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Good morning! Celebrate your irrelevance today. Inside:
NFL: Another Eagles swindle on Day 2?
The NFL Draft’s second and third rounds are finished. Grades are here, via Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman. Some threads to follow:
- QB6 became QB3. No quarterback went in the second round, but the Cardinals threw a curveball to open the third when they took Georgia-turned-Miami QB Carson Beck at No. 65. He was Dane Brugler’s sixth-ranked QB. The Steelers then used the 76th pick to add Penn State’s Drew Allar, who is poised to become a solid addition to lists of “all of the quarterbacks who have taken snaps for Pittsburgh since Ben Roethlisberger.” Could he be more than that? We’ll see. More on Beck here, and more on Allar here.
- Non-edge-rushing linebackers went on a run. Only one of those, Ohio State’s Sonny Styles to the Commanders at No. 7, went on Thursday. But the Dolphins, Bucs, Vikings, Colts and Titans all took run-stuffing or off-ball types in the second round. As a college football writer by day, I like new Colt CJ Allen (No. 53 overall out of Georgia). Allen “projects as an NFL starter who can make a Nick Bolton-like impact,” says Dane Brugler.
The evening’s big trade: The Vikings sent EDGE Jonathan Greenard (plus a seventh-round pick) to the Eagles for the No. 98 pick and another third-rounder next year. The Vikings used last night’s extra pick on Miami safety Jakobe Thomas.
Greenard wasn’t healthy last year but had 24.5 sacks between 2023 and ‘24, years he split between the Texans and Vikings. The Eagles believe in Greenard enough to have promptly agreed on a four-year contract that guarantees him $50 million. He’ll be 29 this season.
I tend to wonder if any deal executed by Eagles GM Howie Roseman was a fleece of his counterparty. (See: getting young AJ Brown for a middling first and a third, turning Sam Bradford into both Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat, hypnotizing the Giants into not retaining Saquon Barkley, etc.). Nothing our experts said last night would change that view. On the live The Athletic Football Show (which you can now watch or listen back to), the crew liked it for Philly.
- Robert Mays: “I think Greenard is a true, difference-making pass rusher. So for two threes, even if you’re having to give him $25 million [per year], I would do this.”
- Dave Helman, bitingly: “Everyone is like, ‘If Howie calls, don’t pick up the phone.’ But the Vikings don’t have a GM.”
Oh, yeah: The Vikings don’t have a GM. They made four picks last night, though, including future fan favorite Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange.
Four rounds to go today. Here are some tabs you’ll want up:
Round 4 starts at noon ET on ESPN.
News to Know
Troy Taormina / Imagn Images
LeBron wills Lakers to 3-0 lead
Sure, LeBron James is 41. He may have recently settled into more of a facilitator role. But in last night’s 112-108 OT win over Houston, there were shades of his 2018 playoff run with the shorthanded Cavs — he just refused to relinquish control of the game before hitting a late 3 to force overtime. It definitely didn’t help the Rockets that usual clutch go-to Kevin Durant missed his second game this series with an injury (an ankle this time). Read our takeaways here. L.A. will go for the improbable sweep Sunday.
- Elsewhere, a late pull-up 3 from Jayson Tatum helped propel the Celtics to a 2-1 series lead against the 76ers (more here), and the Spurs surged past the Trailblazers (notes here) while Victor Wembanyama (concussion protocol) watched in a technicolor cardigan.
Skenes scares a perfect game
The Pirates’ ace retired the first 20 batters against the Brewers and, at 89 pitches with seven outs to go, carried a credible chance to throw Major League Baseball’s second perfect game since 2012. (It would’ve been a pitch-count stretch, but Skenes once threw 124 pitches for LSU.) The bid ended when Alex sent a message about the potential perfect game to The Pulse’s team Slack channel Jake Bauers hit a two-out single up the middle. Skenes struck out seven and allowed just that one baserunner in seven innings. He has steadily lowered his ERA from 67.50 on Opening Day to a more respectable 2.48. Also: MLB No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin hit his first home run for Pittsburgh, on his 20th birthday, and got the dugout silent treatment.
All thrillers, no filler
It’s been three games, three overtimes between Montreal and Tampa Bay, with last night’s installment decided 3-2 in the Canadiens’ favor by Lane Hutson’s slapshot through traffic. Montreal leads the series 2-1, but it feels like it’s going the distance. Utah likewise took a 2-1 series lead on Vegas, winning their first-ever playoff game at the Delta Center before a raucous crowd, and the Ducks went up 2-1 on the Oilers by hanging seven on them, including four in the third period.
More News
- Two-time defending champ Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year’s French Open with a right wrist injury. Bummer.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran’s soccer team can come to the World Cup, but others who might want to accompany the team could be deemed “terrorists.” Full story here.
- The NBA’s Most Improved Player is Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
- Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer declared for the NBA Draft — they’re Nos. 2 and 3 in our latest mock.
- Jim Furyk will captain the Americans as they try to win their first Ryder Cup win on foreign soil since 1993. Details here.
- Former Michigan football staffer Paige Shiver says she was pregnant during her relationship with ex-coach Sherrone Moore. Read the full story here.
Watch Guide
📺 Soccer: Premier League stretch run
10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. ET on USA
Neither North London team is where it wants to be. Second-place Arsenal (vs. Newcastle, 12:30 p.m.) is tied with Man City on points, but miles behind in vibes. Tottenham (at Wolves, 10 a.m.) needs a win and West Ham draw/loss to move out of the relegation zone.
📺 Knicks at Hawks, Game 4
6 p.m. ET on NBC
Atlanta, leading 2-1, has a chance to put New York on the ropes. Anything short of a finals appearance is a flop for the Knicks, who may be seeing CJ McCollum in their nightmares. Zach Harper will be chatting live on our site during this one.
📺 NHL: Penguins at Flyers, Game 4
8 p.m. ET on TBS
The Flyers have a great chance to sweep their rivals, who have been lifeless all series. The only thing that hasn’t been utterly perfect for Philly is a goaltender injury.
Get tickets to games like this here.
Pulse Picks
Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Josh Lavelle / Getty Images
NHL teams are increasingly filming fly-on-the-wall footage of coaches’ victory speeches for social media consumption. Julian McKenzie broke down the anatomy of that type of viral content … and what coaches think of it.
At one point in my youth, I was trolling rap blogs for underground hip-hop music. My most-played song this month? “The Enchilada Song.” — Chris Branch
Jacob Whitehead spent a day at one of the most storied — and steep — climbs in professional cycling, and saw history made.
Season 2 of “Running Point” — the Mindy Kaling-helmed show starring Kate Hudson and Brenda Song — dropped on Netflix this week! I haven’t watched it all yet, but Season 1 was a delight! — Hannah Vanbiber
Shohei Ohtani is in a special new 50-50-50 Club, as Jayson Stark writes. There’s only one other player who fits the criteria.
I’m thinking up cake-making opportunities just to practice this simple hack for writing on them. Anyone have a birthday coming up? — Torrey Hart
🎥 If you missed it, it’s worth circling back to Mirin Fader’s recent story on Aaron Gordon, the “soul” of the Nuggets, and how he’s found greater purpose in life. You can also watch Mirin talk about it.
I did the Kindle refresh deal I saw on Wirecutter, and it’s a decent price break on a new one (with a non-extinct charger). — Chris Sprow
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: NFL Draft Round 1 winners and losers.
📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.
