Everything to know about the 2024 NFL Draft; Heat upset Celtics in Game 2

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM newsletter, the definitive guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to receive it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

Good morning everyone but especially…

NFL Draft OUTLOOK

Finally, the 2024 NFL Draft is here. Tonight, the lives of 32 young people change and that is a huge victory for everyone involved.

But what will the 32 be? Draft expert Chris Trapasso has been studying and writing about this draft for over a year. Now, your final simulation has arrived. Here are his top five:

1. Bears: QB Caleb Williams
2. Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels
3. Patriots: QB Drake Maye
4. Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
5. Giants (via mock trade with Chargers): QB JJ McCarthy

I love Chris’s fifth pick. The Giants moving up just one spot wasn’t popularly derided, but it could end up making a lot of sense.

We talked a lot about the start of the draft. After all, that’s where the biggest names go. But there are great players further down. Here are some of Chris’s later picks that I liked:

• 9. Bears: WR Roma Odunze
• 11. Vikings: QB Bo Nix
• 12. Broncos: EDGE Dallas Turner
• 22 Eagles: CB Terrion Arnold
• 25. Packers: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
• 28. Accounts: WR Adonai Mitchell

Dave Richard has a Fantasy-focused simulation also.

Keep two things in mind: we will have surprises and negotiations. It’s hard to predict surprises – That’s why they are surprises – but some negotiations we can see coming. Jared Dubin has teams that could enter or leave Round 1Including …

• Dubin: “The Cardinals already have two first-round picks thanks to last year’s trade that yielded Will Anderson Jr. for the Texans, but with so much ammunition to move up and down the board, you can’t rule out them pursuing even a third selection on Day 1. And if they can come away from Thursday night with a top wide receiver, a starting center and a possible No. 1 cornerback or pass rusher? That would be hard to pass up.”

OK, now (finally) rounding out the pre-draft rumors and news:

Honorable mentions

And it’s not such a good day for…

THE BOSTON CELTICS

Don’t panic, Celts fans. It’s just a game. But if this gives you déjà vu, I understand. Fueled by a historic night of filming, the Warm pulled off a surprising 111-101 victory in Boston to even the series at one and steal home-field advantage from the league’s best team. Miami was a 14.5-point underdog.

• Miami set a franchise playoff record with 23 3-pointers, and did so at a rate of 51% on 45 attempts. Five different players made at least three 3-pointers, tying the NBA playoff record.
• Tyler Herro (24 points, 14 assists, five 3-pointers) became the first Miami player with 10-plus assists and five or more 3-pointers in a playoff game. Caleb Martins (21 points) shot five for six from deep. Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and 10 rebounds and helped hold Kristaps Porzingis for a playoff career low of six points.
• Erik Spoelstra deliver another coaching masterclass; he is 10-3 in Game 2 after losing Game 1.
• Oh yes, and Miami did it without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier It is Josh Richardson.
• Shaquille O’Neal predicted the turn and the marginIt is Butler trolled Jaylen Brown On Instagram.

No, the Heat won’t shoot that well every night. But last year, a short-handed Miami team received heroic efforts from Adebayo and Martin to beat Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This year’s Celtics team is a year older, a year wiser and much, much better. But the problems with the offense late in the game – a field goal in the final 5:53 – are not encouraging and now there is a seed of doubt. And against Miami, that’s scary.

Not-so-honorable mentions

Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson request trade from Bengals

Before a crucial draft and season, two Walking sticks the stars want to go out. Tee Higgins reiterated that he wants to be negotiatedIt is Trey Hendrickson requested a negotiationand also.

The team also has no plans to relocate.

Let’s start with Higgins, who requested an exchange in March but earlier this month he said that anticipates playing with Cincinnati. He is set to play the 2024 season with the franchise, and the lack of negotiations on a long-term deal since last offseason has angered the 25-year-old wide receiver.

• Higgins is coming off an injury-plagued 2023, but has had at least 900 receiving yards and six touchdowns in each of his first three NFL seasons, forming arguably the league’s best wide receiver duo alongside Ja’Marr Chase.
• It’s Chase, however, who could stand in the way of a long-term deal for Higgins. Cincy coincidentally chose Chase’s fifth-year option – setting the stage for a major extension – Wednesday, the same day Higgins reiterated his intentions.
• Josh Edwards has potential landing sites for Higgins if a deal materializes.

Meanwhile, Hendrickson is coming off a franchise-record 17.5 sacks and, since joining Cincinnati in 2021, has only TJ Watt, Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa It is Micah Parsons there are more bags. Hendrickson is an elite pass rusher, but even after negotiating an extension last year, he ranks just 11th in terms of average annual value. Here are the possible landing sites.

With Joe BurrowWith the massive extension set to take effect in 2025 and Chase not far behind (assuming he gets a big deal), there is a lot of financial pressure for Cincinnati to win big this year. For now, the Bengals have two unfortunate campers stuck where they are.

Lions sign Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell long-term

In stark contrast to the Bengals, the Lions nabbed a star wide receiver and a star offensive lineman on the eve of the draft. Ammon-Ra St. signed a four-year, $120 million extension which includes a record wide receiver $77 million guaranteedIt is Penei Sewell signed a four-year, $112 million extension this makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.

Brown, 24, is a slot specialist who can also win from the outside, a perfect fit alongside the quarterback Jared Goff and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Brown finished with the third-most receptions (119) and fourth-most receiving yards (1,515) in a season in Lions history and earned First-Team All-Pro honors. In the last two seasons, only Mount Tyreek It is CeeDee Cordeiro there are more receptions. The Lions made this deal smartly — St. Brown still has a year remaining on his rookie contract — before Chase and Justin Jefferson redefine the wide receiver market.

Sewell, 23, is the franchise’s cornerstone at tackle. He allowed just one sack last season, and when running to the right (Sewell’s side), the Lions averaged 4.9 yards per carry, second in the NFL.

The present and future remain extremely bright in Detroit.

What will we watch on Thursday

Game 3: Cavaliers at Magic7pm on NBA TV
Game 3: Panthers at Lightning7pm on TBS
Game 3: Knicks at 76ers7:30 pm on TNT
Game 3: Hurricanes at Islanders7:30 pm on ESPN2
NFL Draft8pm on ABC/ESPN/NFL
Game 3: Nuggets at Lakers10pm on TNT