SI:CYMI | Your 2026 NFL Draft Wrap-Up

Plus, these LeBron James highlights are unbelievable.

The NFL draft was held in Pittsburgh, Penn., this year. | Jason Miller/Getty Images

Morning all! Sports Illustrated's Brigid Kennedy here, back with another jam-packed, link-heavy recap of an extremely hectic weekend in sports.

Before we dive into the headlines, I must dedicate this one to Megan Thee Stallion, for reasons I am sure you understand. Forward this to your friends who are down to ride at dawn.

This is a web version of our new recap newsletter, SI:CYMI. If you’re reading this on SI.com, click here to subscribe and receive SI:CYMI directly in your inbox each morning.

The Headlines …

DRAFT DEETS: Our very own Kristen Wong covered the first round of the NFL Draft in her newsletter on Friday morning, so it’s now time to go through, well, everything else. … To start, a bit of housekeeping: here’s a look at the money each of those first-rounder is set to make. … And speaking of, I asked six such prospects to reflect on the moment they walked on to that draft stage and dapped up Roger Goodell. … Remember the Makai Lemon switch-up? I also asked Eagles and Steelers fans at the draft to comment on the sure-to-be-infamous flub. … Elsewhere, Sean McVay explained his now-viral reaction to the team’s selection of QB Ty Simpson at No. 13. … The Cardinals drafted Miami QB Carson Beck in the third round, and we took a look at how he fits with Arizona’s offense. … After sliding out of the first three rounds, Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy was finally drafted by the Raiders with the 101st pick. … Here’s your primer on Red Murdock, this year’s Mr. Irrelevant. … Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia was not drafted, but Coach Prime wants the QB to keep his head up. … At least Pavia was invited to the Ravens’ minicamp next weekend. … And, speaking of the undrafted, we’ve got a full UDFA tracker going right here, right now, if you want to take a peek. ... Or you can review all seven rounds, with grades for picks in the first three, using SI's incredibly comprehensive draft tracker. ... Finally, in non-draft news, Mike Tomlin finally opened up about his exit from the Steelers.

PLAYOFF PLOTS: The NBA playoffs did their thing this weekend. Some great basketball, as evidenced by these unbelievable LeBron James highlights from Lakers-Rockets Game 3, but also some wild drama, like Saturday night’s scuffle between the Nuggets and the Wolves. … Denver’s Nikola Jokić was at the center of the fight, angry at how Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels shot a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining, but the Wolves’ Julius Randle was ultimately fined, as well. … It was quite the eventful evening, considering the fracas followed disappointing injuries to both Donte DiVincenze and Anthony Edwards. … In any case, tonight’s Game 5 is sure to be somethin’. … On Sunday, the Spurs beat the Blazers in an absurd comeback victory (Victor Wembanyama returned from his concussion), the Sixers lost to the Celtics even though Joel Embiid played his first game since an emergency appendectomy, and the Rockets kept their season alive with a resounding win over the Lakers, who will now host Game 5. ... For a full recap, check out our live blog of the day’s full slate. … You can also find takeaways from Saturday’s games here, and an analysis of Friday’s results here. … And, in other news, the Pelicans are channeling the Lakers and thinking of hiring a former NBA star with no coaching experience to lead the franchise.

EXTRA EVENTS: You already know it’s the best of the rest. … The Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and much of their coaching staff after the team’s tough start to the season, and people are not happy. … Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz had to pull out of the French Open because of an injury to his wrist. … Caitlin Clark returned to the WNBA court in the Fever’s preseason win vs. the Liberty over the weekend. … And, in the world of CFB, our college team highlighted three things we learned from Saturday’s spring games.

Feed Refresher …

ADDRESS ME!: That’s the elephant in the room talking, btw. After a week full of headlines regarding his reported tryst with NFL insider Dianna Russini, Mike Vrabel’s phone conversation with the Pats’ first-round draft pick felt unnecessarily awkward to listen to as an outsider. 

TISSUES, PLS: There were no Shedeur Sanders-sized slides in this year’s draft, but there were a few slight falls to note, like that of DT Kayden McDonald, who dropped to the early second. Even so, McDonald stuck around in Pittsburgh to hear his name called—and his emotions when the call finally came made it well worth the wait.

BANISHED!: Did you read that in your best Alan Cumming voice? I hope so. Because the NHL’s Senators were certainly channeling their inner The Traitors host when they playfully “banished” superfan Kyle Ivan to Taiwan in hopes of reversing a postseason jinx. Our Blake Silverman wrote up a profile on Ivan and his collab with Ottawa, and it’s every bit as delightful a read as you’d hope.

What We’re Watching Tonight …

NBA:

Pistons @ Magic—8 p.m. ET; NBC, Peacock
Thunder @ Suns—9:30 p.m. ET; NBC Sports, Peacock
Wolves @ Nuggets—10:30 p.m. ET; NBC, Peacock

We’ve got two Game 4s and one Game 5 tonight. Orlando is up by one in Pistons-Magic, but Detroit will be looking to even the series before sending it back to Little Caesars Arena. OKC, meanwhile, is leading 3-0 vs. Phoenix and could end things tonight if all goes well. If you tune into just one of these games, though, make it Timberwolves-Nuggets—not only are we coming off of Saturday’s contentious finish, but this is an elimination game, as well. Can the Wolves win big without Ant and DiVincenzo? They’re heading to round two if so.

NHL:

Flyers @ Pens—7 p.m. ET; ESPN
Golden Knights @ Mammoth—9:30 p.m.; ESPN

The Penguins forced a Game 5 when they won their first match of the series vs. the Flyers on Saturday night; we’ll see if they can hold on at home tonight and stay alive a little longer. The Mammoth, meanwhile, are up 2-1 over the Golden Knights and can make that 3-1 if they win again here.

That’s all I’ve got for you right now, but I’ll be back tomorrow morning with more. Stream “Hiss” today.

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