this class — with Jeffery Simmons would be just the sort of move that Robert Saleh would push for at No. 4 overall. The short arm concerns, however, could push him down the board and would certainly make the Titans an early “winner” if they were able to add him, as well as a couple of extra mid-round picks, by trading down. 10. Minnesota Vikings (from Bengals): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Some believe that safeties just aren’t valuable enough in today’s NFL to justify a top-10 selection, but I think Downs’ tape over the past three seasons proves that he is the best player in this draft class. If he slips far enough, some savvy team is going to look brilliant. Sign me up for Downs in Brian Flores’ defense. Minnesota might have to give up both of their third-round picks (Nos. 82 and 97) to pull off a trade into the top 10, but as the signing of Kyler Murray proves, the Vikings aren’t afraid of bold action. 11. New York Giants (from Dolphins): Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama The Giants would be living up to their name with the addition of the 6-foot-7, 352-pound Proctor, who ranks among the most polarizing prospects in this class. John Harbaugh won with massive offensive lines in Baltimore, and I don’t expect his style to change now. Whether it be at tackle or guard, I believe Proctor projects as a decade-long NFL starter. The Dolphins have four picks in the third round this year. The Giants can net at least two of those to move out of the top 10. 12. Cleveland Browns (from Cowboys): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah The Browns have addressed their offensive line in free agency, but if arguably the most gifted blocker in this class is still on the board after a trade down, they shouldn’t hesitate to take him. With improved blocking and receiving (more on that later), Cleveland can accurately evaluate its young QBs and determine whether Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel is its long-term answer or if it will, again, be heavily scouting next year’s crop. 13. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Rams via Falcons): Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State Pittsburgh is hosting the draft this year, and with a league-high 12 draft picks at his disposal, GM Omar Kahn is well-positioned to make a splash for the home crowd. While a gamble on Alabama QB Ty Simpson would make some Steelers fans happy, an investment in the trenches would seemingly be more Pittsburgh’s style, especially if it was done to steal a local fan favorite from Baltimore, the hated divisional rival picking next (who is also thought to view Ioane highly). The rugged Ioane would be an upgrade over free-agent defection Isaac Seumalo and perhaps offer a comfy enough pocket for Aaron Rodgers to return. Trading away two of the five picks the Steelers currently have between Nos. 76 and 161 overall would probably be enough to convince the Rams it’s worth trading back. 14. New Orleans Saints (from Ravens): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon The Saints appear to be moving on from veteran Taysom Hill, and Kellen Moore knows as well as anyone that a playmaking tight end can be a huge help for a young quarterback. Sadiq is a remarkable talent just scratching the surface of his potential. To drop down this far, the Saints can expect at least two middle-round selections from Baltimore, as well as the swap of first-round picks. The extra picks could go a long way in resetting this roster to best fit Moore’s vision. 15. Philadelphia Eagles (from Buccaneers): Makai Lemon, WR, Southern Cal Howie Roseman has put together one of the NFL’s best rosters, making it unlikely that all nine of this year’s draft picks will make the team. Packaging some of those — or even adding next year’s projected third-round compensatory pick (for Jaelan Phillips) to add a skilled, versatile and hungry playmaker like Lemon would provide the club insurance if things get to a breaking point with A.J. Brown. Lemon is a pinball who could feast on the single coverage he would see should Brown remain flying for the Eagles this fall. 16. Las Vegas Raiders (from Jets via Colts): Denzel Boston, WR, Washington One of the few (only?) reasons why the Raiders might consider trading Mendoza at No. 1 overall is the fact that the team currently lacks proven difference-makers at receiver. Boston has the frame and game to contribute immediately, especially given the one-on-one opportunities he’ll likely see with defenses focused on Vegas’ stellar tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and promising running back Ashton Jeanty. 17. Carolina Panthers (from Lions): Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon Carolina GM Dan Morgan made a career at middle linebacker anticipating where ballcarriers were headed, and with Thieneman seemingly a perfect fit for the Vikings picking at No. 18 overall (or the Bengals in this scenario), the Panthers might need to trade up to secure his services. The Lions have nine picks but only two of them in the top 117 selections. Carolina might offer their fourth-rounder (#119 overall) as fair compensation for Detroit to move down two spots. 18. Cincinnati Bengals (from Vikings): Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee In yet another example of a team receiving extra picks in a trade down and yet still filling a key need, the Bengals should be able to take advantage of this year’s quality cornerback depth while moving out of the top 10. Hood has the pure cover skills and untapped potential the Bengals have long prioritized under Duke Tobin. 19. Detroit Lions (from Panthers): Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah Like the Bengals a pick earlier, the Lions can add to their draft class — acquiring a 10th pick — and still nab a tackle they understandably could be targeting at No. 17 in Lomu. The precocious 6-foot-6, 313-pound redshirt sophomore might one day prove the best tackle of this class. 20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Browns via Cowboys via Packers): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State The Jaguars refuted offseason reports that 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. was on the trade block. They can deal him here, however, and pounce on an opportunity to reset the position with arguably the most talented pass-catcher of this class. Jacksonville and Cleveland have recent trade history, of course, with the Jags boldly moving up in the 2025 draft to select Travis Hunter. This time, they add a dynamic playmaker to complement Hunter and ship another one who doesn’t appear to be in their long-term plans to a franchise desperate for talent at receiver. To complete this trade, Jacksonville would probably have to sweeten the deal with a couple of its 11 draft picks, including three selections in the third round. 21. Los Angeles Rams (from Steelers): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana Speaking of the offseason, the aggressive upgrades at cornerback make it clear that the Rams are all-in on another Super Bowl run, so a trade up might seem more likely than moving back. But with so much salary dedicated to some of their stars, GM Les Snead might be looking for young, cheap talent. While the Rams have seven picks to work with in this draft, four of them are between 207-252. Cooper could feast on the one-on-one matchups he’d see with the Rams and replace the jet-sweep possibilities they lost with Tutu Atwell leaving in free agency. 22. Miami Dolphins (from Chargers): Aveion Terrell, CB, Clemson Changes on offense have dominated the Dolphins’ offseason, but there are plenty of concerns on defense, as well. Behind likely top-10 pick Mansoor Delane, Terrell — an NFL legacy — is viewed by some scouts as the safest cornerback of this class. The Dolphins have a league-high four picks in the third round to part with. 23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Eagles): Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn GM Jason Licht has some retooling to do with Mike Evans now playing for the 49ers and Lavonte David officially retiring this week. Faulk is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-6, 276-pound ball of clay whose best football is ahead of him and quite the consolation prize at this point in the draft following a trade down to add to their seven selections. 24. Indianapolis Colts (from Browns via Jaguars): Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia Colts GM Chris Ballard might have to trade back into the first round, after shipping his initial top pick a year ago to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. It would probably take Indy’s second-round pick this year (No. 47) and another Day 2 selection next year to move up this far, but the club would be wise to give young right tackle Jalen Travis quality competition to replace longtime standout Braden Smith. 25. New England Patriots (from Bears): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo The Patriots got an up-close look at Seahawks rising star Nick Emmanwori in the Super Bowl. And given the talent the Pats already have at cornerback, one couldn’t blame general manager Eliot Wolf if he saw McNeil-Warren, who boasts comparable size and athleticism to Emmanwori, as capable of making a similar type of immediate impact on New England’s defense. The Pats have 11 draft picks in 2026, and they can be aggressive with them in hopes of returning to the Super Bowl. 26. Houston Texans (from Bills): Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State In a case of the rich getting richer, the Texans boost one of the league’s dominant defenses with this year’s top interior lineman. Houston might be able to get McDonald at No. 28 overall, but they shouldn’t balk at giving up a Day 3 pick if it means ensuring they land one of the few nose guards with legitimate pass rush ability. 27. Kansas City Chiefs (from 49ers): Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Packaging the No. 29 overall selection acquired in the deal with the Los Angeles Rams that sent cornerback Trent McDuffie to the NFC, the Chiefs boldly move up to land a similarly smooth cover-corner in Johnson, the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. 28. Buffalo Bills (from Texans): Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M The Bills must add pass-rushers, and Howell is among the elite QB hunters of this draft class. He lacks the frame some teams require at the position, but his burst and bend off the edge could make him a 10-plus sack artist in the NFL. In this scenario, the Bills likely could pry pick No. 141 — the first pick of the fifth round — from Houston to move down two spots. 29. San Francisco 49ers (from Chiefs via Rams): KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M Even after the signings of veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, the 49ers have been kicking the tires on several wideouts expected to be drafted in the first round. San Francisco knows all too well the impact that Rashid Shaheed had for the Seahawks a year ago. Concepcion is a similar brand of playmaker in the receiving, running and return game. The 49ers should be able to get at least Kansas City’s fifth-round pick (#148) for this small move down, which would give San Francisco an enviable five picks in a 22-selection span early on Day 3. 30. Los Angeles Chargers (from Dolphins via Broncos): Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon The Chargers enter the draft with just five picks. They happily add one of the Eagles’ three Day 2 picks while still reinforcing the interior of their offensive line with the powerful and pro-ready Pregnon. 31. Chicago Bears (from Patriots): Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF The Bears enter the draft with seven selections, but that number is deceiving as they have a 110 pick gap on Day 3 between the fourth and seventh rounds. I expect Bears GM Ryan Poles will trade down at some point to bridge that gap. If he can do so early and still get a dynamic edge rusher (who, frankly, should be in consideration with their original pick at No. 25), Poles will be giving the Bears their best chance for the kind of draft class that can spring a Super Bowl run. 32. Las Vegas Raiders (from Seahawks): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama I cannot see a way in which the Raiders end the first round of the 2026 NFL draft without adding another quarterback to the roster. Given the connections Kubiak has with Seattle, a trade with the defending Super Bowl champs might be his last, good opportunity to do so. Simpson possesses the IQ, accuracy and mobility to be successful in Kubiak’s scheme. He might very well be available at No. 36, but the fifth-year option on the rookie contract all first rounders receive makes it more responsible financially to draft quarterbacks in the first round. To pry this pick from the Seahawks, the Raiders give up No. 36 overall, as well as veteran defensive end Tyree Wilson. SECOND ROUND (*teams without a first-round pick) 36. Seattle Seahawks (from Raiders): Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame The Seahawks are Super Bowl champions, but with a league-low four draft picks, winning this year’s draft is going to be nearly impossible. Adding a back with a skill set well-suited to their wide zone running scheme would be a good start, however, especially if in doing so, Seattle also received veteran edge rusher Tyree Wilson. 44. Green Bay Packers (from Falcons): Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech Even after trading away their top pick for Micah Parsons, the Packers still have seven selections in this draft. But five of those are on Day 3, giving GM Brian Gutekunst minimal flexibility to move up. Adding a true nose guard is critical to the run defense, however, and the Packers don’t want to risk losing on a talent like the block-eating Hunter, so offering the Falcons No. 52 overall, as well as this year’s fifth-round pick (No. 160) might do the trick. 52. Atlanta Falcons (from Titans via Chiefs): R Mason Thomas, Edge, Oklahoma Ian Cunningham wasn’t with the Falcons last year when the club traded up to select James Pearce Jr. With the star pass-rusher currently facing multiple felony charges, the new Falcons GM might have little choice but to seek a replacement. Thomas has the burst to wreak havoc off the edge, and a trade with Green Bay would net the Falcons at least one more selection. Atlanta has just five picks in 2026, with a league-low two of them among the top-100 selections. 54. Denver Broncos (from Buccaneers via Eagles): Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt As it stands now, the Broncos’ first pick in the 2026 draft is No. 62 overall, significantly lower than any other NFL team. Of course, that is because Denver exchanged their top original first-round slot for speedy Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle. Doubling down on that decision with another aggressive trade for a playmaking pass-catcher like Stowers seems like a Sean Payton-type move, and this time it might only cost the Broncos’ the second of their two third-round picks (No. 111) this year.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

PHOENIX — With the 2026 Annual NFL League Meeting officially in session, information is flying fast. We’ll hear from NFC coaches on Monday and AFC coaches on Tuesday. So let’s delve into what’s been going on around the league lately. This is “Sound Smart,” where I try to spin forward, dive deeper and think outside the box. If I do my job, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s happening this NFL offseason. 1. MONDAY MORNING CONTROVERSY What to make of the Ty Simpson debate It’s unusual when scouts and coaches reach out to me to ask what I think about a topic. Because of course, 99.99% of the time, it’s the other way around. That’s how upside-down things are when it comes to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. If you somehow missed it, it went like this. Last week, ESPN’s Dan Orlovski said Ty Simpson is the QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft. Yes, over Fernando Mendoza, the presumed No. 1 overall pick. And what we found out — in the days that followed — is that Orlovsky is more or less the only person who feels that way. The consensus remains: Mendoza over Simpson. The conversation was loud enough to reach the Simpson family, including Ty’s father, Jason, who is the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin. “The quarterback is what fans are interested in, so that’s why Ty’s in that news cycle every day,” Jason Simpson told me. “If he wasn’t my son, I’d be paying attention to his film because it’s interesting. So we’re pretty thick-skinned about it. We get it. We understand that’s what fills the stadium. Simpson added: “We feel pretty good about the situation that he’s in right now with the teams that we’re having conversations with, and so I’m excited for him.” One silver lining of the controversy is that people began to take Simpson more seriously as a first-round prospect. His dad suggested to me that Ty wouldn’t have declared for the draft if he didn’t have a strong sense that he had solid Round 1 potential. Since the beginning of this process, the Alabama QB has been on the radar of NFL teams for a spot in the top 32. Simpson belongs in that conversation, in large part because of what he did in the first eight games of the season. But, even with eight great games, his 31 appearances and single season as a starter make for an excruciatingly limited evaluation. Even if he were a more complete prospect than Mendoza (and he’s not), there are far too many risks associated with Simpson’s small body of work. This conversation might actually say less about Simpson and more about Mendoza, who — in other draft classes — would not be regarded as the unquestioned top QB prospect. There are plenty of legitimate questions about Mendoza’s pro prospects. But even if we would like there to be a prospect who could challenge Mendoza — like Oregon’s Dante Moore might have done, if he had not returned to school — we can’t manufacture one. Mendoza faces fewer uncertainties than Simpson. It’s not a glittery conclusion, but it’s an important one to acknowledge. 2. HE SAID WHAT?! Bills coach Joe Brady said Josh Allen “couldn’t walk” at the end of last season due to a foot injury On the field, Josh Allen was as dominant as ever in 2025, with the Bills once again riding their star QB. Off the field and behind the scenes, Allen’s foot injury was more severe than Buffalo let on. He had a broken bone in his right foot that required offseason surgery. “The thing about Josh Allen, he got surgery after the season, but he’s playing as if you think there’s nothing wrong with him. The guy could barely walk, and then he’s playing games and it’s not impacting [his play],” Joe Brady told NFL Network. “He’s built different. And let’s hope it continues that way, but he’ll be good to go in the offseason.” It’s a necessary piece of context for a QB who appeared to be slogging through with not just an underwhelming supporting cast but also a handful of physical maladies. It sounds like the injuries are healing. And it appears the Bills have begun to address the supporting cast, with Buffalo trading for former Chicago Bears receiver DJ Moore this offseason to be the team’s WR1. The hope is that — under new head coach Brady — Allen won’t have to overcome quite so much adversity. And that, in turn, could finally get the Bills back into the Super Bowl. 3. EVERYONE’S AFRAID TO SAY The Jaxon Smith-Njigba contract has a whole lot to do with Sam Darnold Smith-Njigba got paid in a way we’ve never seen before, with the receiver resetting the market at $42.15 million per year — a four-year, $168.6 million contract. It’s well-deserved, with the Seahawks rewarding their guy, who has exceeded expectations by ascending not just into the WR1 role in Seattle’s offense but, arguably, into the NFL’s WR1 spot. He led the league with 1,793 receiving yards and accounted for 46% of his team’s passing yards, the highest percentage by a pass-catcher last season (by a significant margin). There are a lot of reasons why the Seahawks can and should feel good about rewarding their receiver, including the simple fact that he is — by all accounts — a terrific person on top of being a terrific player. But the less obvious reason is that quarterback Sam Darnold makes just $33.5 million per year. And much like teams work to maximize a rookie QB’s contract, the Seahawks are enjoying the benefits of Darnold occupying the NFL’s middle class when it comes to cap percentage for a QB. At no point during Darnold’s three-year contract will Smith-Njigba take on a bigger cap number (because the Seahawks have backloaded the receiver’s extension). So the Seahawks aren’t exactly signaling Smith-Njigba is more valuable than their QB. But also, they’re not not saying it. Again, Darnold is making $33.5 million per year on his three-year, $100 million deal. It’s not a mystery: Darnold exceeds his station because of Smith-Njigba’s support. The QB had the best season of his life in 2025, leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl title. But while Darnold continues to demonstrate a level of progress that few thought he’d achieve, it has to be nerve-racking for Seattle to expect consistency. One way to keep working toward consistency is to keep Smith-Njigba around — and to keep him happy. Darnold’s success is as reliant upon Smith-Njigba as much as any QB relied upon a receiver this year. So you can argue that Smith-Njigba is or isn’t the best receiver in the NFL. You can’t argue that he wasn’t the most important piece on offense. 4. PEELING BACK THE CURTAIN The Travis Kelce contract is absolutely not what it seems At the first news of Kelce’s contract, it frankly made no sense: three years and $54.7 million, according to multiple reports, for the Chiefs’ 36-year-old tight end. Not only did it seem like an enormous commitment to a guy on the verge of retirement, but it seemed like an absurd allocation of resources for a team that frankly has a lot of needs across the board, especially on offense. So it should come as a relief to Chiefs fans that those numbers are basically nonsense. The reality is that Kelce signed a one-year deal worth $12 million. He can earn another $3 million based on playing time, a playoff berth and a Super Bowl victory. So while the initial number placed Kelce in the top three among the highest-paid tight ends in average annual value, the actual number ranks him at 11th, between Denver’s Evan Engram and Pittsburgh’s Pat Freiermuth — which is a reasonable deal for Kelce and for the Chiefs. Kelce should do enough to earn his paycheck in 2026. Even if he doesn’t, I don’t think ownership will be upset to keep him in a Chiefs jersey for a 14th season, in part because of how many of those jerseys will sell over the next year. 5. DRAFT GEMS KC Concepcion thinks he’s underrated … because he absolutely is There’s been plenty of conversation about Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate and even Makai Lemon as the top receiver in this year’s draft. There’s been plenty of conversation about the next tier that includes Denzel Boston and Omar Cooper Jr. But perhaps we’ve lost KC Concepcion in the fray. The Texas A&M receiver finished his 2025 season with 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. He demonstrated a consistent ability to win on just about every route — and against both man and zone coverages. In essence, he earned the right to be in the Round 1 conversation. It feels like people are only just starting to pay attention to his outstanding body of work. “I’ve always been underestimated all my life,” Concepcion told me at the Adidas Pro Day in Portland, Oregon, in mid-March. “It’s really nothing I’m not used to, so I have proven myself ever since I got to college. And I mean, I’m happy to do it at the next level.” Concepcion has a speech impediment and has spoken openly about wanting to be a role model for “people who might be scared to speak up [and] who may be afraid and not confident in yourself.” I wondered if he felt people underestimate him because of his speech impediment. “I don’t really think that plays a role,” Concepcion told me. “I think a lot of people forget I’m a really damn good football player, and that’s what every team wants. I was born with it. I can’t really do anything about it. That shouldn’t take away from anything on the field.” There are so many teams that make sense for Concepcion in Round 1, from the Los Angeles Chargers (with new OC Mike McDaniel utilizing the WR’s agility and speed) to the New England Patriots (with QB Drake Maye attacking the intermediate and deep areas with Concepcion) or even the Los Angeles Rams (with Concepcion complementing WR1 Puka Nacua).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

What’s fascinating to me about college football is the cyclical nature of the sport. We’ve seen the sport transition into a new era, especially with the Big Ten winning three national championships. Now, the Big Ten’s dominance seems set to carry into the NFL Draft. When I put together my top 50 players for the 2026 NFL Draft, I came to the conclusion that it’s likely that the SEC’s run of being the conference with the most first-round picks will end this year. I only have three SEC players in my top 20 on my big board this year. And I’m not the only one who feels that way, as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and The Ringer’s Todd McShay each have a similar layout in their top 50 prospect lists. The balance of power has certainly shifted in college football, and it seems likely that the Big Ten will have the most first-round picks in the 2026 draft. But let’s dive into my top 50 prospects in this year’s class. 50. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana I really loved this guy over the last couple of years. The only reason why he isn’t a surefire first-round pick is because of his size. He measured at 5-foot-8 at the combine. If he were six feet, there’s no doubt he’d be a top-15 pick with the way he played. But his vertical was 43.5 inches at the combine, which is exceptional. The entire schematics of Indiana’s defense, which was one of the best in the nation, revolved around Ponds. 49. Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina Cisse is a twitchy athlete. I like him a lot as he found success at South Carolina (one interception, five passes defensed) this past season after transferring in from North Carolina State. 48. Keionte Scott, CB, Miami (Fla.) Scott was a slot corner who played safety at times for that great Miami defense. I think that versatility can always be valuable. Every Miami fan will remember his pick-six against Ohio State when he jumped the route on a screen pass. That was his legendary moment for the Hurricanes in their run to a title appearance. He’s an older guy, though, as he’ll turn 25 when the 2026 season starts. 47. Malachi Lawrence, edge rusher, UCF After a run of cornerbacks to start the list, we go with an edge rusher here. Lawrence is an athletic player with good size (6-4, 253 pounds) and ran a 4.5 in the 40 with a 40-inch vertical. That type of explosiveness is always going to be valuable along the edge 46. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Johnson’s got good size and I love his length (6 feet, 190 pounds). He’s a really good player, winning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year this past season with four interceptions and a forced fumble. 45. Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona I’m higher on Stukes than others. He was another productive defensive back in 2025, logging four interceptions. But that Arizona defense was one of the best in the country this past season, and he was the leader for that stout pass defense. The coaching staff raved about Stukes leadership and playmaking abilities when I spoke with them prior to calling the Holiday Bowl. 44. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama Bernard had a really solid career before becoming the Crimson Tide’s No. 1 wide receiver in 2025. He moved around quite a bit, going from Michigan State to Washington to Alabama. He’s got great hands, with only four drops in his career. As this process goes along, I’m hearing Bernard’s name more as a riser in this draft among NFL folks. So, they must like what they see from him on film as I do. 43. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame I only have two running backs on my top 50, and Price was the backup to the other running back who’ll eventually appear on this list. Price averaged six yards per carry during his career at South Bend and had 280 carries over three seasons, so he’s not worn out. He’s 5-11 and 200 pounds with big-play ability as he rushed for five touchdowns of at least 40 yards. 42. Zion Young, edge rusher, Missouri Young’s a powerful edge rusher with great length (6-6 height). He had 16.5 tackles for loss this past season, which was second in the SEC. He also had 6.5 sacks, so Young can certainly get after it on the outside. 41. R Mason Thomas, edge rusher, Oklahoma Remember, this Oklahoma defense was outstanding. That was a defensive-led team, and Thomas was one of the leaders of that unit. He was quite the productive player for head coach Brent Venables over the last couple of seasons, logging 15.5 sacks since the start of 2024. He might be a bit undersized at 6-2, 240 pounds, but the production is there. [2026 NFL Mock Draft: Jets Get QB? Cowboys Snag Draft’s No. 1 Defensive Player] 40. Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech Rodriguez is a football-playing Jeese. He was the Butkus Award winner this past season, thanks to his ability to find his way to the ball and his knack for creating turnovers. He had seven forced fumbles and four interceptions this past season. He can also be the leader of your defense. I just really love what Rodriguez can do. 39. Anthony Hill, LB, Texas Hill gets a slight bump over Rodriguez as I believe he’s the twitchier athlete between the two. He started three years at Texas and was an All-American in the last two seasons. I think he can have a really solid NFL career. 38. Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State I initially thought McDonald would be a bit higher on this list, but he’s seemed to have slipped a bit during the draft process. He was a real key to what Ohio State was able to do this past season, serving as a true nose tackle for the Buckeyes. He’s twitchy, powerful and big. Even at nose tackle, McDonald can create production. Sign me up for a 330-pound run stuffer. 37. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State Iheanachor has been a real riser during this process, which began with his strong showing at the Senior Bowl. He didn’t start playing football until junior college as he moved to the United States from Nigeria at 13. I think there’s a lot of potential with a high ceiling for Iheanachor. 36. Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech Another defensive player from Texas Tech appears on the list, and you’ll see another Red Raider later on. But you want to build your defense from front to back, and drafting Hunter would help that. Hunter was outstanding in 2025, being named an All-American. Similar to Kayden McDonald, Hunter has explosiveness and athleticism with an ability to get into the backfield to disrupt the opposing offense. 35. Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson Terrell is the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell. So, he’s got a great bloodline. Some of these Clemson players you’ll see on this list might have been ranked higher had the Tigers played to their expectations in 2025. 34. T.J. Parker, edge rusher, Clemson On that note, Parker is one of those players whose 2025 season didn’t live up to expectations. He had 11 sacks as a true sophomore in 2024 before posting five sacks this past season. But Parker’s still 6-4 and 265 pounds. If he can tap into what he did in 2024, Parker should be a heck of a player. 33. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee Tennessee had a pair of really good corners, and you’ll see Jermod McCoy later on this list. Hood was named second-team All-SEC this past season. 32. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama Simpson is kind of all over the place on these big boards. I’m a Simpson fan. I know his size is going to turn some people away, but if you watch him play, the film suggests he plays a lot bigger than his actual frame. The reason is that he makes really strong and accurate intermediate and deep-level throws, particularly outside the numbers. When you can do that, do I really care about your size? He’s a battler. This guy’s a warrior in there. Some of those games he played — Georgia and Oklahoma on the road — he was exceptional. He was a real bright spot for Alabama. 31. KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M Dynamic guy with lots of speed and short-area quickness. I think he can be a guy that you look up in a couple of years and you’re like, “OK, this guy’s a smart, point guard-style quarterback’s best friend.” We’ve seen more value pop up with these guys who have short-area quickness and can operate in the middle of the field. He can play on the outside and inside. 30. CJ Allen, LB, Georgia Allen’s a really good linebacker. I don’t know if you can go wrong with drafting Georgia defenders. It runs an NFL-style scheme. You know those guys are going to come in and be smart. We’ve seen all these guys from Georgia that have come into the league over the last two, three or four years have success. I think Allen will be another one of those players. [2026 NFL Mock Draft: Where Would Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith Be Picked in All-CFB Draft?] 29. Peter Woods, DT, Clemson Entering last year, I thought Woods could be a top-10 pick. But like all of these Clemson players, they fell short of expectations as a team and they fall down the draft board a bit as a result. 28. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah Lomu’s a really good player, and he’s going to be one of two Utah offensive linemen ranked in the top 30. This is a guy that I think can be a really strong contributor and I wouldn’t be shocked if he could be versatile and play on the inside and outside. [2026 NFL Draft: Joel Klatt’s Top 10 Offensive Prospects] 27. Caleb Banks, DT, Florida They just don’t build guys like this. Banks’ frame and size are just going to be enticing. He’s 6-6, 327 pounds. He’s got a 37-inch arm length and an 85-inch wingspan, which is over eight feet long. The challenge for him will be matching that athletic profile and production. To be fair, Banks lost a ton of time due to a foot injury. So, he doesn’t have a ton of film. But the traits are going to be too hard to pass up here. 26. Keldric Faulk, edge rusher, Auburn During this process, I was like, “Shouldn’t this guy be higher?” You can make an argument that he should be higher. He’s only 20 and a fascinating player. I think he should probably be higher when you consider his build and athleticism. I can see his impact in the NFL being greater than what his impact was at Auburn. They’ve had a ton of transition at Auburn over the last few years. He’s a real good player. 25. Cashius Howell, edge rusher, Texas A&M Part of the reason why I couldn’t rank Faulk higher was that I couldn’t place him higher than Howell. Howell doesn’t have an off-the-charts body type or many of those traits, but teams just couldn’t block this guy at A&M. He was terrific in production, and I’m always going to go to the tape over traits. Traits can get you drafted, but you’ve also got to go to the production. What are you on film? When you’re playing the game, are you disruptive? Do you impact positively on the defense? Howell did that at A&M. 24. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington We’re going to get some wide receivers here. Boston’s a dynamic receiver. He’s a big body receiver, standing at 6-4, and the traditionalists will tell you that you will need that big body in the NFL, particularly when you get to the cold weather months and the playoffs. Having someone who can win those contested catch situations is valuable. The windows in the playoffs and as you get deeper into the playoffs are so small, and you’ve got to have a strong, big-bodied wide receiver who can win in those moments. Boston’s one of those guys. Boston hasn’t run a straight-line 40, so you can question his speed. But you can’t question his quickness. He was excellent when you look at his shuttle, which was the third-fastest time among all wide receivers at the combine. That’s something. 23. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State I thought this guy was outstanding on the outside. He’s a great wide receiver. He’s a highlight reel when he’s on the field. On contested catch situations, he’s excellent there. The knock is going to be his injury history. I’m hearing some of those murmurs about whether he’ll be on the field. He didn’t run at the combine because he’s still working his way back from a hamstring injury. He blew out his knee when he was at Colorado. But Tyson, when healthy, is an elite-level prospect. 22. Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama Proctor’s a really good player and a monstrous human being. He’s 6-7, measured in at 352 pounds and athletic. Just like Caleb Banks, they just don’t make them like this. When you can draft traits and you see it on the field, that’s a good thing. 21. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon This is a guy who’s climbing up boards. I didn’t think he had a great season at Oregon. His tape is actually better from his first two years in college football, when he was at Purdue. He’s best when he’s in free safety mode and can play center field. But he’s so smart and athletic that Oregon tried to play him like Ohio State played safety Caleb Downs, which was at or near the line of scrimmage as a roamer. 20. Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher, Miami (Fla.) Turn on the tape. This guy was a game wrecker playing alongside Rueben Bain Jr. He’s got a big frame at 6-3 and 260 pounds. He was super productive for the Hurricanes and goes inside and outside. He will be 25 on draft day. 19. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo McNeil-Warren is a very active player. His tape is littered with plays on the ball. If you want a guy that’s going to be impactful and around the football at the safety position, McNeil-Warren is your guy. He hits, picks and does all of that. We’ve seen small school guys succeed. His former teammate, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, has been a great player with the Eagles. 18. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Miller’s a solid prospect and has played a ton of football. He’s a super-experienced guy at right tackle with over 50 starts for Dabo Swinney at Clemson and he’s 6-7, 320 pounds. Sign me up for that. 17. Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia Freeling’s a guy who has been rising up draft boards. We probably should’ve seen this coming because of his experience and position value. He’s a really talented guy. He only had one year as a starter at Georgia, but he is the top left tackle in the draft, which could benefit him greatly with the Browns picking sixth. In my mock draft, I had Cleveland taking Freeling at No. 6. 16. Vega Ioane, G, Penn State Ioane’s super athletic and a powerful guy. He’s a really powerful guy on the interior. Someone’s going to get a steal with him, particularly because I don’t know if you’re going to value these interior offensive linemen like you should. But someone who needs an interior offensive lineman is going to get the best interior offensive linemen in this draft. He’s really good. He’s the only interior guy in the top 50. Penn State put him in motion. It got creative with him in how it used him. He can be a left or right guard for 10 or 12 years in the NFL. 15. Spencer Fano, OL, Utah I think Fano provides some versatility. Some believe he can go down and play guard. I’m one of those. I think he can play guard and offensive tackle. This is a really good player. One of the things that’s going to be a knock on him is that he struggled against Texas Tech and its elite defensive line in Salt Lake last year. But position versatility should help him. 14. Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana I’m just going to be higher on this guy than most. One of my favorite players in the draft, I thought Cooper was the best receiver in the Big Ten and maybe in the country with the ball in his hands after the catch. Maybe Georgia’s Zachariah Branch would have something to say about that, and rightfully so. But Cooper was outstanding. He has great body control, can work the middle of the field, has great hands and is a smart player. Cooper is a guy that I think can be a real value add on the interior of the passing game for someone in the NFL. When you see guys like Jaxon Smith-Njigba do what he was able to do, that’s exactly what Cooper can do with the right quarterback and system. 13. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee Could McCoy be the top cornerback in the draft? Yes. Could he fall down the draft and maybe outside of the first round? However unlikely that is, that could happen because of the injury concerns. He had that ACL injury, so we just haven’t seen him in quite a bit. If he hadn’t torn his ACL, though, his 2024 tape was outstanding. He didn’t squash those injury concerns at the combine as he didn’t run. He’s going to work out at his pro day, so we’ll see how that goes. 12. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon Someone is going to love this guy. It would not shock me if, in a few years, we’re talking about Sadiq being one of the best tight ends in the NFL. One of the things that I love about Sadiq is his athleticism. He provides a weapon for a quarterback, particularly in the red zone. That’s what he did for Dante Moore at Oregon last year. But as Dan Lanning accurately put it to me, go watch a blocking cut-up of this guy. This guy works hard, regardless of down and distance and situation. He’s a devastating blocker. So, that versatility means you can be versatile with what your offense and schematics are, in particular from a personnel grouping standpoint. He’s 6’3 and 240 pounds. He ran a 4.39 in the 40. That’s ridiculous. 11. Rueben Bain Jr., edge rusher, Miami (Fla.) Tape don’t lie! Bain is a game wrecker. This guy’s awesome. He dominated everyone he lined up against this year. What I love most about Bain was that it didn’t matter what the down and distance or game situation was, he played 100% all the time. Against the run or pass, his motor does not stop. I love Bain. I know there are some concerns about his length, particularly his arm length. If he falls, someone is going to get an absolute steal. 10. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU Delane is my top corner in the draft. He’s an All-American out of LSU. He’s also a do-it-all corner. What I love about him is that he’s not afraid to be physical — both in the pass game and he’ll come up and be a great tackler. I think every great corner needs to be willing to step in there and get physical along the edge. He absolutely has that. He’s also very smooth in coverage. Delane is almost certainly going to get selected in the top 10. I would be surprised if Bain or Delane slip past the Chiefs, who have the ninth pick. 9. Makai Lemon, WR, USC I keep talking about value, and I don’t think you have to be the prototypical, big-bodied wide receiver in order to create a lot of value at receiver. You get a guy who understands football like Lemon does and you can create a threat on offense. He’s got the best spatial awareness in the draft at the wide receiver position. He just understands coverage, space, getting himself, is reliable with the football and is really tough. This guy will go into traffic and he’ll catch the football over the middle of the field. He can create big plays after the catch. I really love Lemon. 8. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.) Mauigoa is my top offensive tackle available in the draft. He’s a beast on the right side. There’s some questioning over his pass-blocking ability, whether he can move laterally and maybe play left tackle. People think he’s probably more of a right tackle, which is what he played at Miami. What you don’t have any questions about is his ability to own the line of scrimmage. That was evident in that run in the playoff and into the national championship game. Miami won the line of scrimmage on the defensive side, with Mesidor and Bain, and it won it on the offensive side with Mauigoa. 7. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State Outstanding downfield threat. You talk about contested catch situations; this guy is terrific. He got overshadowed because of the absolute beast on the other side of the field in Jeremiah Smith. But Tate is outstanding and he’s a technician, which is what you would expect from Ohio State. He’s a smooth route runner, 6-2 and 195 pounds. He’s got good speed and quickness. Because he comes out of that tree, you know he will produce. Every single one of these Ohio State receivers goes into the league and they’re ready-made to produce right away. Tate is one of them. 6. David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech Value, value, value! Bailey’s another game wrecker off the edge. He led the Power 4 in sacks and tackles for loss in his one year at Texas Tech. He spent three years at Stanford before having an outstanding season in Lubbock. He led the Red Raiders to a Big 12 championship and to the playoff. They matched their expectations, which were sky-high. All of that investment the program made on defense paid off. I think he’s got a real chance to be the top pure edge rusher in the draft. 5. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Styles has rocketed up draft boards. He was already high. Many people had this guy inside the top 15 before the combine. Now, I’ve got him inside of my top five. He’s the perfect linebacker for today’s game because of his versatility. His first year starting at Ohio State, he was a safety. Then, he moved down to linebacker and became the Buckeyes’ captain. Nobody had more respect in that locker room than Styles. He’s a smart player. He can cover out of the backfield. He’s a terrific tackler. He also runs like crazy. His combine was one of the great combines in history. He’s 6-5, 245 pounds and ran a 4.46 40 with a 33.5-inch vertical jump. That’s insane. 4. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Downs likely isn’t going to get selected in the top five, even though he should based on his impact on the field. I don’t think there’s a better pure defender in the draft. Downs is outstanding. Would the NFL decision-makers love to see him be a little bigger? Yeah, probably. But look at the tape and watch him impact the game in every single area: coverage, blitzing, at the line of scrimmage and deep down the field. He does it all. One of the things that I loved about Downs was our conversations. He was as smart as anybody that I’ve covered in college football. Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia would back that up. Someone is going to get a steal and this is a guy who I absolutely think will be an All-Pro at some point in his career. 3. Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State Reese has an enormous ceiling. He’s just scratching the surface. He had one year as a starter, and it was an outstanding year. He was basically playing two positions a lot of the time because he was an off-ball linebacker, as the lineup would tell you, but then Ohio State used him off the edge as a pass rusher and a blitzer on the interior. He’s got great bend and athleticism. If Styles wasn’t putting together one of the great combines we’ve ever seen, Reese would’ve been the one that was coming up huge. 2. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame I just can’t get this guy out of my head. Love is so good. When we think about these offenses that are excelling in the NFL, a lot of them have a running back that can do a lot of things. Here’s the thing that I love about Love: He can run between the tackles to hit a home run, he can beat you on the outside to hit a home run, he can catch it to hit a home run and he can get physical yards. He does it all. He can be on the field for all three downs. This is the type of guy that can make your offense better. I don’t think he gets outside of the top six in this draft. I think the Titans would be a great selection for him. 1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana This has to do with his play and the value of his position. Mendoza’s 6-5 and 225 pounds, so he checks that box. Did he play great in crunch time? Yes. It’s not enough for a quarterback to be good on base downs. You better be locked up and play great when your best is needed. That’s exactly what Fernando Mendoza did in every single big moment last season, and almost all of them were away from him. At home, he was just killing folks. He throws with leverage down the field. That’s my No. 1 trait for a quarterback. When you’re throwing the ball in the intermediate parts of the field or outside the numbers, does your guy have a better chance than the defender at the football? That’s absolutely the case for Fernando Mendoza. Great leverage player. Terrific intangibles. Solid leader. Face of the franchise.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn an astonishing 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke on Sunday, earning the Huskies a spot in the Final Four after they rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit. The Blue Devils led by three before UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left. With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected, and after UConn came up with the ball, Demary made a shot from well behind the 3-point line. [Highlights: NCAA Men’s, Women’s Basketball Tournament] It’s the second straight season to end in a huge collapse for Duke, which was the top overall seed in this year’s tournament. The Blue Devils led by six with 1:14 remaining before falling to Houston in last year’s national semifinals. UConn missed 18 of its first 19 attempts from 3-point range and finished 5 for 23. The fifth will be remembered in Connecticut for generations. The men’s Final Four is now set, with UConn joining No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 1 seeds Arizona and Michigan. Illinois will face UConn and Michigan will take on Arizona next Saturday, with the winners squaring off two nights later for the national title. Arizona is the early favorite to take the title next Monday night in Indianapolis, followed closely by Michigan — coming off a 95-62 drubbing of Tennessee on Sunday. Mullins, who grew up just outside of Indianapolis, will return home looking for more magic. This is the third trip to the Final Four in four seasons for UConn (33-5), which won it all the last two times it made it. Arizona (36-2) is back in the Final Four for the first time since 2001 and hasn’t won the title since 1997. Michigan (35-3) is in search of its second title — the other came in 1989. lllinois (28-8) has never won it all; the Illini last made the Final Four in 2005. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

All-America forward Sarah Strong and her UConn teammates got quite a compliment from coach Geno Auriemma, who donned a cowboy hat and did a little dance on the court after the undefeated Huskies made their 25th Final Four in the women’s NCAA Tournament. The 12-time championship coach, who has more wins than any men’s or women’s NCAA coach, said he has never been more proud of a group that he has taken to the final weekend of March Madness. [Live Updates: NCAA Men’s, Women’s Basketball Tournament: Who’ll Advance to Final Four?] “This group, they don’t have that kind of swagger, trash-talking kind of mentality,” Auriemma said after his 1,288th victory. “It’s not the kind of team that I’ve had in the past that has gone this far undefeated. It’s not. They don’t have that kind of mentality off the court, on the court. They’re just a bunch of really nice kids that play hard for each other.” And they are headed to Phoenix after Strong scored 21 points, Blanca Quinonez added 20 points off the bench and the defending national champion Huskies beat Notre Dame on Sunday, 70-52. While this is a younger group for Auriemma after Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 WNBA Draft pick, and Kaitlyn Chen were seniors on last year’s championship team, UConn (38-0) has won 54 games in a row and clinched the first spot for this year’s Final Four. “Seeing him excited and kind of goofy is really good for us,” Strong said. “He’s usually all serious or like anxious, grumpy. Just seeing him let loose and be his true self was really good.” “He doesn’t say anything [that] he doesn’t mean,” said All-America guard Azzi Fudd, the fifth-year senior on this squad who had 13 points, four assists and three steals. “He doesn’t give out compliments too often, depending on who you are, so to hear him say that it does mean a lot — and we feel the same way. We love this team so much.” Hannah Hidalgo had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Fighting Irish (25-11), plus three more steals to increase her NCAA single-season record to 202 and single NCAA tourney mark to 29. But she also had five turnovers, the first time in her 10 NCAA tourney games with more turnovers than steals. The ninth NCAA tourney meeting between the Huskies and the Irish was their first with a spot in the Final Four on the line. They had both made it that far the first eight times they met in March Madness, the last in 2019, when Notre Dame won a semifinal game over UConn and then lost to Baylor in the title game. This meeting in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final was the first time Notre Dame had made it past the Sweet 16 since then. While the game was closer than January 19 when UConn won by 38 points in the most-lopsided game in the 57-game series (UConn leads 41-16), the Irish couldn’t overcome the rolling Huskies. “They’re very, very physical,” Irish coach Niele Ivey said. “They try to take away every option that you have. They’re very disciplined. They play well together, and they just play hard.” During a nearly five-minute stretch in the third quarter when UConn went scoreless while missing 11 consecutive shots, the Irish got no closer than eight points. Hidalgo had a jumper and two free throws for their only points, but also was responsible for three of their four turnovers in that span. That included Fudd’s steal from Hidalgo and Jana El Alfy’s layup that ended the scoring drought and put the Huskies up 40-30 with 3:51 left in the third quarter. UConn took its first double-digit lead with six points in a 59-second span in the second quarter. Hidalgo furiously responded when she thought she was fouled on a 3-point attempt that was instead a blocked shot by Strong. That led to a driving layup by Quiñonez, who followed by rebounding a miss by Hidalgo and assisting on a breaking layup by Allie Ziebell. Quiñonez, the Big East freshman and sixth player of the year, then had a steal that led to a pullup jumper by Fudd for a 30-20 lead with 2:56 left in the first half. “As always, I just try to bring something to the court, impact the game, as coach says,” Quiñonez said. “I think everyone was locked in, and I think everybody was ready to play that game.” Up next, UConn will play its national semifinal game Friday against South Carolina or TCU, who play in the Sacramento Regional 4 final on Monday night. The Huskies beat the Gamecocks 82-59 in last year’s national championship game. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Yaxel Lendeborg scored 27 points, Elliot Cadeau had 10 assists and Michigan rolled into the Final Four, overwhelming Tennessee for a 95-62 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Morez Johnson Jr. added 12 points for top-seeded Michigan, which posted its 11th victory this season by at least 30 points. Aday Mara had 11 points and blocked two shots in the Midwest Region final. Making the most of its size and athleticism on both sides of the court, Michigan (35-3) advanced to its first Final Four since 2018 and ninth overall. The Wolverines will face Arizona in Saturday’s national semifinals. [Live Updates: NCAA Men’s, Women’s Basketball Tournament: Who’ll Advance to Final Four?] “We always wanted to play against them, that team,” Lendeborg said. “They’re a really, really good team, so it’s going to be a super fun matchup.” Under second-year coach Dusty May — who took FAU to the Final Four in 2023 — the Wolverines became the first school to win at least four games in an NCAA tourney by double digits while scoring at least 90 points in each. Lendeborg, who was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player, was 10 for 19 from the field. He became the first Michigan player to score at least 23 points in three consecutive NCAA Tournament games since Juwan Howard did it in four straight in 1994. Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting for Tennessee (25-12), which lost in the Elite Eight for the third straight year under Rick Barnes. The 71-year-old coach reached his only Final Four in 2003 with Texas. Felix Okpara finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Volunteers, who shot just 32% (24 of 76) from the field. Each team had 42 rebounds — a major problem for a Tennessee team that usually enjoys an advantage on the glass. Michigan grabbed control with a 21-0 run in the first half, going from a 16-14 deficit with 11:22 left to a 35-16 lead with 6:10 remaining. “That’s when our defense started clicking,” Lendeborg said. “We started running out on the break and started doing what we do best, and once that happened, man, I think the game was pretty much called right there.” Once again, Lendeborg was the conductor of an offensive show for the Wolverines. The 6-foot-9 forward switched hands on a slick reverse layup, then made a no-look pass to Roddy Gayle Jr. for a 3-pointer on a fast break. Then he set up a 3 by Cadeau with 7:52 to go. After Tennessee made a push to get back in the game, Lendeborg scored on a fast break and found Trey McKenney for a 3 at the end of a 7-0 run that made it 48-26 at halftime. It was more of the same in the second half. Mara, a 7-foot-3 center, stepped outside for one of the Wolverines’ 10 3-pointers. The Michigan portion of the United Center crowd cheered wildly when seldom-used reserves Charlie May — the coach’s son — and Oscar Goodman entered for the final few minutes. Goodman scored with 2:32 left and May made a 3 with 1:02 remaining for Michigan’s final basket. “Just playing together and understanding that we all need each other to be successful,” said Nimari Burnett, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. “So making that extra pass, that unselfish play that leads from a good shot to a great shot, I feel like we had a lot of that, especially in the first half that built that lead. “We like where we are right now at the end of the game.” Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Kevin Harvick’s race to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte is officially on. Harvick was one of the 15 people named as nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027 on Sunday. He learned the news during FOX Sports’ pre-race broadcast ahead of the Cook Out 400. NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton remarked that Harvick’s inclusion on the ballot “wasn’t a surprise to anybody.” “That’s a lot of fun,” Harvick said when he learned of the news. “These guys always set me up for stuff like that, but it means a lot. You know I love this sport and everything that I got to go through was up and down. But it’s what I love, and to be a part of that is something special.” Harvick had one of the most accomplished careers in the history of motorsports prior to retiring at the end of the 2023 NASCAR season. He won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 and the regular-season title in 2020. He also won two titles that are now known as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. On top of that, Harvick had 60 NASCAR Cup wins. His most famous of those victories was his win at the 2007 Daytona 500. FOX Sports’ Chris Myers asked Harvick to reflect on his career upon hearing the news that he was nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “Well, I think the biggest thing for me is that I got to do what I love to do,” Harvick said. “I grew up as a kid that just wanted to go to the racetrack and be a part of all the things that I like to do. To do it for a living and grow up and be a part of that sport, learn so much about life and all the people — the people are what make it so special. You get to be around a group of people that you love to be around. In the end, we’re just a bunch of racers who love what we do.” Harvick was one of the 10 people included on the ballot as Modern Era nominees. Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Randy LaJoie and Jack Sprague were the other nine people included on the ballot as Modern Era nominees. Two people from that group will be picked for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027. Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab and Larry Phillips were the five people who were named nominees as part of the Pioneer Ballot. The inductees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027 will be announced on May 19.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Barber Motorsports Park (Leeds, Ala.) — If stats don’t lie, Alex Palou won the INDYCAR race Sunday by 13.2775 seconds over Christian Lundgaard. In this case, Palou says stats lie. He didn’t deliver the butt-whipping that leading 79 of 90 laps and that margin of victory would indicate. Lundgaard had a slow final pit stop and with no cautions, couldn’t make up the time. [BARBER HIGHLIGHTS: Alex Palou Coasts to Repeat in Alabama] “If you look at the result and you don’t follow the race, the timing, maybe then you look like you were so much faster than everybody else,” the driver of the Chip Ganassi No. 10 car said in his postrace news conference. “That was not the truth. “We had an amazing car. We had an amazing race. But it was not easy. It was tough.” Here are my takeaways: 1. Palou Still Has It Even though he’s not the season-long points leader — Kyle Kirkwood, driver of the No. 27 car for Andretti Global, has a two-point lead on Palou — the three-time defending series champion Palou is showing similar strength to last year. Maybe he’s not that dominant, but he still has shown that when other drivers or teams make mistakes, he will make them pay. Lundgaard might have caught him and made a race of it, but Palou, even though he had to use one more set of the primary tires (the harder of the two compounds, which means they are slower but last longer) than originally planned, never had a hiccup on the 2.3-mile course. “Alex is the same Alex as last year,” Lundgaard said in his postrace news conference. “I just do think there are cars and drivers that are showing up more this year than last year.” 2. Lundgaard Frustration Justified Christian Lundgaard, driver of No. 7 for Arrow McLaren, lost about 10 seconds on a pit stop when the team had trouble tightening the right rear wheel. He had pitted five laps later than Palou and felt with the fresher tires and the potential to actually come out of the pits ahead of Palou, he would have had a chance to win the race. Instead, for the second consecutive year, Lundgaard finished second to Palou at Barber. [ALL ABOUT BARBER: Track the Vision of Dairy Farmer who Loved Motorsports] “With the pace and how the race panned out today, we had the car to win the race, Lundgaard said. “We had the pace, we had the track position at the time. “I’m not really sure what happened in the pit stop. … It’s unfortunate.” 3. Kirkwood Still Tops Kyle Kirkwood finished fifth, good enough to retain the points lead. And considering he probably had at-best a fifth-place car, that’s what champions do. And why did he finish fifth? His team executed flawlessly, and that meant a nice rebound from a subpar weekend on pit road in the previous race. “We had a really clean day on pit lane,” Kirkwood told me and other reporters after that race. “That’s what we had in [the first two races at] St. Pete and Phoenix. So back to normal.” 4. Malukas Making It Happen David Malukas, driver of the No. 12 car, didn’t feel his team chose the right tire strategy as far as when to have the harder primary tires and the softer alternate tires, but he still finished fourth. And for the second consecutive race, he was the top-finishing Penske driver. There’s something to be said for that as the replacement for Will Power is proving he is deserving of the ride as he has two top-five finishes in the first four races. “A good points day, we learned a lot, and we keep going from here.,” Malukas told me and other reporters after the race. 4 ½. What’s Next There are two weekends off before INDYCAR returns to the track on the streets of Long Beach. The Long Beach race is traditionally one of the marquee events of the year and is the last street course until Detroit, which comes the weekend after the Indy 500. Kirkwood won that race a year ago and will be the favorite following his win on the most recent street course at Arlington. “We’re going to a really good track next in Long Beach,” Kirkwood said. “A couple weeks off to get our head in the game there, go into it leading the points, and hopefully do what we did last year.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

After a couple of races away from the winner’s circle, INDYCAR’s most dominant driver has picked up another win. Alex Palou raced to victory at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, getting his second victory in four races in the 2026 INDYCAR season. Palou dominated Sunday’s race, leading for 79 of the 90 laps. He finished just over 13 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Christian Lundgaard, who was also the runner-up at last year’s Alabama Indy Grand Prix. This marks Palou’s second straight victory at Barber Motorsports Park. He actually won last year’s race in slightly more dominant fashion, leading that race for 81 laps before beating Lundgaard by over 16 seconds. Graham Rahal finished third in Sunday’s race at Barber Motorsports Park. It’s his best finish in a race since 2023. Here’s the full top 25 from the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix: 1. Alex Palou 2. Christian Lundgaard 3. Graham Rahal 4. David Malukas 5. Kyle Kirkwood 6. Marcus Armstrong 7. Scott Dixon 8. Santino Ferrucci 9. Marcus Ericcson 10. Josef Newgarden 11. Alexander Rossi 12. Will Power 13. Felix Rosenqvist 14. Rinus Veekay 15. Romain Grosjean 16. Scott McLaughlin 17. Pato O’Ward 18. Nolan Siegel 19. Christian Rasmussen 20. Kyffin Simpson 21. Caio Collet 22. Sting Ray Robb 23. Dennis Hauger 24. Mick Schumacher 25. Louis Foster​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Alexi Lalas doesn’t want the United States men’s national team to brush aside goalkeeper Matt Turner’s performance in its 5-2 loss to Belgium in Saturday’s friendly. With the World Cup just over two months away, Lalas believes Turner’s outing on Saturday was devastating enough that it should cost him the opportunity to compete for the United States’ starting goalkeeper job with Matt Freese “Some day may start today for certain people, but I don’t think it starts today when it comes to Matt Turner,” Lalas said on the latest episode of “State of the Union.” “You are going to be associated with shipping five goals. You, unfortunately, Matt Turner, don’t get the benefit of the doubt because I do think that Freese is the incumbent. “I think we would all agree that this position has been such a position of quality and talent over the years — we’re going into the second World Cup in a row, from a men’s perspective, where there are questions about our goalkeeping, and that’s not something we’ve had to worry about in the past.” Saturday’s outing was actually Turner’s first start in net for the men’s national team since June of last year. In that start, Turner gave up four goals in a 4-0 loss to Switzerland. Freese started in net for the USA in the 12 games after that showing, including all six matches in the nation’s run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final last summer. Freese averaged a goal allowed per match during that tournament, and has largely provided solid play in net for Team USA since he took over for Turner. The 27-year-old New York City FC goalkeeper has eight wins in those 12 starts, including three clean sheets. But U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino sounded as if he wanted to see Turner so he could evaluate his form in case Freese gets hurt. The U.S. was ahead before Belgium got a 45th-minute equalizer, the first of five straight goals. “Matt Freese was playing a lot in the last year with us and I think we thought that it was necessary to provide the opportunity to another keeper,” Pochettino said. “For the World Cup, circumstances can happen.” Turner, 31, was the U.S. starter at the 2022 World Cup, giving up four goals in four matches in that tournament. But he’s had some struggles since late 2023, allowing 23 goals in his last 12 appearances for the national team. Still, Pochettino emphasized the desire to get a full look at his squad as the 2026 World Cup nears. ‘It’s not that when you concede a goal, it’s only the keeper or mistake of the keeper,’ Pochettino said. “It is good to see him to perform after a long period. We all know that he has experience in the national team and in the previous World Cup, and that is a point that we need to use, use being in the starting 11 or not.” Turner hasn’t gotten off to a great start to 2026 with his club team, either. He’s surrendered nine goals in the New England Revolution’s first four matches this season, and holds a 65.4 save percentage. Last season, Turner gave up 16 goals in 10 matches for the Revolution after rejoining the squad in August. Despite the struggles, Turner’s confidence hasn’t wavered. “My overarching theme for earning that opportunity again is just to continue to be myself, to go out there,” Turner said. “Obviously, they’ve seen something that they like that I’m doing in training. They’ve seen something they like in my performances in New England. “I understand and feel in my bones that this coaching staff is very fair and they’re going to give people that deserve chances a chance,” Turner added. “So just stay calm. I know that a lot can change in three months time and it did from September to November back in the last go-around.” Lalas, however, believes Turner should return to the bench for the United States’ next match against Portugal. “I don’t think Matt Turner did anything to win the job back or change anyone’s mind — in fact, he might have gone the opposite direction — but Freese is the incumbent simply because he’s played the last 13 games, not because he’s necessarily a great goalkeeper,” Lalas said. “If there was ever a moment to shine, obviously it’s going to be this summer. I would absolutely play Freese in this next game.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports