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2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Where is North Carolina QB Drake Maye predicted to go?

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2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Where is North Carolina QB Drake Maye predicted to go?


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The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off next week. Hundreds of college players will hope to hear their names called in Campus Martius Park in Detroit during the three days of the draft. One of those players who will likely hear their name called early in the draft is North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

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The son of former World League of America Football (WLAF) quarterback Mark Maye and younger brother of Tar Heels basketball star Luke Maye, Drake Maye started at quarterback for two years at North Carolina. He earned ACC Player of the Year honors in 2022, led the conference in passing in 2023 and finished the 2023 season third in the FBS in total offense per game.

As a prospect, Maye’s prototypical size at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 223 lbs. and arm strength at just 21 years old makes him one of the more enticing prospects in the draft. He has reliable mobility outside of the pocket, too, evidenced by his collegiate 42 rushing first downs on third and fourth down. In a draft without USC quarterback Caleb Williams, he’d likely be in consideration for the first overall pick.

2024 NFL draft rankings: Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr. lead top 50 players

2024 NFL mock draft: J.J. McCarthy or Drake Maye for Patriots at No. 3?

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But with Williams the consensus top pick, where will Maye go? Here’s what experts from USA Today, NFL.com, ESPN, The Ringer and The Athletic predict:

Drake Maye 2024 NFL draft predictions

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY: No. 5 to the Minnesota Vikings (via trade with the Los Angeles Chargers)

Middlehurst-Schwartz: “[Vikings] Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown coached Maye at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, and it’s easy to see why Minnesota would be excited about adding a rocket-armed signal-caller comfortable operating on the move, especially as the franchise turns the page from the Kirk Cousins era. For Maye, there might be no better situation for his development than learning under McCown and Kevin O’Connell while having Justin Jefferson on the receiving end of his deep bombs and Christian Darrisaw keeping him clean.”

Peter Schrager, NFL.com: No. 3 to the New England Patriots

Schrager: “Despite lots of smoke that New England could trade down, I believe this new Patriots regime will be comfortable with either Jayden Daniels or Maye. Pats brass took Maye out for steaks the night before his Foxborough visit earlier this month, and those guys loved the Charlotte native. That said, they also loved their top-30 visit with Daniels. I think they’re fine with whichever one falls to them.”

Field Yates, ESPN: No. 3 to the New England Patriots

Yates: “I am firmly of the belief that the Patriots should not trade down from this pick and should take a quarterback, regardless whether it is Maye or Daniels… While he had a lesser year in 2023 compared to 2022, I still see all the traits for him to be a franchise quarterback. And New England needs one after finishing 30th in yards per attempt last season (6.1). The Patriots must use the rest of this draft to surround Maye with wide receiver and offensive line help.”

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Danny Heifetz, The Ringer: No. 3 to the New England Patriots

Heifetz: “With Williams and Daniels off the board, Maye falls into the Patriots’ lap. He is a prototypical NFL quarterback who doubles as a playmaker from the pocket and on the run. New England already has Jacoby Brissett on board for 2024 and can let Maye sit and learn the NFL game on the bench.”

Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: No. 2 to the Washington Commanders

Baumgardner: “Maye is still growing as a passer, particularly in his consistency processing from the pocket. When you stack him up next to Jayden Daniels, though, Maye’s strengths are stronger and the weaknesses are similar. This will be a preference decision for Adam Peters and the Washington front office. For me, Maye is QB2.”

‘I’ve persevered through’: Once a five-star recruit, Xavier Thomas navigated depression to get back on NFL draft path

2024 NFL Draft odds: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

According to latest NFL Draft odds from BetMGM, Maye’s the favorite to be the third overall pick. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024.

Maye’s the favorite for the third overall pick (-130). He’s second in odds for the second overall pick (+175) behind LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

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When is the 2024 NFL Draft?

Where: Campus Marius Park at Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan

When: April 25-27, 2024

Cable TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network

Streaming: NFL+; ESPN+; fuboTV

How to watch: Catch the NFL Draft this year with a subscription to fuboTV

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North Carolina primary could mean Roy Cooper vs Michael Whatley in pivotal fall Senate race

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North Carolina primary could mean Roy Cooper vs Michael Whatley in pivotal fall Senate race


RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s primary will be the official starting gun for one of the country’s most closely watched U.S. Senate campaigns, likely pitting former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.

Each candidate is the most high-profile contender for their party’s nomination, which should be sealed on Tuesday. Scores of other races also are on the ballot, including for the U.S. House, state legislature and judicial seats.

North Carolina, a traditional battleground where Democrats have been able to hold the governor’s seat even as voters helped send President Donald Trump to the White House, is one of three states kicking off this year’s midterm elections, along with Texas and Arkansas. Tuesday’s slate of primaries comes against the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel attack on Iran.

The war, which began over the weekend, has killed at least six U.S. service members, spiraled into a regional confrontation as Iran retaliated and sent oil and natural gas prices soaring. The president, who campaigned on an isolationist “America First” agenda and went to war without authorization from Congress, faces mounting questions over its rationale and an exit strategy.

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North Carolina’s election this year could be crucial for determining which party controls the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently have the majority. The seat is open because Sen. Thom Tillis decided to retire after clashing with President Donald Trump. Political experts say a typhoon of outside money could make the race the most expensive Senate campaigns in U.S. history, perhaps reaching $1 billion.

Many Democrats see Cooper, who served two terms as governor and has been successful in state politics for decades, as the party’s best shot at victory. Democrats need to pick up four seats to take back control of the Senate, and they view the most likely path as winning in North Carolina, Maine, Alaska and Ohio.

Cooper faces five lesser-known rivals on Tuesday. Other Republicans on the Senate ballot include Navy officer Don Brown and Michele Morrow, who was the party’s nominee for state schools chief in 2024.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, arrives to an early voting site to cast his vote on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Gastonia, N.C. Credit: AP/Erik Verduzco

Cooper formally entered the race weeks after Tillis announced last summer he wouldn’t seek a third term, as did Whatley, who was buoyed by Trump’s backing when the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump declined to enter. The two candidates have been campaigning for months against each other with little focus on intraparty opposition.

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Whatley promises to keep pushing Trump’s agenda if elected, one that he says has cut taxes and spending and restored U.S. military might.

“It’s very important for us to have a conservative champion and for President Trump to have an ally in the Senate,” he said while voting early in Gastonia. “We’re going to be fighting for every family and every community in North Carolina.”

Some primary voters say Congress needs Democratic control as a counterweight to Trump and what they consider disastrous policies.

President Donald Trump listens as Michael Whatley speaks to soldiers...

President Donald Trump listens as Michael Whatley speaks to soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, N.C., Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

“I think we need to send a message. And I think the more Democrats that show up, and the more independents that show up for this midterm election, and the more seats we can take from the Republicans, the more he might get the message,” said Lisa Frucht, 67, said as she cast a ballot for Cooper at an early voting site north of Raleigh.

Republican voter Gary Grimes, who chose Whatley, said Democratic control of Congress could lead to more impeachment efforts against Trump that ultimately won’t succeed.

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“It’ll be a repeat of what they did to Trump in the first term,” said Grimes, 71, “And they can’t see anything except getting Trump, at any cost.”

A Democrat hasn’t won a Senate race in North Carolina since 2008. Meanwhile, Cooper, 68, hasn’t lost a North Carolina election going back to first running for the state House in the mid-1980s, leading to 16 years as attorney general and eight as governor through 2024.

Whatley, 57, previously worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, for then-North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole and as an energy lobbyist.

Cooper and his allies have centered campaign attacks on Whatley’s allegiance to the president and Trump policies, saying he backs higher tariffs and Medicaid spending reductions and must take blame for slow Hurricane Helene recovery aid.

Voting recently in Raleigh, Cooper said he wants to “make sure that I’m a strong, independent senator who can work with this president when I can, stand up to him when I need to and recognize that people are struggling right now.”

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Whatley, Trump and other Republicans have blistered Cooper on criminal justice matters, accusing him of promoting soft-on-crime policies while governor. They’ve repeatedly highlighted last August’s fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train. Trump identified Zarutska’s mother in attendance at last week’s State of the Union address.

Cooper told reporters recently that his career is about “prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars.”

Tuesday’s election also includes primary elections in all but one of North Carolina’s U.S. House districts. They include a five-candidate GOP primary in the northeastern 1st Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis, who faced no primary opposition.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly created last fall a more right-leaning 1st District to join Trump’s multistate redistricting campaign ahead of the 2026 elections to retain the House. Davis won in 2024 by less than 2 percentage points.



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Report: Asheville gas prices rise, more increases expected amid war in Middle East

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Report: Asheville gas prices rise, more increases expected amid war in Middle East


Drivers in Asheville are paying slightly more at the pump this week, even as prices remain below where they were a year ago. Amid a rapidly escalating war in the Middle East, however, fuel prices are expected to rise even further.

Average gasoline prices in Asheville have risen 2.1 cents per gallon in the last week and are averaging $2.70 per gallon on Monday, March 2, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 259 stations in Asheville. Prices in Asheville are 2.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 10 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, per the GasBuddy report.

Neighboring areas also saw increases, according to new data. Spartanburg is averaging $2.66 per gallon, up 9.3 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.57 per gallon. Greenville is averaging $2.65 per gallon, up 8.9 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.57 per gallon.

US STOCKS SLIP, OIL PRICES LEAP WITH WORRIES THAT WAR IN MIDDLE EAST WILL WORSEN INFLATION

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According to GasBuddy, gasoline prices nationwide have risen for four straight weeks.

Across the country, the national average price of gasoline has risen 5.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.94 per gallon on Monday. The national average is up 7.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and is 10.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data.

Diesel prices also moved higher. The national average price of diesel increased 5.4 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.740 per gallon.

“Looking ahead, markets will now begin reacting to this weekend’s U.S.–Iran attacks, which have elevated geopolitical risk premiums even in the absence of immediate supply disruption,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said via a press release. “In the week ahead, gasoline prices are likely to face heightened upward pressure as seasonal trends continue and markets navigate this evolving geopolitical landscape, with the national average poised to reach the $3-per-gallon mark for the first time this year.”

THE 2026 PRIMARY ELECTION IS ALMOST HERE. HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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In Asheville, GasBuddy price reports showed the cheapest station was priced at $2.47 per gallon. Meanwhile, the most expensive station was priced at $3.09 per gallon, a difference of 62.0 cents per gallon.

GasBuddy also provided a look at gas prices in Asheville on March 2 in the past five years:

  • March 2, 2025: $2.80/g (U.S. Average: $3.04/g)
  • March 2, 2024: $3.08/g (U.S. Average: $3.34/g)
  • March 2, 2023: $3.14/g (U.S. Average: $3.35/g)
  • March 2, 2022: $3.56/g (U.S. Average: $3.69/g)
  • March 2, 2021: $2.56/g (U.S. Average: $2.74/g)



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North Carolina father-to-be saved by quick-thinking pregnant wife after suffering sudden heart attack

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North Carolina father-to-be saved by quick-thinking pregnant wife after suffering sudden heart attack


A North Carolina man who unknowingly lived with a rare heart condition was saved by his pregnant wife after he suddenly went into cardiac arrest while lounging in bed.

Brandon Whitfield, 39, was already preparing for one drastic lifestyle change when his wife, Angela, became pregnant last spring.

Then, he suffered an unexpected heart attack when she was just nine weeks along.

Brandon Whitfield, 39, went into cardiac arrest while watching the hockey playoffs WSOC – TV

“I was eating carrot cake in bed watching the hockey playoffs. And mid-conversation, I just started to slump over,” Brandon recounted to WSOC-TV.

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Angela didn’t think anything of it for a few seconds, figuring Brandon might just be groggy or joking, but “jumped into action” when she realized “this was an emergency.”

Thankfully, Angela has worked as a physician assistant for more than a decade. She knew what to do instantly and, after calling 911, started to perform CPR on her prone husband.

Angela was shaken in the moments after, though, as she started to rationalize what she’d just had to do.

“You absolutely never ever think you are going to have to do CPR on your spouse,” she told the outlet.

Angela Whitfield, a trained physician assistant, performed CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive at their home. WSOC – TV

“I thought I may be a widow,” she added.

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Brandon was rushed to a nearby Novant Health medical center and, to his horror, diagnosed with a rare heart condition.

“Just because you’re young and you’re fit and you’re relatively healthy doesn’t mean that heart disease can’t happen to you,” Brandon told the outlet.

Brandon was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that required him to change his eating habits. WSOC – TV

Brandon was quick to laud his wife with praise.

“It was nothing short of a miracle. Everything lined up for her to be there. It was not my time,” he said.

In the wake of his shocking diagnosis, Brandon had to adopt a Mediterranean diet and is trying to be “more mindful” about what he eats — which means no more carrot cake.

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After his brush with death, the dad-to-be implored others who may be taking their lives for granted to make sure they don’t leave anything unsaid, just in case their final days are nearer than they think.

“If you can do something today, do it today. If you can tell your family you love them, do it,” he said.



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