Jeff Berry was a longtime MLB agent who is now a part owner in Kentucky Derby long shot Flying Mohawk.
Flying Mohawk has raced only six times in his career, none yet on dirt.
Berry believes that the value of a horse is not in his odds or breeze times, but in the athlete who enters the arena.

When the gates burst open and hooves thunder down the dirt this first Saturday in May, nearly two dozen thoroughbreds will take on the mile-and-a-quarter distance.

Some are the favorites, others are long shots, but only one will be making his dirt debut.

Yeah, you read that right.

Of the six races in one horse’s short career, five have been on turf. The sixth race, the one that helped land him in the Derby, was on a synthetic all-weather track.

By all definitions, he’s a turf horse whose first time racing on dirt will be during the premier race of the most legendary dirt track in America.

So what’s Flying Mohawk doing running this year’s Kentucky Derby?

To understand that, you’ll have to sit with one of Mohawk’s owners, Jeff Berry, a longtime Major League Baseball player agent.

Berry knows all about analytics ― like BABIP and wRC+. (That’s Batting Average on Balls In Play and Weighted Runs Created Plus). He’s watched nearly every decision in the game he loves be made purely on a number, not necessarily on the human behind that number.

He blames Brad Pitt and Michael Lewis, the actor and the author, respectively, of ‘Moneyball’ for the over-the-top craze of every infinitesimal statistic that claims to be the definition of a great athlete.

After nearly 30 years representing MLB players and now serving as a senior adviser to the San Francisco Giants, Berry knows it’s not always the top prospect that thrives.

‘The real value of a horse is in the talent and the toughness, the heart and mind of whoever that athlete or competitor is,’ Berry said.

It’s about the athlete in the arena. And that is a lesson he learned from his dad, Dave, the man who introduced him to horse racing. Those lessons lie in Berry’s fondest memories of growing up in Kentucky, which involve a picnic table by a racetrack paddock.

Dave used to pack the family station wagon and drive the hour from Owensboro to spend summer weekends at Ellis Park, a small open-air racetrack in Henderson.

Dave, Jeff and little brother, Brent, would spend the day hanging out at the paddock, looking not just at breeze times, but behavior in the paddock.

Dave always had his racing form. He was pretty good at handicapping the races. Yet, he’d still send his 8-year-old up to bet $2 across the board. (Betting windows at Ellis Park were a little more lax in the 1970s and ’80s.)

The Berrys would sit on hot, sticky days in full sun at that picnic table next to the paddock of the Pea Patch, known as such among racetrackers because of the soybean field sprouting up in the infield. The small grandstand created an atmosphere like a day at the summer fair.

For Dave, an athlete’s talent was not in a pile of statistics or money spent on their training. As a youth baseball and football coach, Dave’s standards ― even for a sandlot group of baseball players ― was hard work and commitment.

He didn’t want to coach the kid with the most talent, but the one with the most heart and desire. Winning was important, but it wasn’t what drove him. What drove him was instilling a commitment to compete and give your best.

Compete with reckless abandon, he’d tell his team. You’ve got to get mad-dog mean.

‘He coached with a passion, and giving 99% wasn’t enough,’ said Richard Hayden, whose family has been friends with the Berrys for five decades. ‘In practice, every play was 100%. But he made it fun. It wasn’t work. It was something we loved to do, and he helped us cultivate love for playing baseball and playing football.’

As their coach, Dave gave every player the same level of commitment.

‘As a kid, we didn’t recognize what he was bringing to us,’ Hayden said. ‘It really was a metaphor for life. Everything you’re going to do is going to take hard work and discipline. You can win the championship of your little league, be successful in life or have a great family, whatever it is ― but you have to be disciplined and put in hard work.’

That’s what he taught Jeff and Brent to look for in a racehorse. A workhorse. A disciplined horse.

In a world increasingly ruled by numbers and algorithms, it’s about the human element, or in this case, the horse element.

So, Jeff and Brent’s boyhood conversations at that picnic table near the paddock didn’t revolve around owning a Kentucky Derby-winning horse.

They didn’t even consider a horse that trained at Churchill Downs.

No, the Berry boys talked of owning a horse with heart, even if it was just a $5,000 claimer at Ellis Park.

Now that would be a dream.

‘There are a lot of parallels between baseball, horse racing and even life,’ Jeff told The Courier Journal. ‘Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. But the one thing you can guarantee is that you show up and compete like a champion.’

For Berry, that’s Flying Mohawk, his $72,000 turf horse trained by Whit Beckman.

Beckman, a Louisville native whose boyhood dreams were of winning the Kentucky Derby, said Mohawk has always breezed, worked and trained well over dirt.

‘I’d never lead a horse over there if I thought he was unable to compete,’ Beckman said. ‘This race is just one of those things; there are factors and nuances to it. You can’t predict what his odds are actually going to be when the gates open because your trip is the most important factor.

‘Mohawk is an unlikely underdog. You can’t write him off exclusively as a certain type of horse until we see him, and there’s only one way for that to happen. That’s for him to run and prove it. He’s in the gate. He deserves to be there. He may be a long shot, but this race is open to any that’s in the gate to win. He doesn’t know what his odds are.’

Mohawk’s short career thus far includes just six starts, including two wins and two places.

That doesn’t faze his trainer, who now routinely dons San Francisco Giants gear on the backside, or his owner.

‘The thing of this is, so much of sports in general is overrun with a fraudulent technocratic mindset where data holds all the keys to success,’ Berry said. ‘This isn’t product development. It’s not manufacturing. Because 150,000 people don’t cheer that.’

When Mohawk placed second in March during the 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby Stakes, a Grade III Stakes race at Turfway Park, former MLB all-star and World Series champion Jayson Werth, Giants’ President of Operations Buster Posey (a former client of Berry’s), Berry and several other Giants’ personnel went so wild for the dark bay horse’s second place, others thought they’d won the race.

They cheered the competitor in the arena.

‘We’re all doing the best we can. I have my dad.’

Although they now live hundreds of miles from Owensboro ― Brent nows lives in North Carolina where he throws an annual Derby block party with more than 100 in attendance, and Jeff lives in Sarasota, Florida ― Jeff’s ownership of Mohawk (and a large extended family still residing in Owensboro) continues to return the Berrys to Kentucky.

In October, Brent, little sister Emily and Jeff’s family watched as Mohawk broke his maiden ― or won his first race ― by six lengths at Churchill Downs.

‘It’s been such a wonderful family sport,’ Jeff said. ‘It just feels like something special. It’s the Yankee Stadium, so to speak.’

His son, Clark, even designed the family’s silks: A home plate with a B, acknowledging the family’s past in the present.

On Saturday, they’ll all be together in Berry’s box, but their patriarch will not be in attendance.

At 78-years-old, Dave has advanced dementia. He doesn’t remember Jeff owns a horse, let alone a horse that will be running in the most exciting two minutes in sports. Jeff said his dad has asked Flying Mohawk’s name dozens and dozens of times.

‘He’ll remember for a few minutes, and then it’s gone, and the questions come again,’ Jeff said.

But Jeff refuses to be a downer about this topic, even thought when he gave his dad a hat with ‘MOHAWK’ written across it, Dave asked what it was.

‘I’m just happy he’s still around,’ Jeff said. ‘We’re able to take care of him. I don’t sweat that. He’s had a great life. We’re all doing the best we can. I have my dad.’

Now, Dave sits on the sidelines of his grandson Jax’s baseball games, Clark’s lacrosse games or his granddaughter Whitney’s volleyball games. He and Jeff spend weekends watching horse racing on TV.

‘We live a mile from each other in Florida,’ Jeff said. ‘We’ve got an outdoor TV, and we’ll sit outside and watch horses from all over the country. It’s how I’m able to spend an afternoon with him.’

They’ll be watching a race from Keeneland or Churchill. Someone will ask, what’s your favorite track?

Dave will say, ‘What do you mean? Ellis Park.’

Last summer, on July 5, it was Jeff and Brent who drove Dave the hour from Owensboro to Ellis Park during a family weekend. They sat at a picnic table, not so close this time to the paddock. Dave walked up to the rail and watched the horses go by.

In the world of horse racing, the most valuable quality is often the unseen.

‘You don’t in any sport know who the winner is,’ Berry said. ‘It’s why you play the game. It’s why you run the race.’

On Saturday, every horse will face something when running a mile and a quarter in front of thousands.

And one will be doing it on dirt for the first time, relying on the intangible stat that has driven Dave Berry and his sons for decades.

Strength of heart.

The New York Giants traded up into the end of the 2025 NFL Draft’s first round to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Despite this, Dart isn’t expected to be the starter right away in New York. Russell Wilson is expected to get the nod after signing a one-year, incentive-laden deal worth a base value of $10.5 million in free agency.

General manager Joe Schoen knows the Giants’ quarterback plans could change quickly. He and Giants coach Brian Daboll witnessed it first-hand in 2018 when the Buffalo Bills spent a first-round pick on Josh Allen.

‘We’ve been through this, we went through it with Josh Allen,’ Schoen detailed in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. ‘We had a little bit different quarterback room at the time, but he was going to sit his rookie year. Then halftime of the opening game, we’re getting smoked by Baltimore, so we put him in and the rest was history. So that plan didn’t go as well.’

The Bills had a much less proven quarterback room in 2018 than the Giants do in 2025. Buffalo had AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman ahead of Allen but traded McCarron before the season began. That paved the way for Allen to take over as the Bills’ starter when Peterman struggled out of the gate, completing just 5 of 18 passes for 24 yards in Week 1.

Schoen is more confident the Giants won’t need to rely upon Dart so soon. That will allow the team to develop the Ole Miss product behind the scenes and allow him to learn from two experienced quarterbacks.

‘We didn’t have a Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston in the room,’ Schoen said, referencing the 2018 Bills. ‘So again, Jaxson’s going to come in, he’s got to learn the offense. There’s a lot to learn. These NFL offenses are hard to grasp and pick up and then be able to go out and execute, so the ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros already will be beneficial for him.’

While the Giants are planning for Dart to sit, Schoen still wants him to prepare as if he will play often during his rookie season.

‘Injuries occur. We’ve played seven quarterbacks over the last two years, so he’s going to have to prepare like he’s going to have to play,’ Schoen said. ‘So again you want him to come in, develop a routine, learn how to be a pro, learn how to study the game, and then if his number’s called and he has to go out and execute, he’s going to need to be ready.’

One of the best ways for the Giants to get Dart ready is to get him reps during the team’s offseason programs, training camp and preseason. It remains to be seen how much work he’ll get during those periods compared to Wilson and Winston as they all adjust to a new offense.

Matos uses adaptive techniques like contrasting colors on her catcher’s gear to overcome her vision challenges.
She has committed to play softball at St. John’s University and aims to win Gatorade Player of the Year.
Matos led her team to an 11-1 record and a No. 1 state ranking, recently pitching a two-hitter with 25 strikeouts in an 11-inning win.

CHESHIRE, Conn. – As a Cheshire High School sophomore, Jenica Matos threw three no-hitters last season before the Rams squared off against their archrival, Southington High School, in a Connecticut Class LL State Championship semifinal game last June. One of those no-hitters came at the expense of the Blue Knights, so they were focused heading into the game, but Matos nearly repeated her performance, yielded just one hit while striking out 13 to help Cheshire win 4-0.   

A few days later, Chesire lost the state championship game to Fairfield Ludlowe, 3-2 in 10 innings, but Matos sparkled again as she threw 191 pitches, allowed just three hits and recorded 16 strikeouts. 

Not bad for a young woman who is legally blind. 

A rare diagnosis 

In 2018, after her 10-year-old daughter complained that her vision was fuzzy, Becky Matos took Jenica to a local eye doctor to have her vision checked. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the doctor felt the girl needed glasses and fit her for them. However, as days and weeks passed, Becky Matos noticed her daughter was striking out a lot, and her maternal intuition told her something was wrong. 

‘We took her back to the eye doctor, and this time the doctor was like, ‘Can I check the back of her eyes?” Becky Matos said. ‘We’re like, ‘Yeah, sure, do what you’ve got to do.” 

The local eye doctor ran tests, got the results and sent them to doctors at nearby Yale New Haven Hospital for a second opinion. Henri Matos, Jenica’s father, got the call and immediately reached out to his wife. 

‘He called me and said, ‘I need to take her to Yale, like, now. Today,” Becky Matos recalled. 

After a battery of tests, doctors determined that Jenica Matos has a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt disease. It is linked to a mutation in the ABCA4 gene, which is responsible for making proteins that remove toxic substances from the retina. In people with Stargardt disease, fatty deposits and material form over time on a small part of the retina called the macula, which is used for sharp, central vision. As the deposits enlarge or grow in number, central vision gets blurrier, sensitivity to bright light often develops, and dark areas form in a person’s central vision. 

There is no treatment or cure for Stargardt disease, and while estimates on the number of people in the United States who have it vary, according to the Cleveland Clinic, the number is between 30,000 and 200,000.

‘We left after everything and I went to my mom’s house and just broke down,’ Becky Matos said. ‘I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ I came home and talked to Henri, and we just cried.’ 

‘It started getting blurrier when I was 11 or so,’ Jenica Matos said. ‘When I was maybe 13, I really couldn’t see. Since I was 13, I think it got like a little bit worse, but right now, it’s steady.’ 

Today, Matos is legally blind but does not see a world of black or total darkness. If you talk with her, she looks at you, but even faces across a kitchen table are somewhat blurry. She can’t clearly see someone standing 5 or 6 feet away, and while contact lenses help, they don’t fix the problem. 

‘It just like, it goes from everything being blurry to being more clear, but if there is a sign somewhere, I can’t really read it,’ she explained. ‘But without them, everything just looks like a big blur and the colors kind of blend.’ 

Overcoming challenges 

Matos turned 17 on April 17, but her vision will prevent her from ever having a driver’s license, and she can’t read the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Her teachers often provide her with notes she can copy and study. 

While Matos can’t see home plate when she is standing in the pitcher’s circle, she can find the strike zone with her fastball, which reaches speeds up to 64 mph. For context, that translates to a baseball pitcher throwing in the low 90s. 

In addition to playing for Cheshire High School, Matos plays for a travel team, the Empire State Huskies 16U National, and has competed in events as far from New England as Colorado, Florida and Georgia. At 5 feet, 6 inches tall, she is not as physically imposing as some pitchers, but Matos is powerful and intense on the mound, with her sunglasses – which she wears rain or shine – giving her an imposing presence. 

‘She’s a competitor, and she’s a thinking competitor,’ said Kristine Drust, Cheshire’s head softball coach. ‘She truly does seek out the game within the game to beat her opponents. When you see her, you will see that she is a gritty, gritty competitor.’ 

Drust said that while she and her coaching staff could make defensive accommodations for Matos’ vision, that hasn’t been necessary. 

‘She’s a great defensive player, she really is, and I wish that we could all really understand what she sees and how she sees it. But she does, and she gets it done,’ Drust said. ‘We have never, ever found any holes in how she fields her position on the mound.’ 

Matos only needs two accommodations in order to pitch. First, her catcher needs to have a chest protector and glove that are in contrasting colors. To make sure that happens, the family bought a white chest protector and brings it to games because most catcher’s gloves are black or dark brown. 

Last season, Cheshire’s catcher had a white chest protector and a white glove, which necessitated some creativity. ‘We colored in the webbing of her glove with a black Sharpie,’ Matos said. 

The second thing Matos needs is a way to get pitching signals from her coaches. Ordinarily, catchers relay signals and information on what pitch to throw, but Matos can’t tell how many fingers her catcher may be flashing, so once again, Matos’s coaches have used some creativity. 

‘Coach Kelly (Brenner-Hennessey, Cheshire’s pitching coach) also wears a black coat or black clothes, and she wears a neon winter glove,’ Drust said. ‘That’s how she signals the signs to the catcher and Jenica.’ 

Starting in January, when she plays for the Empire State Huskies, Matos and her coaches began using a high-tech watch. 

‘It’s got a white screen with black lettering, and it’ll say like ‘FB Out’ for fastball outside,’ Jenica explained, gesturing that she needs to hold the watch close to her eyes to read the notes. ‘It’s kind of simple.’ 

Recruiting and college commitment 

A high school sophomore who throws in the 60s, tosses three no-hitters and routinely collects double-digit strikeouts will get the attention of college softball coaches, but the Matos family was nervous about the recruiting process. 

‘I was kind of concerned that, like, colleges wouldn’t look at me or take me because of (my condition),’ said Jenica Matos, who is now a junior. ‘At the same time, I kind of wanted them to know, rather than not know, because if they knew and they still contacted me, then I’d know that it wouldn’t bother them as much.’ 

Drust, on the other hand, saw the challenges Matos faces and her track record of success as a positive—something that could attract coaches. 

‘I had concerns, but it was super important to get out to the public just how much success, even with some adversity, she was obtaining,’ Drust said. ‘In my conversations with the coaches that were recruiting her, that was a huge plus. Yes, she does have a disability, but to know how much grit, resiliency and success she has found. That is a player that every coach wants.’ 

It turns out Drust’s instincts were correct, and Matos had no reason to worry. 

At midnight on Sept. 1, the moment college coaches could contact her, Matos started receiving text messages and emails. 

‘She went from 8 a.m. on Sept. 1 until like 8 or 9 at night talking to college coaches,’ Becky Matos said. 

After being contacted and visiting schools such as Seton Hall, the University of Massachusetts and other northeastern colleges, on Nov. 3, Matos announced her verbal commitment to play college softball at St. John’s University on X. Located on Long Island in Jamaica, New York, the Red Storm’s campus is less than 100 miles from Matos’ house. 

‘I want my parents to be able to come and see my games,’ she said. 

Looking ahead 

For the last four years, Matos’ central vision has not deteriorated as quickly as it has for others diagnosed with Stargardt disease. She gets her eyes checked routinely, and while Stargardt disease typically does not lead to complete blindness, that does not provide much comfort. 

‘I don’t know if I’m going lose my vision or not,’ she said, sitting at her family’s dinner table. ‘That’s kind of hard.’ 

Many things about Jenica Matos’s future are out of her control, but with the winter’s snow gone and her high school team’s season started, she is back in a place where she is in total control—the softball field.  

‘I want to get the Gatorade Player of the Year award,’ she said, referring to an all-sport honor bestowed every year on one athlete in every state. As lofty as that goal may seem, it’s attainable. Matos was named to the Connecticut Class LL All-State team and was the Pitcher of the Year last season after posting a record of 21-2 while compiling 318 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings.  

As for her high school team, Matos wants the Rams to repeat as the Southern Connecticut Conference champions and win the state championship. Through April 29, the team was 11-1, with the lone loss to LaSalle Academy, a private school in Rhode Island. Cheshire is ranked No. 1  in the state.

On Monday, Cheshire defeated No. 4 Amity 1-0 in 11 innings, behind Matos’ two-hitter with 25 strikeouts.

‘Even though I have an eye disease, it doesn’t really shape who I am as a player and a person,’ Matos said. ‘It’s my talent and how hard I work. I don’t get anything given to me because I have an eye disease. I actually work for it, and I love doing what I do, even if it’s hard most of the time.’ 

Jack Bech became an NFL player when the Las Vegas Raiders selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

After the culmination of achieving his NFL dream, the 22-year-old couldn’t help but think about his late older brother, Tiger Bech, who was one of 14 people killed on New Year’s Day in New Orleans after a 42-year-old American man, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street.

The younger Bech mourned his brother’s loss and credited him for instilling belief the TCU product could become an NFL player in a letter posted to The Players’ Tribune.

‘I miss you so much, Big Bro,’ Bech wrote. ‘And I wish more than anything that I could be talking to you right now. Saying all of this, instead of writing it down. Giving you a big hug, tears streaming down both our faces, as I tell you that this whole thing – getting drafted, making it to the NFL, beginning my journey as a professional football player – it’s all thanks to you. All because of you.’

Bech went on to praise his brother for serving as a quality role model to him and ‘always having his back’ during their youth.

Additionally, he outlined his older brother was ‘his No. 1 fan.’ During his time at TCU, the elder Bech would talk up his younger brother at any opportunity, knowing he was on track to become an NFL player.

‘You were the first one to see greatness in me,’ Jack Bech explained. ‘To tell me that God gifted me with some things he doesn’t give to everybody and that there was no limit to what I could do in this life.’

‘You told me that, straight up. And not just in a rah-rah, hype-me-up kind of way. You really meant it. You believed it.’

‘That made me feel like I could do anything I put my mind to. And that confidence you instilled inside me – the confidence you put there – it’s something I’ll have for as long as I live. It’s a huge part of what got me to this place, and one of the biggest things I want to thank you for right now.’

Bech made it clear he will continue to honor his brother while with the Raiders. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder that reads ‘7 to Heaven,’ an homage to his brother, who wore the No. 7 jersey during his college career at Princeton, but noted it will go beyond that.

‘See, this whole thing is a two for one deal,’ Bech wrote. ‘It’s two people living out this dream, Tiger.’

Bech also shared the final message he shared with Tiger as he laid in the trauma unit of the hospital with injuries that ‘had left him brain dead.’

‘I love you so much, Tiger. You were the best big brother in the entire world. I was so blessed to be your little brother, and you will always be with me wherever I go.’

The finalists for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP to this team feature two former winners and the rare inclusion of a goaltender.

Goalies usually don’t win the Hart Trophy because they have their own award, the Vezina Trophy. Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a finalist for both awards this season after recording 47 wins, tied for second most in league history.

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, the league’s leading goal scorer, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who led the league in points for a second consecutive season, are the other finalists.

The NHL already announced finalists for the Vezina, Norris Trophy (defenseman) and Ted Lindsay Award (outstanding player in a vote by fellow players). Friday, finalists will be announced for the Masterton Trophy (perseverance), Selke Trophy (defensive forward), Jack Adams Award (coach) and Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship).

The Hart Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Here’s a look at the three finalists (listed alphabetically):

Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl, despite missing 11 games, led the league with 52 goals. He set a single-season NHL record with six overtime goals, shared first place in game-winning goals (11) and multi-goal performances (10), ranked second in even-strength goals (36), and tied for second in power-play goals (16). He won the award in 2020.

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck led the NHL with 47 victories, one behind the league record. His nine-win edge over No. 2 Andrei Vasilevskiy was the largest gap since 1990-91. Hellebuyck gave up two or fewer goals in 40 of 63 appearances. He led the league (minimum 25 games played) in goals-against average (2.00) and shutouts (eight), was second in save percentage (.925) and starts (62) and ranked fourth in saves (1,539) and high-danger save percentage ( .845). He’s the first goaltender finalist since Igor Shesterkin in 2021-22 and is looking to become the fourth netminder in the expansion era to win, following Dominik Hasek (twice), Jose Theodore and Carey Price.

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov second 121 points, 31 more than closest teammate Brandon Hagel, to capture his second consecutive and third overall Art Ross Trophy as points leader. He finished first in points per game (1.55), power-play assists (38) and power-play points (46) and third in even-strength points (75). He won the award in 2019 and is the only Hart finalist who’s also a finalist for this season’s Ted Lindsay Award.

LOS ANGELES – LeBron James soaked his 40-year-old feet in an ice bucket Wednesday night in the Lakers’ locker room, quiet after a season-ending loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He stared at his phone until something else caught his attention – his 20-year-old son, Bronny.

Standing in front of his locker, Bronny said something it seemed only his father could hear. The mundane moment signaled the end, at least for now, of something historical.

A father and son suited up for the same NBA team. So, where does playing alongside Bronny rank among LeBron’s accomplishments, especially considering everything Bronny has overcome?

“Number one for sure,’’ LeBron James said after the Lakers’ 103-96 loss. “That’s easy. That’s not even close. To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be along my son this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I’ve ever been on.

“Just to see his growth from the moment he was drafted when we were all in New York at the draft party to seeing him in summer league struggle early on … and pick it up towards the end.’’

Then there was the Lakers’ preseason game Oct. 6 in Palm Desert, Calif., when father and son took the court together for the first time. And Bronny making his playoff debut in the final minutes of the Lakers’ loss to the Timberwolves in Game 1.

“I just saw he has a bright future because not only can he play the game of basketball, he’s just a great (expletive) kid,’’ James said. “And you can ask anybody, any one of his teammates, any one of the coaches. Just a joy to be around, and…’’

A grin spread across LeBron’s face before he added,: “I have to say that I have a lot to do with that.’’

As a team, the Lakers might have fallen short. But Bronny James said he felt good about the progress he made during his rookie season.

Bronny James addresses rookie season

In all, Bronny James played 27 games for the Lakers and averaged 2.3 points per game. He also played 11 games for the South Bay Lakers of the G League and averaged a team-high 21.1 points along with 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

“Just growing as a player that I was put in a situation that it could be difficult for a lot of people,’’ said Bronny James, who signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers before the season. “So I think just pushing through that and growing at the same time is just something to be proud of as I go through my career. So I think it was a great year for me.’’

Asked if there were points when he thought pressure or frustration might distract him or slow him down, Bronny replied, “I mean, yeah, but that’s all the time. It’s so many situations that I can say that it distracted me or something like that. So I feel like it’s, I think it’s good for me to go through those situations and come out on top.’’

LeBron James praises JJ Redick

LeBron James left no guesswork when it comes to how he feels about Lakers coach JJ Redick. He said Redick had “a hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach’’ and suggested he’s on his way to becoming great.

“(It’s) already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it’s a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers,’’ James said. “…I thought he handled it extremely well. I thought he just learned every single day, held us accountable. He pushed us. I thought JJ and his coaches staff were great throughout the whole season. That was pretty cool.’’

Though the Lakers fell short of expectations, Redick helped guide the team to a 50-win season and the No. 3 seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

“I know I can be better and I know I will get better,” Redick said. ‘I don’t necessarily take any satisfaction for how the year went. That’s not to say I’m not proud of what the group was able to do and how we were able to figure things out on the fly and put ourselves in position to have homecourt in the first round. But there’s always ways to get better and I can get a lot better.’’

Luka Doncic looking ahead

Luka Doncic has two years left on his contract, including a player option for the 2026-27 season. Though he hasn’t pledged to stay in Los Angeles long term, he spoke glowingly about his time with the Lakers since they acquired him Feb. 1 from the Dallas Mavericks.

“It’s been great, honestly,’’ Doncic said. “The way the fans accepted me, it’s been amazing. The way the community has accepted me has been amazing. So I’m really glad that I’m here.

“I had a great couple of months. Was trying to learn about everything, about the city, about the team. So just trying to process everything.’’

Two months, however, clearly was not enough to figure out how to close out playoff games with along with James and Austin Reaves. In five games against the Timberwolves, the Lakers averaged 17 points in the fourth quarter and got outscored in each one.

The three Lakers closers disappeared.

“It’s tough to get that chemistry on the court without any practices,’’ Doncic said. “So I’m really excited to have the preseason with (James and Reaves) so we can learn.’’

Of Redick, Doncic said, “We have a great bond. It’s been nothing but amazing with him as a coach.’’

Speed of light. Speed of technological advancement. Speed of time when you’re having fun. Speed of mock drafts.

There aren’t many more things in life faster than that, but the NFL draft waits for no one.

The 2025 NFL Draft hasn’t even been able to collect dust and we’re already onto 2026. Prank call week is still in full swing, yet here we are putting our sights on next April.

While everyone has a take on what promises to be a better quarterback class, the robots are also looming with some thoughts of their own.

Will Arch Manning declare? Will LaNorris Sellers, Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier live up to the hype? Which players will rise that we aren’t talking about and which will fall short?

So many questions, such few answers.

The wild world of artificial intelligence (AI) looks to bridge that gap. Who knows, maybe one of them will be helping teams make picks in the near future. After all, it already sets our calendars, controls our televisions, runs customer support and so much more.

That’s why we set out to predict the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the help of Microsoft’s Copilot using the Super Bowl odds as a guide to build our order.

We hope you enjoyed the summer, the regular season, the holidays, the playoffs, the Super Bowl and just about every other event we skipped over in the process. Without further ado, the New York Giants are now on the clock.

2026 NFL mock draft: First-round AI picks

1. New York Giants: Arch Manning, QB, Texas

The Giants waste no time kicking Jaxson Dart to the curb. Instead, they channel their inner child, focusing on the new shiny object. ‘Big Blue’ continues the Manning legacy, selecting Arch, Eli’s nephew, with the first pick. While Giants fans will celebrate with this pick, it’s important to remember that many believe the Texas prospect will return to school. Those plans could be quickly thrown away if his uncle’s team comes calling though.

2. Cleveland Browns: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

The Browns have been adding quarterbacks like they’re going out of style this offseason, but clearly that strategy didn’t work. Conventional wisdom would suggest that at least one of the five quarterbacks would work out. That wasn’t the case and now they have the chance to secure a quarterback with a high pick. The dual-threat Sellers will look to take another step forward this season with the Gamecocks but is clearly on the NFL radar going forward. He lands in Cleveland in this scenario.

3. Tennessee Titans: T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson

After rebuilding their offense this offseason, it looks like the Titans will eye some defense next year. They won’t be happy with the top-three pick, but this is a roster that’s still under major construction. From Death Valley to the Music City, Parker should resurrect the pass rush and give Tennessee someone capable of getting after the quarterback.

4. New Orleans Saints: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

After a one-year hiatus, the quarterbacks have returned in the 2026 draft. New Orleans misses out on the Louisiana native Manning in this exercise but still finds their quarterback of the future in Allar. It comes at the expense of Tyler Shough, but the Saints can’t pass an opportunity to dive into this class with a pick this high. He has all the tools to make Saints fans giddy – strong arm, prototypical quarterback size and more. Accuracy is a concern, but it’s hard to not get excited about this prospect.

5. Carolina Panthers: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

6. New York Jets: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

The Justin Fields experiment didn’t last long in the Meadowlands. Instead, the Jets secure their quarterback of the future in the 2026 draft. They opt to select the latest and greatest offering of LSU quarterbacks in the hopes that Nussmeier delivers the goods like Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels.

7. Las Vegas Raiders: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

Vegas went all-in on speeding up their rebuild, but now project for a top-10 pick in 2026. They won’t be complaining after securing Downs’ services though. The Ohio State safety is arguably the top defensive player on the board heading into next season and they get him at No. 7. Pete Carroll’s team might want to invest in a quarterback at some point given Geno Smith’s age, but it’s hard to argue with their decision here.

8. Indianapolis Colts: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

The Colts have decided to protect their quarterback by taking Proctor out of Alabama. Of course, that is under the assumption they have a quarterback. Indianapolis has plenty of questions they’ll have to answer, but it seems that Copilot is fine with Anthony Richardson’s production for now.

9. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars): Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon

The Browns get their second top-10 pick courtesy of the Jaguars and the Travis Hunter trade. Cleveland secures Sellers a receiving option in Stewart. The Oregon wideout has blazing speed and that is always enough to fly up the draft boards. Cleveland’s offense will enjoy this makeover in the first nine picks.

10. New England Patriots: Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

11. Arizona Cardinals: Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

The first running back of the draft comes off the board at No. 11 and it’s the Nittany Lion, Singleton. He doesn’t come with the same heavy workload that is common of top running backs in the draft given Penn State’s committee approach, so Arizona should be pleased to land a playmaker without a lot of miles on the tires.

12. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

The Rams elected to trade their first-round pick in 2025 and now have the luxury of owning the Falcons’ pick. ‘Collect them picks,’ as they now say in L.A. They use this pick to upgrade the secondary, taking a flier on McCoy – a player that Copilot believes can be a lockdown presence for Los Angeles.

13. Dallas Cowboys: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Dallas worked to improve the trenches in the 2025 draft and now can live a life of luxury in 2026. They splurge for the second running back of the first round, opting for Love out of Notre Dame. The chatbot is a fan of Love’s dynamic playmaking ability thanks to his blend of speed, power and versatility.

14. Seattle Seahawks: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Construction continues in the Emerald City as Seattle opts for Woods to bolster the defensive line. With plenty of size and strength, Woods fits Mike Macdonald’s defense nicely, solidifying the front.

15. Miami Dolphins: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn

Miami appeared to forget that defense was a need for most of the offseason, possessing a roster with just four defensive lineman up until the draft. While still a year away, Faulk would continue to address that need. The chatbot is a fan of Faulk’s physical tools who also has great technique and explosiveness.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson

We can only hope that Aaron Rodgers makes his decision by this time next year, but Klubnik becomes the Steelers’ quarterback of the future. He made strides last season at Clemson, something that fans will hope continues this year. The Steelers get a dual-threat signal caller who can potentially add some stability to Pittsburgh’s room.

17. Denver Broncos: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia

We’re onto the back half of the first round and Allen is the first Georgia defender off the board. It took a while for that to happen, but Copilot made sure to make this draft as official as possible. The chatbot likes Allen as a versatile defender with great instincts, speed, and tackling ability.

18. Chicago Bears: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Ben Johnson might be collecting receivers if this happens because this room is getting crowded in Chicago. Perhaps this means DJ Moore is on thin ice, but the chatbot liked the fit of adding an explosive playmaker like Tate in the Windy City.

19. Houston Texans: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

New year, same problem. The offensive line remains a priority for Houston and they take care of that by taking the tackle Fano out of Utah. Like that family vacation you booked way-too-early to save on hotels and flights, C.J. Stroud can’t wait and will probably spend all season saying, ‘Are we there yet?’

20. Minnesota Vikings: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas

The Vikings are looking to address their secondary and make the decision to select the Longhorns’ cornerback, Muhammad. Copilot likes him as a physical, instinctive defender with great coverage skills and ball-hawking ability.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU

Perkins saw his 2024 season end early with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which essentially ended his quest for being a first-round pick in the 2025 draft. The linebacker returned to school and now will look to rebuild his draft stock. He will do enough to make that a reality in Copilot’s imaginary eyes, landing in Tampa Bay on a team that could use linebackers.

22. Green Bay Packers: Antonio Kite, CB, Ole Miss

Kite began his college career at Alabama, transferred to Auburn and is now on the road to Ole Miss. His tour around the SEC has hit a snag, however, with Kite’s transfer not being completed yet. Copilot doesn’t have a problem drafting the prospect for the Packers though, with the hopes that he can soar to new heights in the NFL.

23. Los Angeles Chargers: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech

Jim Harbaugh took a year off from adding to his defense in the first round, but that won’t be the case in 2026. He strikes by adding the edge rusher Bailey, with Copilot saying he can be a long-term replacement for Khalil Mack as a disruptive pass-rusher.

24. Los Angeles Rams: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

After passing on a quarterback earlier, the Rams opted to add to their defense. This time around, they’ll prioritize the trenches. The Rams add to the group up front to protect their quarterback. The question is, will that be Matthew Stafford?

25. Cincinnati Bengals: C.J. Baxter, RB, Texas

Cincinnati doesn’t really have a need at running back to warrant using a first-round pick on one, but they opt for Baxter anyway at 25. Baxter missed the 2024 season with a knee injury he suffered in practice, paving the way for Jaydon Blue to be featured. Blue is now out of the picture and Baxter has the chance to rebuild his draft stock in 2025. The chatbot likes what he can add to the Cincinnati offense.

26. San Francisco 49ers: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa

The 49ers will have to start planning for life after Trent Williams at some point and there’s no better time than the present in Copilot’s estimation. San Francisco opts for Dunker out of Iowa, who comes with the perfect name for moving bodies out of the way. He has plenty of college experience after opting to play a fifth season in Iowa City and doesn’t carry much risk. The 49ers find a potential plug-and-play starter.

27. Washington Commanders: LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama

Overton elected to return to Alabama for his senior season, but that didn’t hurt his draft stock as he still lands in the first round. Dan Quinn lands a key piece for his defense in Overton, who could be a problem for opposing offenses to deal with in the future.

28. Detroit Lions: Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE, Oregon

Uiagalelei, unlike his brother D.J., is about getting after the quarterback. He did so in a big way last season, posting 10.5 sacks in his second season in Eugene. That also came with a step up in competition after Oregon joined the Big Ten. The Lions would love to add his explosiveness off the edge opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Opponents would probably enjoy something else.

29. Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Nwankpa, S, Iowa

Nwankpa is back for his senior year, hoping to rebuild his draft stock with a big season. That will come to fruition if you ask Copilot, as the safety sneaks into the final picks of Round 1. Kansas City, and specifically Steve Spagnuolo, will enjoy Nwankpa’s versatility.

30. Buffalo Bills: Jaren Kanak, TE/LB, Oklahoma

Move over Travis Hunter, there’s a new two-way star in town? Kanak played linebacker for three seasons at Oklahoma but is making the switch to tight end for the 2025 season. He played on the offensive side of the ball in high school before switching with the Sooners. Now he’ll be switching back and apparently thriving in the process. Perhaps Hunter’s potential success as a rookie starts a trend and the Bills take advantage of a two-for-one special.

31. Baltimore Ravens: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

There’s no doubt the rich get richer in the NFL. Look no further than the Ravens, who see Bain fall into their laps at 31. Projected to be a top-10 pick at this stage of the year, Baltimore enjoys the benefit of Copilot’s creation and adds to their defense in a big way. At this rate, not even Batman will be able to save NFL offenses from this terrifying defense.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas

It’s not Alabama or Georgia, but it’s still the SEC and an apparent steal for Howie Roseman. Hill, one of the top linebackers in the class, nearly fell out of the first round, but the Eagles enjoy taking whatever talent falls to them every year. This time, it’s the Longhorn that gets that honor.

A roster with LeBron James and Luka Doncic is a great place to start.

But it’s obvious from the first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference playoffs that the Los Angeles Lakers need improvements.

It was a disappointing exit. When the Lakers traded Anthony Davis to Dallas for Doncic just before the trade deadline, they began winning more games and moved higher in the standings, finishing with the No. 3 seed. Granted, the Timberwolves are not your lame-duck No. 6 seed – they went to the conference finals last season and won 48 games this season. They’re strong with Anthony Edwards leading the way.

Still, the Lakers had higher expectations than a first-round loss – a five-game series in which they were not good enough offensively or defensively.

‘We feel we can win at a high level with the group we have,’ Lakers coach JJ Redick said before Game 5.

But, he also added, ‘Playoffs go back to matchups and how one team can exploit your weaknesses, how they can take away your strengths and vice versa. Any team that we play is going to be a challenge, and Minnesota has been more than a formidable challenge. They’re a really good basketball team.”

Five games is a small sample size, but among the 16 playoff teams, the Los Angeles Lakers were the second-worst defensive team, No. 10 in assists, No. 11 in defensive rebounding, No. 12 in field goal percentage, No. 12 in turnovers, No. 13 in rebounding, No. 14 in points allowed in the paint, No. 15 in fastbreak points allowed, No. 15 in bench points, last in second-chance points allowed and last in field goals made per game.

The Lakers lacked depth and offensive and defensive versatility.

In a Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Redick, the first-year coach who did a fine job guiding the team to 50 victories in the regular season, played just five players (LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith) in the second half. It was small-ball, exposing the Lakers’ lack of rim protection and revealing their inability to go big. That rescinded trade for Charlotte center Mark Williams at the trade deadline left the Lakers with a glaring hole in the middle.

The Lakers’ problems protecting the paint were never more apparent than in Game 5. Rudy Gobert torched the Lakers, scoring 27 points, grabbing 24 rebounds and blocking two shots in the Timberwolves’ 103-96 series-deciding victory.

The Lakers had success in single-game situations during the regular season but when the Timberwolves had time to game plan for a seven-game series, they limited the Lakers.

In a deep and loaded Western Conference that contains several championship-caliber teams, the Lakers aren’t good enough, and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has considerable work to do if the Lakers are going to capitalize on a James-Doncic pairing while preparing for a future without James.

James is under contract for next season but has a player option to become a free agent. Operating under the idea that he is coming back for another season, it’s likely James becomes a free agent and signs another two-year deal with the Lakers giving him another player option after next season.

Doncic, Hachimura, Reaves, Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James are under contract for next season.

Finney-Smith has a player option for $15.3 million or he can become a free agent in the summer, and Jaxson Hayes, Markieff Morris and Alex Len are free agents after this season.

The Lakers do not have a first-round draft pick in 2025, but they do have first-round picks in 2026 and 2028.

Depending on what happens with restricted free agents and Finney-Smith, the Lakers could have some money to spend in free agency, and Pelinka will explore the trade market. The Lakers will also be protective of cap space for the summer of 2026 when they could have room to sign another all-star-caliber player.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

Shedeur Sanders wasted little time making an impact in the Cleveland community after being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Sanders appeared excited to be joining the students, as seen in a video shared on YouTube by the Browns.

‘I just wanted to come out and see y’all,’ the young quarterback told the students on-hand.

Sanders discussed several topics in the wide-ranging talk. He spoke well of his relationship with his father, Deion Sanders. He noted it was a ‘positive’ for him despite some speculation it negatively impacted his draft stock amid his surprising draft day slide.

‘I’m thankful my dad took the opportunity to do what he was supposed to do,’ the younger Sanders said. ‘I don’t never feel shame or anything like that.’

‘My dad’s who he is, and I’m gonna be who I am regardless,’ he added. ‘I’m always gonna be his son.’

Sanders also noted several of his goals in the interview. Notably, he implied he is focusing on doing what he can to win a spot on the Browns roster and potentially work his way into the team’s quarterback battle.

‘We working out every day. We got a purpose,’ Sanders said. ‘We got something we’re trying to accomplish and achieve.’

He also outlined a lofty, longer-term objective for his career.

‘I’m trying to bring Cleveland, of course, a Super Bowl,’ he said, which was met with a thunderous applause.

Off the field, Sanders made it clear he wants to ‘bring more hope and positivity’ to Cleveland. One way he believes he can do that is by serving as an influence to the city’s youth, which is part of the reason he was so eager to share his words of wisdom with students upon his arrival.

‘I would say enjoy the time you’re in right now,’ Sanders told the crowd. ‘But don’t enjoy it too much, so you can set yourself up for success.’