Packers draft picks from Draft Wire’s 4-round mock draft

Here are the Packers picks from the 4-round mock by Draft Wire Round 1 Pick 30: WR Jalen Reagor, TCU Round 2 Pick 62: LB Troy Dye, Oregon Round 3 Pick 94: OL Jonah Jackson, Ohio State Round 4 Pick 126: DL Larrell Murchison, NC State

Here are the Packers picks from the 4-round mock by Draft Wire Round 1 Pick 30: WR Jalen Reagor, TCU Round 2 Pick 62: LB Troy Dye, Oregon Round 3 Pick 94: OL Jonah Jackson, Ohio State Round 4 Pick 126: DL Larrell Murchison, NC State

Before his death, Bryant was in serious …

Before his death, Bryant was in serious talks about creating an animation studio. Bruce W. Smith, creator of the Disney animated show “The Proud Family,” said in an interview with Double Toasted that he and the creator of the “Despicable Me” franchise, Sergio Pablos, sat down with Bryant over dinner to go over future animation projects. “[Bryant] was heavily invested in starting an animation studio. So for the past six months or so Kobe and I have been in deep talks about making that happen,” Smith said. “So we’re together finding artists to galvanize his dream and Kobe was, like they were saying, Kobe was beginning his second act and animation was going to play a huge part in that.”

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey snubbed by PFF for 2019

In spite of being named an All-Pro and being considered one of the best CBs in the game last season, Marlon Humphrey was slighted by PFF.

The Baltimore Ravens placed five players on Pro Football Focus’ list of the best players from 2019. But conspicuously absent from the list of 101 players was Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who had an All-Pro season last year.

Though Baltimore saw cornerback Marcus Peters make the cut, Humphrey was the better and more consistent player. When the rest of the Ravens’ defense struggled, it was Humphrey who was consistently amazing, creating big plays to help Baltimore win some close games. If there was a best player on the Ravens’ defense last year, it was unquestionably Humphrey.

With an injury to Jimmy Smith in Week 1 as well as Humphrey’s emergence as a top cornerback, he was moved around and tasked with shadowing some of the best wide receivers in the game. In 2019, Humphrey covered the like of Odell Beckham Jr., De’Andre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett, Julian Edelman, Tyler Boyd and JuJu Smith-Schuster — a wide variety in size, speed and how they’re utilized by their respective teams.

In total, Humphrey was targeted 88 times, allowing 51 receptions (58%) for 440 total yards and three touchdowns, while nabbing three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries including two returned for touchdowns. Quarterbacks had a 68.4 passer rating when throwing Humphrey’s way.

Humphrey emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL last season, making a serious case for being a top-five defensive back. Though PFF might not believe that to be true, Humphrey is surely going to be paid like it when he gets to his first real contract.

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Notre Dame Football is Highly Ranked in USA Today’s Way-Too-Early Top 25

Notre Dame is once again ranked high in a way-too-early Top 25 poll by USA Today.

Today was USA Today’s turn to give college football fans a sneak peak into the 2020 season as they released their way-too-early Top 25 rankings. In previous early rankings the Irish have been inside the Top 10 and that did not change with USA Today’s version.

Brian Kelly’s crew checked in at 9th overall in the country, a good starting spot for the Irish. There are few question marks heading into the season and the USA Today made note of that saying, “Notre Dame looks to have good depth and solid experience but doesn’t have any returning starters who are no-doubt contenders for preseason All-American honors.”

The USA Today questions if the Irish can make a push for a top 4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, which seems odd because they will face 3 teams ranked inside their early rankings. A date with #18 Wisconsin in Lambeau Field, hosting #1 Clemson and ending the season by going to The Coliseum and taking on #17 USC, they fail to mention this contest as a big game, is more than enough to impress the playoff committee if they go unscathed.

Things can clearly change between now and the start of the season, injuries, transfers, even coaches moving, that will dictate how the season plays out, so these early rankings are just best guesses. I believe that the Irish have been fairly ranked in the way-too-early polls, but none of this matters until the season plays out and the CFP comes out with their rankings, the only ones that matter.

Lions discussing trades involving CB Darius Slay

The Lions are talking to teams about a trade involving CB Darius Slay, according to ESPN Slay is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a new extension Slay made his third career Pro Bowl in 2019, picking off two passes and recording 46 tackles

The Lions are talking to teams about a trade involving CB Darius Slay, according to ESPN Slay is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a new extension Slay made his third career Pro Bowl in 2019, picking off two passes and recording 46 tackles

Lions discussing trades involving CB Darius Slay

The Lions are talking to teams about a trade involving CB Darius Slay, according to ESPN Slay is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a new extension Slay made his third career Pro Bowl in 2019, picking off two passes and recording 46 tackles

The Lions are talking to teams about a trade involving CB Darius Slay, according to ESPN Slay is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a new extension Slay made his third career Pro Bowl in 2019, picking off two passes and recording 46 tackles

7 things we learned in Week 2 of the XFL

The future is bright for Greg Olsen, Pep Hamilton, P.J. Walker and Cardale Jones.

The XFL is through two weeks, there has been some good, bad, and, of course, ugly.

McGloin may not be built for this league

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Matt McGloin taking on anyone and everyone around the New York Guardians may have made for great television. However, it did show the quarterback has brought an NFL attitude to the XFL. And that doesn’t work. Hard to believe Kevin Gilbride will want to keep him around. For sure, Winston Moss of the LA Wildcats would have shipped him out. In general, with a few exceptions, quarterback is the weakest position in the league.