Sports
Rams look to continue recent run of hits in 2025 NFL draft

Matthew Stafford does not play a role in the Rams’ draft process. But “every once in a while,” the veteran quarterback said, the team might ask for his opinion about a prospect.
Stafford, however, does not dig very deep, confident that the Rams’ brain trust will make the right picks.
“I’m excited that I’m not in the green room again,” said Stafford, the top pick in the 2009 draft. “I just get to sit back, relax and see who’s going to be a big, integral part of what we’re doing this year.”
The Rams are entering the draft on a roll. In the last two drafts they selected players such as star receiver Puka Nacua, defensive tackle Kobie Turner, edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive lineman Braden Fiske. All were finalists for the league’s offensive or defensive rookie-of-the-year awards, with Verse winning last year.
Those four and numerous other young players, with a veteran base led by Stafford, have helped position the Rams for a possible Super Bowl run.
“We’ve hit the mark on special human beings that are wired the right way,” coach Sean McVay said, “and then have physical traits that allow them to reach and realize their highest potential when you put them in an environment that we hope to create and cultivate on a daily basis.”
McVay, general manager Les Snead and the Rams’ scouting and personnel staff aim to extend their streak when the draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, Wisc.
As a salute to first responders, the Rams will conduct the draft from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Air Operations headquarters in Van Nuys.
The Rams already added free-agent receiver Davante Adams, center Coleman Shelton and defensive lineman Poona Ford to a roster that helped them advance to the NFC divisional round. But cornerback, tight end, receiver, offensive line and, perhaps, quarterback are positions Snead could target when he oversees his 14th draft.
The Rams go into the three-day draft with eight picks, including No. 26 in the first round. They do not have a second-round pick — a situation that could inspire Snead to trade back — but have two picks in the third round (Nos. 90 and 101), one in the fourth (No. 127) and four in the sixth (Nos. 190, 195, 201 and 202).
If Snead selects a player in the first round it will mark the first time since 2015 and 2016 that he did so in consecutive years.
After trading up to select Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016, and subsequently trading first-round picks for players such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the Rams went seven years without making a pick on the first day of the draft.
Last year in the wake of future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s retirement, the choice was seemingly obvious: The Rams needed pass rushers. They selected Verse with the 19th pick and then traded up to select Fiske, Verse’s Florida State teammate, in the second round.
Cornerbacks Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon are 32 and 30, respectively, and Cobie Durant is in the final year of his rookie contract. So defensive coordinator Chris Shula could use some reinforcements.
Along with Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who is expected to be among the first players chosen, Jahdae Barron of Texas, Will Johnson of Michigan and Trey Amos of Mississippi are among the top cornerback prospects, according to Pro Football Focus.
Last year the Rams reportedly attempted to trade up to select tight end Brock Bowers, who was picked 13th by the Las Vegas Raiders. Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee recovered from knee and shoulder injuries to play late last season but is at the end of his career. So McVay could be in the market for another weapon.
Tyler Warren of Penn State and Colston Loveland of Michigan are among the top tight end prospects.
Despite adding Adams to a receiver corps that includes Nacua and speedy Tutu Atwell, the Rams could seek another dynamic receiver.
The wild card is whether the Rams have identified a quarterback who could succeed Stafford if the 16-year veteran retires in the next few years. In 2023 the Rams drafted Stetson Bennett in the fourth round, but the third-year pro is not regarded as the heir apparent.
So how does Snead evaluate this year’s quarterback prospects? The group includes Cam Ward of Miami, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Jalen Milroe of Alabama, Will Howard of Ohio State and Jaxson Dart of Mississippi.
“I don’t think I could truly answer that honestly,” Snead said, “so I’ll keep that internal, how we view it.”
Stafford will be watching.

Sports
Celtics lose Jayson Tatum to apparent serious injury after squandering another double-digit lead to Knicks

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The city that never sleeps will be awake for a long time.
The New York Knicks overcame yet another double-digit deficit in the second half on Monday to take a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Knicks trailed by 14 with nine minutes left in the third quarter, but ended the frame on a 30-13 run to lead heading into the fourth.
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) dunks the ball as fans celebrate in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. (Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
And after both teams threw several jabs throughout the fourth, the Knicks eventually pulled away to a 121-113 victory.
The Celtics took a 99-98 lead with just over seven minutes to go after Jayson Tatum drilled his seventh three-pointer of the night to give him 42 points on the evening. But the Knicks were unfazed.
New York then went on another huge run, outscoring Boston 18-5 over the next five minutes.
During the span, though, Tatum appeared to suffer a serious non-contact lower leg injury while going for a loose ball. Tatum immediately called timeout himself and was carried off the court. Cameras showed him in the locker room with a towel covering his face.

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics is looked over on the court after being injured against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 12, 2025 in New York City. (Elsa/Getty Images)
The Celtics are already shockingly down 3-1 in the series, and odds go even more in the Knicks’ favor if Tatum’s injury is what it’s feared to be.
Four of the Knicks’ five starters finished with at least 20 points, with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 39.
Game 5 is back in Boston, where the Knicks won both of the first two games of the series. With a win, the Knicks will be back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.

Trainers help Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) off the court after he was injured during the second half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Celtics will have to make the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit to extend their title reign.
Nobody has come from 3-1 down since Denver did it twice in 2020 at the Walt Disney World resort. It hasn’t happened when a team had to win a true road game since Cleveland rallied past Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
High school boys' volleyball: Monday's Southern Section playoff results and pairings

SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
MONDAY’S RESULTS
SEMIFINALS
DIVISION 7
San Gabriel Academy d. Brentwood, 3-2
DIVISION 9
Downey Calvary Chapel d. Beverly Hills, 3-2
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
FINALS
DIVISION 7
San Gabriel Academy at Brea Olinda, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
FINALS
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa vs. Huntington Beach, 7 p.m.
At Mater Dei
DIVISION 2
Peninsula vs. Mater Dei, 6:30 p.m.
At Crossroads
DIVISION 8
Katella vs. Wildwood, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
FINALS
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 3
Orange Lutheran vs. Tesoro, 10 a.m.
DIVISION 5
Esperanza vs. Kennedy, 12:30 p.m.
DIVISION 9
CAMS vs. Downey Calvary Chapel, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 6
Quartz Hill vs. El Toro, 6 p.m.
At Santa Barbara
DIVISION 4
Sage Hill vs. Santa Barbara, 1 p.m.
Sports
Cowboys' George Pickens blames alleged viral remarks about Steelers on AI

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New Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens blamed artificial intelligence for critical comments of his old team that surfaced on social media over the weekend.
A screenshot of the alleged comments from a post on Instagram spread over X on Sunday. The remarks took a shot at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ organization, calling them the “cheapest,” and pointing out the team has traded other wide receivers before they could negotiate a new deal with them.
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens on the sidelines during the Cleveland Browns game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Dec. 8, 2024. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
But Pickens pushed back on the remarks in a post on his own Instagram Stories, which has since been deleted.
“Literally on a plane,” his message read. “No service. Just landed and seen straight lies from Pitt fans. Stop with AI trying to make a story. I’m happy for everything the Steel City did for me. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.”
SHEDEUR SANDERS ‘THANKFUL’ AFTER GOING THROUGH BROWNS’ ROOKIE MINICAMP

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens catches an 11-yard touchdown pass in front of New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Oct. 20, 2024. (Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)
He was a source of consternation for the Steelers toward the end of his run. He argued with fans, fought a Cleveland Browns player and was called out by Mike Tomlin for multiple infractions during a game. He also congratulated Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in front of Netflix broadcast cameras in an odd moment following Pittsburgh’s Christmas Day loss.
He had 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games for the Steelers in 2024.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan talked about the move on Friday.

George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers stands on the sidelines during the national anthem before the Buccaneers game at Raymond James Stadium on Aug. 11, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“I wouldn’t use the word disappointment,” he said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We had three years with George. We had some exciting times. It was just time. The fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
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