Cam Skattebo’s rookie season ended when he suffered a gruesome injury to his right ankle in the New York Giants’ Oct. 26 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, less than two months later, the 23-year-old was able to walk into the Giants’ practice facility under his own power, as Skattebo shared in a video to his Instagram.

‘Man, walking into the facility on my own two feet. God is good, man. Just want to say thank you to everyone that supported, man,’ Skattebo said. ‘We’re getting back to it. Let’s go.’

Skattebo already being able to walk under his own power may surprise NFL fans who witnessed his injury. The rookie running back suffered an open ankle dislocation, fractured fibula and a ruptured deltoid ligament against the Eagles, which prompted him to have emergency surgery in Philadelphia to repair the issues.

That said, Skattebo had been seen in recent weeks moving well on a mobility scooter. He also appeared to briefly stand on his own during a ring-side appearance at a WWE event at Madison Square Garden.

It’s also worth noting that Skattebo’s recovery time from his injuries is expected to be roughly 4 to 6 months. The Giants expect him to return by the time the team’s offseason program begins.

Skattebo took another step in the right direction to meet that timeline both literally and figuratively on Dec. 10. That continues the trend of the Arizona State product having mostly positive updates about his recovery, as he most recently told Blake Niemann of Fox 10 Phoenix ‘everything is going good’ as he methodically prepares for his eventual return to the field.

‘We’re taking the right steps everyday to get better and that’s what matters,’ Skattebo said. ‘We don’t put a timeframe on anything, we’re just gonna continue to work until I’m ready.’

Notre Dame values its independence more than it cares about college football’s postseason.
Potential for CFP bracket expansion is another reason for Notre Dame to not join a conference.
Irish independence ‘part of our DNA.’

When the airing of grievances finally concludes, Notre Dame will do what it always does. The Irish will stay independent.

Never mind the speculative tweets or the podcast debates, you can’t seriously believe the Irish’s College Football Playoff omission will force them into a conference.

The Irish would love to be in the playoff, but they value their independence more than they care about college football’s postseason.

That’s not going to change just because the selection committee belatedly decided to recognize Miami beat Notre Dame on the final day of August.

The Irish lost to the two toughest teams on their schedule. You think they want to endure nine games’ worth of the SEC’s smoke? Not a chance.

Notre Dame would rather smash its way through a meek November schedule of Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford and then cry foul when it’s not picked for the bracket.

Notre Dame and Oklahoma each finished 10-2. They finished three spots apart in the CFP rankings. To reach their destination, the Irish played four teams from the Sagarin top 30. They lost to two. The Sooners faced nine teams in the Sagarin top 30 and also lost to two.

Independence is more than a way of life. It’s more than an NBC paycheck. Notre Dame’s independence and its scheduling agreement with the ACC, the Power Four’s weakest link, offers a persistent pathway to 10 wins. That’s an annual avenue to CFP contention.

Notre Dame not going to suddenly join a conference

The breaks didn’t go Notre Dame’s way this season, but how quickly we forget the Irish’s gorgeous runway into the national championship game last season. The leprechaun still enjoys a comfortable lifestyle residing in the independent lane — and it’s only going to get better if the playoff expands.

As Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo! Sports, the Irish consider their independence “part of our DNA,” and “we have zero intention of changing that.”

“It’s part of who Notre Dame is,” Bevacqua told Yahoo! Sports. “Quite frankly, this further cements our independence. We are out there fighting for ourselves.”

Sort of a win-win, when you think about it. Either Notre Dame makes the playoff, or it gets to spend the offseason playing the role of the aggrieved loner.

To be clear, the CFP selection committee acted with brazen duplicity throughout this process and charted an unnecessarily cruel course to the destination of ranking Miami ahead of Notre Dame on selection day.  

The committee did not err in choosing Miami over Notre Dame. The teams possessed identical records, near identical metrics, and the Hurricanes beat the Irish. Even Bevacqua said Miami “100%” deserved a bid, and he added Alabama earned its bid, too.

More than being irate at the selections, Bevacqua expressed dismay at how the committee acted for weeks as if the Irish were in good standing, only to pull a bait and switch at the 11th hour.

I can appreciate his frustration with the committee’s chicanery, but my appreciation ends when it comes to Bevacqua’s persistent bellyaching about how an official ACC football social media account promoted Miami over Notre Dame for the playoff. (The ACC stumped for Miami over other bubble teams, too.)

In Bevacqua’s eyes, Notre Dame’s ACC membership for other sports and its football scheduling agreement with the ACC should have spared it from anti-Irish tweets.

Oh, please. The Notre Dame lacrosse team’s first-place position in the ACC standings is supposed to buy silence from @ACCFootball on X?

Get real.

If Notre Dame wants to be spared from ACC football mean tweets, then join the conference, full stop.  

Until then, Notre Dame football and the ACC are friends with benefits, not blood brothers.

The ACC gets a ratings and ticket sales boost from games with Notre Dame. The Irish get Stanford served for slaughter during rivalry week. Everybody wins.

Without the ACC, the Irish would struggle to schedule Power Four opponents in October and November, when schools are tied up with their conference schedules.

So, Bevacqua says he’s “surprised’ and “disappointed” by the ACC’s mean tweets “attacking our football program,” and he insists the social media posts “created damage” for Notre Dame-ACC relations.

OK, and what’s he going to do about it?

Zippo.

“All things can be healed,” Bevacqua acknowledged.

Exactly. He’s playing to fans’ frustration and giving them a villain to attack. Two, in fact. The CFP committee and @ACCFootball.

When the grievances stop, the Irish still need scheduling companions.

If the alternative to playing ACC roadkill is strapping it up against Ohio State or Alabama in November, I’m pretty sure I know where this will land for Notre Dame.

Bring on a second helping of Stanford, thank you much.

Notre Dame makes its playoff desires clear

Put the mean tweets aside, and the real upshot of Bevacqua’s 40-minute press gathering was this: Notre Dame favors a 5+11 playoff format.

As Bevacqua sees it, this year’s Notre Dame, Texas and Vanderbilt squads would be a boon for the playoff in a 5+11 format.

Bevacqua and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey remain allies. Notre Dame and the SEC favor playoff expansion to a 5+11 format. This would keep five automatic bids for conference champions and increase to 11 at-large bids, up from seven at-large bids in the current 12-team format.

The Big 12 and ACC publicly supported a 5+11 bracket earlier this year, with the Big Ten standing alone in opposition.

A 5+11 bracket, paired with Notre Dame’s independence, would work beautifully. It increases the chance that a 12-0, 11-1 or 10-2 Irish team feasting on a heavy dose of ACC fare would make the playoff.

And, what if the 12-team playoff stays in place? Well, Notre Dame’s got a card up its sleeve there, too.

According to Bevacqua, a memorandum of understanding that kicks in next season lays out that Notre Dame would be guaranteed a bid into a 12-team bracket so long as it’s positioned within the top 12 of the final rankings.

In other words, no more of the Irish finishing No. 11 in the rankings but missing out on an at-large bid.

Pretty sweet deal, right?

That MOU, plus the possibility of a 5+11 playoff, provide an additional flex for Notre Dame’s continued independence.

A little thing like missing this playoff? That’s an inconvenience, and it’s grievance fodder, but it’s insufficient fuel to force Notre Dame to change its DNA. Life’s too good as an independent.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

A Bronx man has been arrested on charges including attempted murder in connection to last month’s shooting of an NFL player outside a restaurant in New York City.

Frederick Green, 20, was taken into custody at the New York Police Department’s Midtown South Precinct on Monday Dec. 8 in connection with the shooting of New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd.

In addition to attempted murder, the NYPD told USA TODAY Green has been charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Authorities said the shooting took place on Nov. 16 just after 2 a.m. in front of a restaurant at 156 West 38 Street.

Kris Boyd shot in stomach outside restuarant

Police said the shooter fired a gun striking the 29-year-old victim, later revealed to be Boyd, in the stomach. The NYPD did not confirm the victim was Boyd due to department policy but both Boyd and the Jets later confirmed he was shot.

Paramedics responded and transported the victim a hospital in critical but stable condition, police said, and the shooter fled the location on foot traveling east on West 38 Street.

Boyd was transported to a hospital in critical but stable condition, police said.

‘I’m sorry I have no words at the moment.. Just grateful!’ Boyd share in a social media post from a hospital bed last month. ‘I’m coming along, starting to breathe on my own now. Sincerely appreciate everyone!’

Police have not said whether Boyd knew Green before the shooting.

Frederick Green pleads not guilty to charges

Online records show Green appeared in New York Criminal Court on Tuesday, Dec. 9 for arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the felony charges.

During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Sarah Csanadi said the NFL player ‘continues to suffer from complications from the wounds and possibly requires additional surgery,’ the New York Post reported.

Green is due back on court on Friday, Dec. 12, records show.

Boyd was out with other Jets players when he was shot

A motive in the attack was not immediately known.

Csanadi said the incident was captured on surveillance footage, in which Green appeared unmasked “before, during, and after the shooting.”

Prosecutors, the outlet reported, said Boyd was out with Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood, wide receiver Irvin Charles, and another unnamed person from Texas when ‘a group started to chirp at them about their flashy outfits outside the restaurant,’ before the gunman opened fire.

The Post, who attended Green’s arraignment, reported Green fled to Buffalo after police tracked a Mercedes belonging to his girlfriend to an apartement and found him hiding.

The Jets were not playing when Boyd was shot because they were in action for ‘Thursday Night Football’ In Week 11.

New York is set to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Boyd was placed on injured reserve during training camp due to a shoulder injury and was expected to miss the entire 2025 season. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and also played for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.

A seventh-round pick out of Texas in 2019, Boyd is in his seventh year in the NFL.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

There is one silver lining to the abrupt end to Chris Paul’s brief return to the Los Angeles Clippers. He’ll finally get to watch his son play in a basketball game this week.

Watching his family enjoy the game, Paul revealed to People in a new interview, is why he’s ‘at peace’ with the Clippers’ stunning decision to send the 12-time All-Star home from the team in the middle of the night during a road trip in Atlanta. But the 40-year-old point guard is taking a wait-and-see approach in regards to potentially resuming what had previously been announced as his final NBA season.

‘Stuff’s been a little crazy in the past few days – to say the least,’ Paul said in a story published on Tuesday, Dec. 9. ‘But honestly, I’m home. My daughter had tryouts yesterday. My nephew had a basketball game. My son has a game coming up on (Dec. 12).

‘I have never seen my son play a game in person,’ he added. ‘Not a middle school game, not a high school game. So I’m excited about seeing him play.’

What Chris Paul said about Clippers drama

Paul signed with the Clippers this offseason after indicating he wanted to play the 2025-26 season in Los Angeles to be close to his family for the first time since he was initially traded away from the franchise in 2017. He then announced last month he planned to retire after this NBA season.

But Paul wound up making his final appearance for the Clippers on Dec. 1. His return lasted just 16 games and he was averaging career lows in minutes, points and assists while shooting a career-worst 32.1% from the field this season.

‘I don’t regret anything,” Paul said. “I was in Atlanta with a whole bunch of family. It was my last time gonna be playing there. That’s life. The whole thing took on a life of its own, you know? But I’m excited to be back here with my family.’

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue subsequently told reporters Paul ‘wasn’t a good fit’ after multiple reports emerged detailing how Paul’s leadership style clashed with both Lue and other players in the Los Angeles locker room. But Clippers star James Harden expressed confusion and surprise at the separation between Paul and the team, while Kawhi Leonard called the front office’s move ‘shocking.’

What’s next for Chris Paul, Clippers?

The Clippers (6-18) have been perhaps the NBA’s most disappointing team this season compared to preseason expectations, though the franchise noted in its decision to part ways with Paul that it did not blame him for those struggles. The team has yet to waive, trade or buy out Paul’s 1-year, $3.6-million contract.

Clippers General Manager Lawrence Frank said in a statement the team would ‘work with (Paul) on the next step of his career.’ If released by the Clippers, Paul wouldn’t be eligible to sign with another team until Dec. 15.

‘I’m actually at peace with everything,’ Paul said in regards to his immediate future. ‘More than anything, I’m excited about being around and getting a chance to play a small role in whatever anything looks like next.’

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament continues Thursday with the Sweet 16. And when the sport’s biggest event continues, there will be many players on the court with ties to the men’s professional sports.

There’s a pipeline of college volleyball players whose dads played in the NFL and NBA. For example, Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Duncan has a daughter, Sidney, who is a middle blocker for No. 5 ranked and 2 seed Stanford Cardinal. Super Bowl champion Joe Jurevicius has two duaghters, Caroline and Ava, who play for the defending champion Penn State Nittany Lions.

In honor of so many dads and daughters with serious athleticism, here are eight NCAA volleyball players who have famous fathers (and some future players to keep an eye on):

1. Sidney Duncan, Stanford, middle blocker

2. Caroline Jurevicius, Penn State, outside hitter

3. Ava Jurevicius, Penn State, defensive specialist

Dad: Joe Jurevicius, NFL, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns — Wide receiver drafted in the first round out of Penn States by the Giants, played 10 seasons in the league, won a Super Bowl with Bucs

4. Alexis Ewing, Penn State, outside hitter

5. Cari Spears, Texas, outside hitter

6. Jackie Taylor, North Carolina, middle blocker

Dad: the late Sean Taylor, NFL, Washington Commanders — Drafted No. 5 overall out of Miami by the now Washington Commanders in 2004, two-time Pro Bowl selection

7. Rylie McGinest, USC, middle blocker

Dad: Willie McGinest, NFL, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns — First round pick, No 4 overall out of USC by the New England Patriots in 1994, played 15 seasons, won three Super Bowls, two-time Pro Bowl selection

8. Carter Booth, Wisconsin, middle blocked

Dad: Calvin Booth, NBA, Washington Wizards and seven other teams — Drafted in the second round, No. 35 overall out of Penn State by the Washington Wizards, played 13 seasons

Potential college volleyball players with famous dads

Daughter, Dad, sport

Zhuri James, LeBron James, NBA
Riley Curry, Stephen Curry, NBA
Myah Favre, Brett Favre, NFL
Kapri Garnett, Kevin Garnett, NBA
Laycee McGrady, Tracy McGrady, NBA
Nylah Bibby, Mike Bibby, NBA
Marlo and Monroe McGwire, Mark McGwire, MLB
Hanna McGinest, Willie McGinest, NFL
Sayge Chandler, Tyson Chandler, NBA

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
USA Football is holding talent identification camps across the country to find potential Olympic athletes.
Current national team members and interested NFL players must go through a qualification process to make the Olympic roster.
Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., with participation increasing significantly among women and girls, but lacks an established elite athlete pipeline.

SPRING, TX — Callie Brownson tugged at the brim of her black USA Football cap and surveyed the dozens of Olympic hopefuls who knelt at her feet on a turf field in a suburban recreational sports complex.

“We’re also looking for people worthy of wearing those three letters across your chest,” Brownson said.

Flag football, known colloquially as “flag,” is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, where it is gaining traction mainly among women and girls. However, flag still lacks an established athlete pathway comparable to longtime Olympic sports that boast vast networks of youth clubs, college teams and high-powered professional leagues.

In the run-up to the L.A. Games, officials at USA Football, the national governing body responsible for tackle and flag football, are scouring the country for untapped potential by holding regional talent identification camps open to adults and kids ages 11 to 17.

Brownson, a former Cleveland Browns assistant wide receivers coach, was the first woman to coach an NFL position group in a regular-season game and the first woman to coach full-time in NCAA Division I college football at Dartmouth. She also coached the U.S. women’s tackle football team to a world championship in 2022 and as a player won two world gold medals in 2013 and 2017 with the national tackle team.

“Something I never even fathomed through my time of playing and coaching is that we would ever be using the term ‘football’ in the Olympics, and now we are,” Brownson said. “I think it’s just an incredible moment.”

USA Football gets its Olympic moment, looks to the future

USA Football’s mission is to ensure that flag football endures beyond a moment. The Dec. 7 talent identification camp in Spring, located about an hour north of Houston, was the fourth of 12 camps scheduled through next spring. At the afternoon adult session, 80 athletes – 60 women and 20 men – showed up in cleats and ran through combine tests, one-on-one drills, five-on-five drills and scrimmages.

Before the camp commenced, Brownson asked the group a question: “Who here has dreamed of being on a medal podium?” Every athlete raised a hand.

Although 10-person Olympic flag football rosters won’t be set until 2028, the 2026 calendar year is massively significant for USA Football’s preparation. Athletes attending the talent identification camps are fighting for invitations to trials in March, to be followed by a series of national team training camps next spring and summer.

From there, USA Football will select two 12-person rosters to compete for the men’s and women’s national teams next August at the 2026 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championship in Germany, where the top three teams earn an automatic Olympic bid.

USA Football isn’t starting from scratch. The American men’s and women’s flag national teams are both global juggernauts; the men have won five consecutive world championships and the women have won the last three world championships. The U.S. men are No. 1 in the 2025 IFAF world rankings, while the U.S. women are ranked No. 2 behind Mexico.

But Brownson believes that expanding the player pool to bring in new blood is paramount to the program’s success and longevity.  

“It’s not just survive 2026, it’s put together programs that are Olympic-caliber so that we are starting that process now and not waiting until we select the teams in 2028 to say, ‘OK, now we got to get into that mindset,’” Brownson said. “Everybody needs to prepare as if the Olympics are right now.”

NFL teams voted in May to allow NFL players to participate in flag football at the Olympics, with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons among those expressing interest – though there are no guarantees they’d make the team. USA Football has full authority over roster selection and NFL players must go through a qualification process, though Brownson said the two organizations are still working through the specifics of that process, which she deemed “ever-evolving.”

And what about the current members of the reigning world champion U.S. men’s and women’s national teams? They’ll have to earn their spots on the Olympic roster, too – which is totally fine, said two-time gold medalist Amber Clark-Robinson, who plays defensive back and wide receiver.  

“You got to have the best of the best regardless,” Clark-Robinson said. “Like who knows, I might not even be there. At the end of the day, gold is the goal. And if you don’t fit that mold, it’s no hard feelings. Especially as a competitor, you have to understand sometimes it’s not your time, you know? So I think it might shake it up a little bit, but at the end of the day, you have to respect the process.”

Building a flag football Olympic pipeline

Fans tuning in to Olympic flag competition will see a game that is not unrecognizable from the NFL games that regularly grace their screens, albeit with key differences.

Flag football is a non-contact, five-on-five game played on a field half the size of a tackle football field. As a result, flag is much faster than tackle and emphasizes technique over physicality.

Other unique characteristics: Flag doesn’t have special teams, only offense and defense. Quarterbacks can’t run unless there’s a handoff first but they can receive passes, meaning some plays can have multiple quarterbacks. There’s also a designated blitzer seven yards off the ball who has an unimpeded path to the quarterback. Lateral passes are allowed but blocking and screening are not.

Clark-Robinson played three seasons of tackle football for the Atlanta Steam in the Legends Football League, then pivoted to flag after that league shut down during the pandemic. The transition wasn’t as smooth as she’d anticipated.

“It was rough,” Clark-Robinson said. “I couldn’t pull a flag to save my life. I was very contacty – I had a bunch of people that called me ‘The Wrecking Ball’ because I wasn’t trying to (hit), but I was just in the mindset of being so physical. So it was definitely a switch that had to be flipped to dial back.”

Sunday’s camp in Texas attracted players from states as far away as Illinois and included players with backgrounds in football, track and field, soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

While prior flag experience is considered a plus when evaluating players, USA Football is also targeting what they call “elite athlete talent transfer” – athletes who played other sports at a collegiate level or above. Clark-Robinson was a high school basketball state champion and college track and field athlete. Brownson said basketball players adapt well to flag football because of the similar physicality and pace.

The testing portion of the talent ID camp contained drills designed to emphasize translatable skills, such as the 5-10-5 shuttle drill that forces athletes to change direction within short distances, as well as exercises like a 20-yard dash and broad jump to measure athleticism.

After that, they moved on to individual flag-specific drills that assess a player’s ability to evade flag pulls, run routes and throw accurate passes. The final component was scrimmages to see how athletes operated in a game setting.

“We kind of crawl, walk, run in how we evaluate and assess them,” Brownson said.

Flag football participation surging with boost from women, girls

On an adjacent field, kindergarten-age boys and girls in colorful uniforms played flag football in a local league – the type of organization USA Football hopes will be a foundation for the sport’s continued development.

From 2015 through 2024, there was a 37% increase in flag participation among children ages 6 to 17, according to a USA Football analysis of the Physical Activity Council’s Annual Participation study data.

Women and girls are driving growth at the high school and college levels. Sixteen states have sanctioned high school girls’ flag football as a varsity sport, while 17 other states and the District of Columbia have independent pilot programs. At the collegiate level, the NAIA offers women’s flag football scholarships and granted the sport invitational status. The NCAA will vote next month on whether to add flag to its Emerging Sports for Women program in all three divisions, a step toward eventual championship status.

“I think the interest has always been there, they just never had the space to do it,” Clark-Robinson said. “I think more girls are gravitating towards it because, ‘Hey, there are girls like me out here. I thought I was the only one but no, there’s 100 other girls just in the same area as me.’”

USA Football wants to tap into that interest and continue to provide opportunities. Darrell “D.K.” Taylor, the national team development program director, said USA Football works with local club teams, NFL flag programs and colleges to find athletes and coaches who can be part of the national team feeder system. Top performers from the youth talent identification camps will earn invites to USA Football’s annual Select Bowl, a precursor to selection for junior national teams.

“Our goal is to unearth any possible way to identify talent in order to bring them as a part of the national team development program, so that we can make sure our eyes are on them, and then they continue to develop to one day be a part of our national team,” Taylor said.

Taylor said NFL markets generally have the most robust flag football infrastructure, and each of USA Football’s talent identification camps are co-hosted with a local NFL team.

The Houston Texans expanded their girls flag football program to more than 80 high schools across Texas this year. Earlier this month, the New York Jets granted $1 million to the Eastern College Athletic Conference to launch a 15-team collegiate women’s flag league in 2026.

Higher youth participation rates can have a trickle-up effect, where athletes who are given increased access to flag at a younger age perform at a higher level and enrich the sport’s talent pool.

Clark-Robinson is in her fourth season as head coach of the women’s flag team at the University of Saint Mary, an NAIA school in Leavenworth, Kansas. She said she is just now starting to see college players who played flag competitively in high school. As far as she’s concerned, the earlier they start, the better.

“You can see the difference in these 14 year olds, these 13 year olds, because they’ve been playing for four or five years already,” Clark-Robinson said, gesturing to the field where the youth talent camp had just finished. “And when they get to college, they’ll have 10 years of experience before they even have to step on the football field there.”

If USA Football’s efforts to expand its reach are successful, the Los Angeles Games will be just the beginning for flag.

“Winning in 2028 is important, but there’s no future after 2028 if we don’t build a structured pathway and provide as many opportunities as we can,” Brownson said.

Clark-Robinson said the Olympics are a golden opportunity for flag to gain widespread exposure and rewire misguided perceptions of the sport.

“I’m excited for people to actually take it seriously and see that flag is something that can be competitive and exciting to watch. It’s not just a ‘powderpuff’ sport,” Clark-Robinson said. “Just go ahead and hop on board. Don’t wait.”

The 2025 NFL season is not yet over, but many teams are already turning their attention 2026 after being eliminated from postseason contention.

A total of nine teams have been eliminated from the playoff race entering NFL Week 9. Many of those squads will be battling for the No. 1 overall pick, which the New York Giants currently possess but could change hands at will over the final four weeks of the NFL season.

The draft order figures to play a big role in determining how early quarterbacks will come off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. Players like Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore and Ty Simpson could all end up being high first-round picks, but their draft status may depend on which teams end up selecting early – or if there is a team willing to trade up for a signal-caller.

Here’s how the first round of the 2026 NFL draft is looking ahead of the final month of the 2025 season plays out.

2026 NFL mock draft roundup: Round 1

Here’s what all 32 first-round picks in the NFL draft could look like, according to draft experts from CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, ESPN and USA TODAY Sports as the 2025 NFL season enters its home stretch.

1. New York Giants

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards): Arvell Reese, edge, Ohio State
Pro Football Focus (Trevor Sikkema): Trade back to No. 9.

Giants select Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State.

ESPN (Field Yates): Trade back to No. 7.

Giants select Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State.

USA TODAY Sports (Ayrton Ostly): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

2. Las Vegas Raiders

CBS Sports: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Pro Football Focus: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
ESPN: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
USA TODAY Sports: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

3. Tennessee Titans

CBS Sports: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Pro Football Focus: Arvell Reese, edge, Ohio State
ESPN: Arvell Reese, edge, Ohio State
USA TODAY Sports: Arvell Reese, edge, Ohio State

4. Cleveland Browns

CBS Sports: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Pro Football Focus: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
ESPN: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
USA TODAY Sports: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

5. New Orleans Saints

CBS Sports: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Pro Football Focus: Rueben Bain, edge, Miami (FL)
ESPN: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
USA TODAY Sports: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

6. Washington Commanders

CBS Sports: Rueben Bain, edge, Miami (FL)
Pro Football Focus: Cashius Howell, edge, Texas A&M
ESPN: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech
USA TODAY Sports: Rueben Bain, edge, Miami (FL)

7. New York Jets

CBS Sports: Keldric Faulk, edge, Auburn
Pro Football Focus: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
ESPN: Trade up to No. 1.

Jets select Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

USA TODAY Sports: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

8. Arizona Cardinals

CBS Sports: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Pro Football Focus: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
ESPN: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
USA TODAY Sports: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

9. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)

CBS Sports: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)
Pro Football Focus: Trade up to No. 1.

Rams select Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana.

ESPN: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
USA TODAY Sports: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

10. Cincinnati Bengals

CBS Sports: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Pro Football Focus: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
ESPN: Rueben Bain, edge, Miami (FL)
USA TODAY Sports: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (FL)

11. Minnesota Vikings

CBS Sports: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Pro Football Focus: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
ESPN: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
USA TODAY Sports: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

12. Miami Dolphins

CBS Sports: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Pro Football Focus: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
ESPN: Keldric Faulk, edge, Auburn
USA TODAY Sports: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

13. Baltimore Ravens

CBS Sports: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Pro Football Focus: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
ESPN: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
USA TODAY Sports: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

14. Kansas City Chiefs

CBS Sports: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Pro Football Focus: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
ESPN: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
USA TODAY Sports: Keldric Faulk, edge, Auburn

15. Dallas Cowboys

CBS Sports: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Pro Football Focus: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
ESPN: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
USA TODAY Sports: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech

16. Carolina Panthers

CBS Sports: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Pro Football Focus: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
ESPN: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia
USA TODAY Sports: Makai Lemon, WR, USC

17. Detroit Lions

CBS Sports: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech
Pro Football Focus: David Bailey, edge, Texas Tech
ESPN: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
USA TODAY Sports: Olaivavega Ioane, OL, Penn State

18. New York Jets (via Colts)

CBS Sports: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
Pro Football Focus: Christen Miller, DL, Georgia
ESPN: Pick traded to Giants.

Giants select Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson.

USA TODAY Sports: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

CBS Sports: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia
Pro Football Focus: T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson
ESPN: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
USA TODAY Sports: T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

CBS Sports: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Pro Football Focus: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
ESPN: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
USA TODAY Sports: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

21. Philadelphia Eagles

CBS Sports: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Pro Football Focus: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
ESPN: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
USA TODAY Sports: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

22. Houston Texans

CBS Sports: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
Pro Football Focus: Olaivavega Ioane, OL, Penn State
ESPN: A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
USA TODAY Sports: Kadyn Proctor, OT/G, Alabama

23. Chicago Bears

CBS Sports: Matayo Uiagalelei, edge, Oregon
Pro Football Focus: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
ESPN: Cashius Howell, edge, Texas A&M
USA TODAY Sports: Christen Miller, DL, Georgia

24. Buffalo Bills

CBS Sports: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
Pro Football Focus: Joshua Josephs, edge, Tennessee
ESPN: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
USA TODAY Sports: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia

25. Los Angeles Chargers

CBS Sports: Kadyn Proctor, OT/G, Alabama
Pro Football Focus: Kadyn Proctor, OT/G, Alabama
ESPN: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
USA TODAY Sports: Cashius Howell, edge, Texas A&M

26. San Francisco 49ers

CBS Sports: A’Mauri Washington, DL, Oregon
Pro Football Focus: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
ESPN: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
USA TODAY Sports: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

27. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)

CBS Sports: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Pro Football Focus: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
ESPN: Kadyn Proctor, OT/G, Alabama
USA TODAY Sports: Caleb Tiernan, OT Northwestern

28. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)

CBS Sports: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Pro Football Focus: Romello Height, edge, Texas Tech
ESPN: Damon Wilson II, edge, Missouri
USA TODAY Sports: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

29. Seattle Seahawks

CBS Sports: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Pro Football Focus: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
ESPN: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
USA TODAY Sports: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

30. New England Patriots

CBS Sports: T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson
Pro Football Focus: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
ESPN: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
USA TODAY Sports: Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee

31. Los Angeles Rams

CBS Sports: Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati
Pro Football Focus: Pick traded to Giants.

Giants select Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson.

ESPN: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
USA TODAY Sports: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

32. Denver Broncos

CBS Sports: Olaivavega Ioane, OL, Penn State
Pro Football Focus: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia
ESPN: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
USA TODAY Sports: LT Overton, edge, Alabama

The NHL’s Hart Trophy front-runners display elite consistency just over one-third of the season.

Of the five players on The Hockey News’ previous Hart Trophy rankings on Nov. 13, four remain on the list. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid finds his way back into the conversation after recording a hat trick against the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 4 and nine points in his last five games.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association will have the final say after the regular season on who is ‘the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,’ but this would be my ballot if voting happened now (statistics through Dec. 8).

5. Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals

Logan Thompson is likely the best goaltender in the NHL today. In 21 games this season, the 28-year-old has a 1.96 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

Among all goalies who have made at least 10 appearances, only the Minnesota Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt has a better save percentage and goals-against average, but he has played in 10 fewer contests than Thompson.

Thompson has been especially hot in his last six starts. He has five wins and one overtime loss and averaged a .955 save percentage and 1.32 goals-against average.

The Capitals netminder has been facing plenty of shots, too. On Friday, Dec. 5, he faced 38, and in his last game on Sunday, Dec. 7, he recorded a 39-save shutout.

4. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

McDavid had a slow start to the season by his standards, but he’s still third in league scoring with 42 points in 29 games.

At the end of October, McDavid was tied for 19th in league scoring. But since then, he’s averaged 1.65 points per game, nearly half a point more than his scoring rate in October.

Not only does McDavid lead the Oilers in points with five more than Leon Draisaitl, but his 28 assists are tied for the most in the NHL as well.

Edmonton finds itself back in the playoff picture after being on the outside of the mix from Nov. 16 to Dec. 5. As they hold on to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and continue to lack consistent goaltending, McDavid will be a significant factor in his team making the postseason as usual.

3. Connor Bedard, C, Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard has been a consistent performer for the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’s pushed his team into a playoff spot at times this season.

Now, the Blackhawks are just one point out of a playoff spot, with a game in hand on the San Jose Sharks, which sit in the West’s second wild-card spot.

Chicago’s playoff hopes are in the hands of 20-year-old Bedard, who’s carried the weight of the team’s offense, recording 15 more points than second-place Tyler Bertuzzi.

Bedard leads the team in goals, assists, points, plus-minus, game-winning goals and more. He’s truly been a valuable piece to the Blackhawks, recording 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points this year. He’s factored into about 47 percent of the team’s 86 goals.

2. Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks

Like Bedard, Macklin Celebrini has been able to maintain his excellent scoring pace from the start of the season. In 30 contests, the 19-year-old has 15 goals and 43 points, which has him second in league scoring.

Celebrini’s factored into just over half of the San Jose Sharks’ 85 goals. He leads his team in goals, assists, points, plus-minus, overtime goals, power-play goals and more.

The sophomore center has 15 more points than second-place Will Smith, who has 28. Celebrini equals Smith’s point total in assists alone. He’s tied with McDavid for the league lead in that category.

1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Nathan MacKinnon sits at the top of this list. 

The Avalanche superstar center is the front-runner for the Rocket Richard Trophy as he leads the league in goals with 24. He also leads the way in the Art Ross Trophy race, sitting on top of the NHL with 49 points, six more than Celebrini.

While the Avalanche have several stars, such as defenseman Cale Makar and right wing Martin Necas, there’s no doubt that MacKinnon is the driving force of the team’s incredible 21-2-6 record.

MacKinnon also dominates the NHL in the plus-minus department with a plus-35 rating. The closest player to him outside of the Avalanche’s roster is Capitals D-man Jakob Chychrun at plus-24.

He’s proven to be an extremely valuable piece to the Avs, being on the right side of the puck almost all the time. He’s a big reason why the Avalanche are undisputedly the best team in the NHL.

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