The unprecedented run on quarterbacks, wide receivers and pass protectors in the NFL draft ‘s opening round pushed plenty of studly defenders down the board and allowed some of the top teams to select players who normally wouldn’t fall to them.

It also shoved plenty of first-round worthy defenders into the second round Friday, led by Cooper DeJean, the Iowa cornerback who broke his lower leg in November but has been cleared to return to football activities.

DeJean is one of the best ballhawks in this class and also one of the best punt returners available, having averaged 13.1 yards per return over the last two seasons.

Other defenders who will almost certainly hear their names called early Friday night when teams have had a chance to gather their thoughts and dive into the second round include Texas A&M inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Cooper led the Aggies in tackles (84), tackles for loss (17) and sacks (8). McKinstry, besides having among the coolest names in the draft, is seen as a plug-and-play performer.

McKinstry is like DeJean in two ways in that he’s an elite punt returner and he’s coming off an injury. McKinstry couldn’t participate in drills at the NFL scouting combine because of a broken bone in his right foot. But he ran at his pro day on March 20 and then underwent surgery to repair the fracture. He’s expected to be ready to go by training camp.

Another name to keep an ear out for is Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, one of the best interior pass rushers in this year’s draft. He pressured the quarterback more than 100 times over the last two seasons combined and also had 13 sacks and 22 1/2 tackles for loss in 2022 and ’23. He didn’t work out at the combine or his pro day after undergoing foot surgery after the season.

The first defensive player off the board Thursday night was UCLA edge rusher Liatu Latu, who is coming off a senior season in which he had 13 sacks and 21 1/2 tackles for loss. The Indianapolis Colts chose him with the 15th pick after a record half-dozen quarterbacks, four offensive linemen, three wide receivers and a tight end were taken.

The latest the first defender had come off the board in previous drafts was eighth in 2021 when the Carolina Panthers selected cornerback Jaycee Horn.

In all, the first round featured the six quarterbacks selected along with seven wide receivers, nine offensive linemen and a tight end. On defense, there were five edge rushers, three cornerbacks and one lineman drafted.

That’s 23 players on offense, nine on defense.

“The one thing we did feel, and I think everyone around the league felt, was it’s a receiver-heavy draft (and) there were some talented quarterbacks,” Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “You just do the math, then you thought, all right, who’s going to be the first defensive player drafted?

“But I don’t think there was a big surprise around the league the first 10, 12 (were on offense). … So, I think when you have that receiver class with the quarterback class that it is a little bit historic. It doesn’t happen that often. And then you have the tackles. So, I think that league-wide we felt there was going to be more offensive players taken in the first half of the draft.”

The second half, too.

Of course, some of the top talent available in Round 2 also is on offense. That includes wide receivers Ladd McConkey of Georgia and Adonai Mitchell of Texas.

McConkey might have slipped into Day 2 because of his injury-riddled 2023 season in which he dealt with ankle, knee and back ailments while catching 30 passes for the Bulldogs, two for touchdowns.

On the clock first Friday are the Buffalo Bills, who traded out of the first round in deals with the Chiefs and Panthers.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

SHANGHAI (Reuters) -American sprinter Christian Coleman believes that Usain Bolt’s 100-metres record of 9.58 seconds that has stood for 15 years is within reach and said there are several athletes fast enough to break it.

“It seems like the times being run, 9.58 is obviously an extraordinary time but honestly I feel like it’s a lot of guys who are competing today who are not that far off, if the track gods see fit for it to happen,” Coleman told reporters on Friday ahead of Saturday’s Shanghai Diamond League meet.

“But it has to be perfect conditions, on the right day, the right competition and the right venue … if you’re focusing on running properly, like executing a good race, I feel like those type of magical moments happen.

“I feel like it’s in my wheelhouse, but I don’t try to put too much emphasis or thought on it. I try to just focus on the next practice, the next rep, the next meet and just trying to improve and get better and better and the times will come.”

Jamaica’s Bolt set his 100m record in Berlin in 2009. American Tyson Gay is the second quickest after Bolt with a time of 9.69 set in Shanghai the same year.

Christian Miller, a 17-year-old from the U.S., ran 9.93 — the fastest time in the world this year — at a high school meet in Florida last weekend.

Coleman, a five-times world champion who has a 100m personal best of 9.76 set in 2019, takes on U.S. rival Fred Kerley, silver medallist in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, for the first time this outdoor season at the Shanghai Diamond League meet on Saturday.

“I’m the fittest I’ve ever been,” said Kerley, who clocked his quickest 100m of 9.76 in 2022. “I’m learning how to run the 100 still, me and my coaches are working on the phases of the races instead of just running the race like I always have.”

The 28-year-old Coleman raced to gold in the 60m at the world indoor championships earlier this season in Glasgow.

(Reporting by Lori EwingEditing by Toby Davis)

(Reuters) – Rafa Nadal said he would love to keep playing long enough for his son to remember him on court, though the 22-time Grand Slam champion concedes time is not on his side.

The 37-year-old Spaniard, who has said he expects to retire after the 2024 season, returned to competition in Brisbane in January after almost a year sidelined with a hip flexor injury.

He was then out for another stretch due to a thigh issue and while he returned in Barcelona last week he says he is far from being in top form and does not know if he will play in next month’s French Open.

Nadal beat wild card Darwin Blanch 6-1 6-0 in the first round of the Madrid Open on Thursday, with his wife and one-year-old son Rafael Jr watching on.

“Well, I would love to play a little bit longer and give him a memory of myself playing tennis,” Nadal said of playing in front of his son.

“That’s what will be the ideal thing for me and for my wife and family.

“Probably I will not be able to make that happen. But at least I’m happy to have a great team and family and friends around me during all my life that helped me in every single way of being happy.”

Nadal, a five-time champion in Madrid, next faces Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur on Saturday.

(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

By Layli Foroudi

VILLEPINTE, France (Reuters) – A police crackdown that aims to clear a poor suburb of petty crime and street vendors before the Paris 2024 Olympics is putting pressure on an overcrowded prison operating at almost double its capacity.

Villepinte is a grey, concrete detention centre in the suburb of Seine-Saint Denis. It lies 2.5 km from the Paris Arena Nord, set to host boxing and fencing competitions during the Games beginning on July 26.

It is among the most crowded prisons in France. Opened in 1991, Villepinte takes prisoners from the busy Bobigny courthouse nearby for pre-trial detention and short sentences.

“The penitentiary authority needs to prepare for the worst,” Eric Mathais, chief prosecutor at Bobigny, said in an interview.

Reducing inmate numbers ahead of the Olympics is unrealistic, Mathais said.

“We need to limit the number of people being imprisoned, but this is easier said than done as I am under extreme pressure from everyone to be clearly more repressive.”

Reuters interviewed thirteen prosecutors, judges, lawyers and clerks working in Bobigny court, who said that the Seine-Saint-Denis justice system was operating at the limits of its capacity and prosecuting increasingly minor infractions in preparation for the Games.

As of April 8, when Reuters visited Villepinte with local senator Corinne Narassiguin, there were 1,048 inmates for 582 places at the prison, according to director Pascal Spenle. The penitentiary cannot technically handle many more, Spenle said.

Reuters spoke to four inmates who described spending most of their days inside their cells, with up to three prisoners in cells designed for one, sharing a toilet and showering every other day. At least 17 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor, prison authorities said.

Yanis, a 20-year-old inmate, said he’d been on a waiting list for months for a prison work programme. One of his two cellmates, Adil, 25, said he had not met a reintegration councillor during seven months inside.

Prison doctor Ludovic Levasseur said he’d seen demand for mental health care rise in recent years while overcrowding meant long waiting lists for psychologists handling up to 60 patients each.

To avoid reaching breaking point, judges at Bobigny courthouse almost doubled the number of early releases from Villepinte and another prison last year, to nearly 500.

Still, Villepinte was operating at 180% of capacity in early April, from 177% in April last year and 168% the year before, data from the prison and Ministry of Justice shows.

Ahead of an expected surge in the Olympics build up, Spenle said, Villepinte plans to transfer inmates to other prisons, freeing up 220 places. In the longer term the prison will get a new wing, he said.

In a letter to French prosecutors dated 15 January, Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti called for “fast, strong and systematic responses” to infractions that may disrupt the Games.

Spokesperson Cedric Logelin said the ministry was taking measures to reduce overcrowding and prevent crime during the Games. He said court decisions were independent.

“SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS”

Many of the Olympic events are being held in Seine-Saint-Denis. The region has the highest ratio of immigrants among France’s departments and is also the poorest.

Teachers have been on strike since February, saying schools in the area are under-resourced. Homeless and traveller populations have set up camps and squats in the department.

In some neighbourhoods, informal sellers line the streets.

Mohamed Gnabaly, mayor of Ile Saint Denis, a town in the area, said the Olympics had helped infrastructure and housing development delayed for years due to lack of investment.

However, Olivier Cahn, a sociologist at CESDIP, a French centre for research on law and prisons, said a reliance on policing and tough sentencing was disproportionately affecting the poor, migrant and homeless populations.

“All we have are short-term solutions,” said Cahn.

A zero-tolerance policing initiative launched last year that targets street crimes such as drug dealing and unlicensed selling in the area was adding to the prison population, prosecutor Mathais said.

Police deployed 4,000 extra officers in March and April, Seine-Saint-Denis police director of local security Michel Lavaud told reporters last week, calling it a clean up and saying the operation provided safety for locals and “tourists, audiences, the families of the athletes.”

“It is just the beginning, we are going to increase the intensity” ahead of the Games, Lavaud said.

The crackdown drew criticism from seven legal professionals Reuters spoke to. 

Fouad Qnia, a defence lawyer at Bobigny, said heavy penalties for infractions such as unlicensed street selling were disproportionate and could further marginalise people in already vulnerable situations.

CIGARETTE SELLERS

The recent policing operation targeted street vendors, police chief Lavaud said, including nearly 200 illegal cigarette sellers, some of whom were imprisoned and more than half of whom were handed deportation orders.

In one case, on April 3, a Bobigny judge ordered an Algerian man who moved to France two years ago to refrain from entering Seine-Saint-Denis for six months, including for the duration of the Games, after he was convicted of selling eight packets of cigarettes on the street.

He had previously been handed a suspended prison sentence and will face two months in jail, likely in Villepinte, if he is caught again in Seine-Saint-Denis or selling tobacco, assigned defence lawyer Jade Paya said, declining to name the man. 

“They are in need. They don’t sell cigarettes because they like doing it,” she said. 

Villepinte houses more than thirty nationalities, deputy director David Langelois said. He said the number of foreign inmates was high due to detentions at the nearby Charles de Gaulle airport and the demographic makeup of Seine-Saint-Denis.

Foreigners were 21% of France’s prison population in 2020, whereas they were just 10% of the general population, according to national statistics. France does not keep ethnic statistics, but some sociological studies attest to an over-representation of Black and Arab men in prisons. 

Senator Narassiguin said people of colour faced heavier policing and harsh penalties for petty street crime. Ministry of Justice spokesperson Logelin said court sentences were based on individual cases. He declined to comment on the ratio of foreign prisoners.

BRIMMING PRISONS

France has the most overcrowded prisons in Europe after Romania and Cyprus, with its prison population growing faster in 2022 than anywhere in the bloc other than Slovenia, data from the Council of Europe shows.

Nationally, French prisons have never been fuller, Ministry of Justice data shows.

The Council of Europe expressed “deep concern” last month at the worsening overcrowding.

To deal with the caseload it expects during the games, the Bobigny court is preparing to pile on fast-track trials, which the International Prison Observatory (OIP) says are eight times more likely to end in a prison sentence than standard trials.

The use of fast-track procedures has gradually risen in recent years, justice ministry data shows, and has helped drive France’s prison overcrowding, said OIP researcher Johann Bihr.  

The limited access to activities and support inside prisons because of overcrowding complicates reintegration into society, said charity Emergence 93, which works with former detainees.

Adding to the strain, during the Olympics, two car washes run by Emergence 93 that employ former prisoners in Seine-Saint-Denis will be forced to close. One car wash is in a shopping mall car park closed during the Games, the other on a site rented to the Japanese delegation.

Emergence 93 social worker Manuel Chajmowiez said the charity had asked Games organizers to allow ex-prisoners to clean some of a fleet of 500 cars provided for athletes and officials, but had not heard back.

“For now we have no work to offer,” Chajmowiez said.

(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)

Joel Embiid set a playoff career high with 50 points to lift host Philadelphia past the New York Knicks 125-114 on Thursday, cutting the 76ers’ deficit in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series to 2-1.

Embiid shot 13 of 19 from the field and 19 of 21 from the free-throw line.

Tyrese Maxey added 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 15 and Cameron Payne had 11 for the Sixers, who dropped two close games in New York to start the best-of-seven series.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists. Josh Hart added 20 points and OG Anunoby had 17. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with 14.

Magic 121, Cavaliers 83

Paolo Banchero collected 31 points and 14 rebounds to fuel host Orlando past Cleveland in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Banchero sank four 3-pointers and had seven rebounds on the offensive glass for the fifth-seeded Magic, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. After scoring just 83 and 86 points in the first two games of the series, the Magic had 96 at the end of three quarters.

Jarrett Allen collected 15 points and eight rebounds and Caris LeVert added 15 points off the bench for Cleveland, whose 38-point loss is the worst in the club’s postseason history.

Nuggets 112, Lakers 105

Nikola Jokic compiled 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as Denver moved one win away from the Western Conference semifinals with a victory at Los Angeles.

Aaron Gordon added 29 points with 15 rebounds as the Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Nuggets extend their winning streak over the Lakers to 11 games.

Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis logged 33 points and 15 rebounds, while LeBron James produced 26 points and nine assists. The Lakers are on their first losing streak of at least three games since the start of the new year, when they were in the midst of a four-game skid.

–Field Level Media

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.

Embiid wore sunglasses to the podium after he scored 50 points in the Sixers’ Game 3 win over the New York Knicks and said he’s battled various symptoms such as blurred vision and dry eyes.

Embiid said he first started suffering from the affliction about a “day or two” before the Sixers played the Miami Heat on April 17 in the play-in tournament. Embiid had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win that sent the Sixers to the playoffs.

Embiid complained of migraines but “thought it was nothing” before he finally notified doctors he wasn’t feeling well.

“My body was just, I was just not feeling it,” Embiid said. “Yes, it’s pretty annoying. My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep fighting through anything. It’s unfortunate, that’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. I’ve got to keep pushing.”

Last season’s NBA MVP, Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers in Game 3.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1 and Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid had been wearing sunglasses throughout the series and conducted a Game 2 postgame interview with his head down in front of his locker to hide his symptoms.

Embiid said he has no timetable on how long it make take to recover from Bell’s palsy.

“It hasn’t really necessarily gotten better,” he said. “With the conversations that I’ve had, it could be weeks, it could be months. I just hope that it stays like this. I’ve got a beautiful face. I don’t like when my mouth is looking the other way. Unfortunate situation but everything happens for a reason.” ___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Bryce Harper returned from a three-day paternity leave and belted a two-run homer to lead the visiting Philadelphia Phillies past the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Thursday.

Starter Zack Wheeler (2-3) allowed one hit over six shutout innings to record the win for the Phillies, who earned a split of the four-game series with their second shutout in four days. Wheeler struck out eight and walked four in recording his second straight win.

Wheeler extended his scoreless streak to 13 1/3 innings in posting his second straight scoreless start, and third this season. Trea Turner had three hits, while Harper and Bryson Stott had two hits. Stott drove in two with a two-out, third-inning triple that put Philadelphia on top, 2-0.

Cincinnati starter Nick Martinez (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on a career-high tying 11 hits over six innings. Martinez returned to the rotation after Frankie Montas went on the injured list with a bruised forearm.

Dodgers 2, Nationals 1

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six shutout innings and Teoscar Hernandez homered as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of host Washington. Yamamoto, a rookie right-hander, gave up four hits and one walk and struck out seven while throwing 97 pitches.

Alex Vesia worked a scoreless seventh with three strikeouts before Daniel Hudson gave up a run in the eighth. Evan Phillips worked a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his seventh save. Mookie Betts, Enrique Hernandez and Freddie Freeman all had two hits as the Dodgers won their fourth consecutive game.

Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore (2-2) gave up only the home run among his seven hits allowed. He walked two and struck out four. Joey Meneses had three of Washington’s seven hits. The Nationals, who left seven runners on base, only scored four runs in the series and closed a 2-4 homestand.

Brewers 7, Pirates 5

Gary Sanchez socked a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to lift visiting Milwaukee over Pittsburgh.

Rhys Hoskins went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and William Contreras went 2-for-4 with a home run to help the Brewers split the four-game series. Jared Koenig (1-0) gave up two hits in the seventh inning for the win and Trevor Megill pitched a clean ninth for his first save.

Joey Bart hit a three-run home run for the Pirates. Aroldis Chapman (0-2) allowed two runs on two hits in the eighth inning.

Guardians 6, Red Sox 4

Jose Ramirez hit a second-inning grand slam and added an important insurance run in the seventh as host Cleveland beat Boston for its ninth win in 11 games.

In the seventh, after the Red Sox clawed back to make it 5-4, Ramirez singled for his third hit, stole second, went to third on catcher Reese McGuire’s throwing error and scored on a passed ball.

Rafael Devers posted his second straight three-hit game and Rob Refsnyder had two hits with an RBI for Boston, which completed a 4-2 road trip despite the loss.

Cubs 3, Astros 1

Pete Crow-Armstrong slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth for his first major league hit to lift host Chicago to a sweep of Houston.

With the game tied at 1, Bryan Abreu entered the game out of the Houston bullpen to oppose the Cubs’ top prospect. Crow-Armstrong greeted him with a deep fly to right to give Chicago the two-run advantage and saddle Houston’s Rafael Montero with his first loss of the season.

Right-hander Justin Verlander started for Houston and got one out in the fifth before exiting the game. Verlander allowed three hits — all to Nico Hoerner.

Mariners 4, Rangers 3

Ty France and Luis Urias hit two-run home runs as Seattle defeated Texas in Arlington, Texas, to move past the hosts into first place in the American League West.

Mariners ace Luis Castillo (2-4) won his second straight start, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits, with two walks and six strikeouts. Seattle closer Andres Munoz retired the side in order in the ninth to record his third save of the season.

Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Smith hit solo homers for Texas, which lost for the fourth time in its past six games. Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-3) took the loss. He gave up four runs on five hits over six innings, with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Athletics 3, Yankees 1

Nick Allen and Tyler Nevin homered in the third inning, Alex Wood pitched 5 2/3 gritty innings and Oakland beat host New York.

The A’s earned a split of the four-game series despite scoring three runs or fewer for the seventh straight game and 17th time overall. Oakland also homered for the 10th straight game when Allen and Nevin connected in a four-batter span.

Wood (1-2) allowed one run and eight hits. He struck out five, walked two and put runners on base in every inning but the third. For New York, Jose Trevino went deep and Nestor Cortes (1-2) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings.

Rockies 10, Padres 9

Hunter Goodman hit a three-run homer to ignite a six-run eighth inning and Colorado rallied to beat San Diego in Denver.

Colorado trailed 9-4 entering the eighth but rallied against San Diego’s bullpen. Goodman started the comeback with a three-run homer off Wandy Peralta (1-1). Ezequiel Tovar eventually scored the tying run on a passed ball and Elias Diaz broke the tie with an RBI single.

Tyler Kinley (1-0) tossed an inning of relief to pick up the win for Colorado and Justin Lawrence struck out Ha-Seong Kim to end the game and pick up his second save.

Royals 2, Blue Jays 1 (5 innings)

Salvador Perez homered as host Kansas City outlasted the weather and Toronto to win a rain-shortened contest. The five-inning contest marked their third straight victory by one run and gave the Royals their first series win against the Blue Jays since April 15-18, 2021.

Perez lined a first-pitch, two-run homer down the left-field line in the first inning. His seventh home run of the year gave him 837 career RBIs, tying him with Mike Sweeney for fifth all-time in franchise history.

Perez’s home run snapped a career-best 21 2/3 scoreless innings streak by Toronto starter Jose Berrios (4-1). Berrios surrendered two runs on three hits and three walks with one strikeout in five innings. Four of the five runs allowed by Berrios in his six starts this year have scored via home runs.

Twins 6, White Sox 3

Edouard Julien homered twice as Minnesota belted five home runs and completed a four-game series sweep of Chicago with a victory in Minneapolis.

It was the second multi-homer game of the season for Julien. Ryan Jeffers, Carlos Santana and Jose Miranda also homered and Trevor Larnach went 2-for-4 with a run scored for Minnesota which won for the fifth time in its last six games.

Andrew Vaughn doubled and had two hits and a run scored and Korey Lee also had two hits for Chicago which lost its seventh straight game overall and ninth in a row at Target Field.

–Field Level Media

Quarterbacks went off the draft board at a record-setting pace.

Thursday night was the fourth time in the common draft era starting in 1967 that QBs went with the top three picks, with three more going in the top 12. It was the fewest number of picks for six QBs to be drafted.

This marked the first time five quarterbacks were drafted in the top 10 and matched the famed 1983 class with six first-rounders in all as teams throughout the league went in search of a big-time passer who can turn the fortunes of a franchise.

“I wasn’t shocked,” said Bo Nix, who was the last QB off the board at No. 12 to Denver. “I think the six of us, we’re all capable of playing at the next level. It’s going to be fun to watch everybody and see how they develop. I wasn’t shocked at all because I think this class of quarterbacks was very strong.”

The draft started in predictable fashion with Caleb Williams going first to Chicago, Jayden Daniels second to Washington and Drake Maye third to New England, marking the second time in the past four drafts that QBs went 1-2-3.

But in a note of caution, two of those highly drafted quarterbacks in 2021 have already been busts for their teams, with the New York Jets trading No. 2 pick Zach Wilson earlier this week to Denver as part of a late-round draft pick swap and San Francisco dealing No. 3 pick Trey Lance last August to Dallas for a fourth-rounder.

Two other first-round quarterbacks from that draft have also been dealt away, with Chicago trading No. 11 pick Justin Fields to Pittsburgh and New England dealing No. 15 pick Mac Jones earlier this offseason.

Those failures didn’t deter teams from using premium picks on quarterbacks. Atlanta pulled off the biggest shocker by taking Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick less than two months after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency.

“If we see a player that we believe can be a franchise quarterback at any point, whether it’s this draft, next draft, whether it’s a player we can trade for, whatever it is, you have to bring that player in because we’re talking about the next four to five years plus when we’re talking about guys that we’re drafting,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said.

Minnesota then traded up one spot to take Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick, unwilling to take the chance of missing out on their target.

“We knew we weren’t the only ones that had identified him as a quarterback we wanted to select,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “You start thinking about the what-if.”

Denver completed the haul by taking Nix with the 12th pick.

The only other time six quarterbacks were taken in the entire first round came in 1983 in a draft that produced Hall of Famers John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino, along with less-productive quarterbacks like Ken O’Brien, Tony Eason and Todd Blackledge.

But the QBs came off the board much faster this time around. Marino had to wait until the 27th pick to be taken by Miami 41 years ago.

This draft is the eighth in the past nine years with at least three QBs taken in the first round, which matches the number of times that happened in the first 38 years of the common draft era.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NEW YORK (AP) — Mason Miller retired Aaron Judge with a runner on for his first four-out save, and the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 3-1 Thursday night for a four-game split.

Nick Allen and Tyler Nevin homered in the third inning off Nestor Cortes (1-2), and Alex Wood (1-2) escaped bases-loaded trouble in the first and fourth innings.

New York was 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, stranded 11 runners and outhit Oakland 11-6.

Miller, a 25-year-old right-hander, relieved T.J. McFarland with a runner on first in the eighth and struck out Jose Trevino on a 101.3 mph fastball.

He got Oswaldo Cabrera to take a called third strike starting the ninth, allowed a hard-hit infield single to Anthony Volpe, then struck out Juan Soto on a 101.9 pitch. After striking out against Miller for the second time this week, Soto slammed his bat.

“To see somebody get on base in the ninth, it got a little loud so the adrenaline started pumping a little bit, but I quickly quieted it down with a strikeout,” Miller said.

Judge flied to right on a slider as Miller remained perfect in six save chances.

“Obviously it’s a pretty special fastball, but he’s got feel for his slider,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So he’s not just 80, here it comes. He mixes it up. It’s100-plus miles an hour and it looks like that up close. They, obviously, look like they’ve got a good one at the back end.”

Miller needed 17 pitches to get the four outs, averaging 100.8 mph with eight fastballs. He struck out six of eight batters in the series and has fanned 23 in 11 1/3 innings this season.

“The kid is impressive but he’s got a good slider to go with it and he showed that tonight a couple of times,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s really embraced this role. He loves it and you can see just the energy when he comes into the game.”

Miller pitched his eighth consecutive scoreless outing. He has retired 31 of 38 hitters in that span with 22 outs on strikeouts.

“He’s pretty good,” Trevino said.

Oakland scored three runs or fewer for the seventh straight game and 17th time this season. The A’s also homered for the 10th straight game.

Trevino homered off the screen attached to the right field foul pole in the second, one pitch after Gleyber Torres was picked off. The 325-foot drive was the shortest fence-clearing homer in the major leagues this season.

Allen, son-in-law of Boone’s older brother Bret, hit his first homer since Aug. 25 to tie the score in the third. Nevin, whose father Phil Boone’s bench coach from 2018-21, homered into the right field short porch.

Allen hit a tying homer about three rows back in the left field seats. It was the first homer since Aug. 25 for Allen — the son-in-law of Boone’s older brother Bret Boone.

Nevin, whose father Phil Nevin was the Yankees’ bench coach under Boone from 2018 to 2021, followed with a drive into the short porch in right for a 3-1 lead.

Wood allowed one run and eight hits, lowering his ERA from 7.89 to 6.59. Cortes allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: 2B Zack Gelof (strained left oblique) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday. Kotsay said it was a low-grade strain that was caught early.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow) will not accompany the team on the seven-game trip and will continue his rehab in New York. … RHP Michael Tonkin was claimed off waivers from the Mets and RHP McKinley Moore was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Athletics: RHP Ross Stripling (0-5, 5.34 ERA) opposes RHP Corbin Burnes (3-0, 2.76) in the opener of a three-game series Friday in Baltimore.

Yankees: RHP Luis Gil (2.75), who earned his first win in 993 days Sunday, opposes RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 2.08) in the opener of a three-game series Friday in Milwaukee.

___

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB

UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player selected in the NFL draft Thursday night, going No. 15 overall to Indianapolis to snap a record streak of 14 straight offensive players selected.

The latest a first round had previously gone before a defensive player was taken was No. 8 overall. That’s where the Carolina Panthers took cornerback Jaycee Horn in 2021.

Not only were the 14 straight offensive players to start the draft a record, it was the first time 14 straight offensive players were taken at any point in the draft. Six of those players were quarterbacks, including USC’s Caleb Williams to Chicago, LSU’s Jayden Daniels to Washington and North Carolina’s Drake Maye to New England with the top three picks.

There were also three wide receivers taken in the top 10 and three offensive tackles among those top 14 picks.

Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga was pick No. 14 by the New Orleans Saints.

Then came the Colts to finally go defense.

Latu was an All-American and Pac-12 defensive player of the year in 2023, leading major college football with 21 1/2 tackles for loss, including 13 sacks.

Seattle then made it two straight defensive linemen when it took Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy at No. 16 and the Vikings traded up to make it three in a row with Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL