The NBA’s decision to fine Morant $75,000 after multiple gun gestures led to the Memphis Grizzlies guard changing his 3-point celebration to one in which he mimics throwing a grenade. According to Morant, that’s the celebration fans can get used to seeing for the time being.

‘That’s my celebration now until somebody else got a problem with it, and I’ll find another one,’ Morant said at Thursday’s shootaround, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Morant used the celebration, where he mimics pulling the pin on a grenade, throwing it into the stands and then covering his ears, in Thursday night’s 141-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Smith and Barkley reacted to Morant’s new celebration on the ‘NBA on TNT’ show.

‘He has a history that maybe he should leave the celebrations where people might die alone,’ Smith said.

Said Barkley: ‘I know one person’s happy right now. Taylor Jenkins ain’t got to deal with this crap.’

The Grizzlies fired Jenkins as head coach with less than a month remaining in the regular season.

Asked Thursday about his reaction to the fines, Morant smiled, paused and then said: ‘You really want to know? I wasn’t surprised. Just was showing people what’s pretty much been evident for the last two years.’

WASHINGTON — Tommy Edman can do just about anything for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Except pull rank.

The reigning National League Championship Series MVP, their leader in home runs on this young season and the superglue that holds the middle of their diamond together, Edman, at 30, would be a decorated elder on most rosters.

With these Dodgers, who feature seven players with nine-figure contracts, four likely Hall of Famers and an industrywide expectation that they’ll repeat as World Series champions, he’s fortunate just to get his hacks in.

“I talked to him yesterday and he was struggling to get some cage time, because he’s so low on the totem pole,” says his former St. Louis Cardinals infield mate, Paul DeJong, who’s now the Washington Nationals’ third baseman. “With the amount of vets and guys on that team, I thought that was pretty funny. Because on this team he’d be one of the veteran players.

“To see him back toward the bottom of the service time rank, that would be humbling. But he’s the type of guy that’s going to get his work in no matter what the case is.”

And the work, quite often, is excellent.

Edman parlayed his late-season heroics after a July trade from St. Louis into long-term security, signing a five-year, $74 million extension this offseason, one year before he was eligible for free agency. And while his 11 hits and 11 RBIs in the NLCS tied a Dodgers franchise record, they’ll experience the full spectrum of Edman’s talents this season.

He’s already slugged five home runs in 14 games, tied with Teoscar Hernández for the team lead, and ranks second or third in hits, RBIs, runs and slugging percentage. While most of his starts have been at second base, he’s also logged time in center field and is available if needed at shortstop.

The marriage of Edman and the Dodgers is practically perfect: He’s perhaps the most deluxe edition of the versatile star, a fellow who can toggle excellently between positions as needed, an art previously mastered by the likes of Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernández.

Yet Edman is both a switch-hitter and the 2021 Gold Glove winner at second base. As the Cardinals faded from perennial contender to .500 franchise, it was like Edman’s skills were hiding in plain sight.

Strength and skills

He accumulated 6.2 WAR in 2022, the Cardinals’ last playoff season, and stole 32 bases in the final year before rules designed to juice stolen base totals arrived.

After arriving with the Dodgers and completing his recovery from wrist and ankle injuries, Edman has scarcely looked back.

He banged out 20 postseason hits and an .862 OPS in 16 games, motivating both sides to reach agreement on his contract extension. Edman, a San Diego native with a young son, saw the upside of living close to parents who could help he and his wife with their child.

And on the field, he realized the gains seemed to come even quicker in L.A.

“With the help of the team I think I’ve gotten better at doing everything with a purpose,” says Edman. “Every swing has a purpose behind it. I’m working on something every day in the cage. Everything I do in the weight room is to address something I feel I need to work on. Whether that’s a strength deficit in one area, or something that allows me to be explosive and be the player I am.

“Everything means something, instead of just going through the motions sometimes.”

Edman’s 5-foot-9, 193-pound frame might not leap out amid a bench-clearing brawl, say. Yet it seems almost ideally structured for the speed and surprising power he can generate and allows him to move freely among positions.

So far this season, his average exit velocity of 92.2 mph is 3 mph harder than his peak in 2023 and he ranks in the 87th percentile of the majors with a 55.3% hard-hit rate. He’s batted third five times in All-Star Freddie Freeman’s absence due to ankle injury, yet also has batted as low as eighth.

And while he’s stolen just one base so far, he’s been caught just 17 times in his seven-year career, his 113 thefts in 130 tries producing an elite 87% success rate.

“It’s a very vast skill set,” says Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He’s a guy that is very low maintenance on my side of things. He just plays and prepares. And it’s almost like whenever you need somewhere to plug, he’s there. Whether you need need a two hitter, you need a four hitter, you need somebody to hit behind somebody or get on base.”

Looks like another perfect day

He’s blended smoothly into the Dodgers fabric, and with the array of superstars on the roster – Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freeman are former MVPs, to start – Edman can operate easily under the radar.

It’s essentially SoCal vibes with a dash of salt.

“His attitude is what a lot of people don’t understand,” says DeJong. “How much of a competitor he is but also how positive he is about his daily process. And his outlook on life is super special.”

Edman has learned to walk proudly among giants, having played in St. Louis with the likes of Yadier Molina, Paul Goldschmidt, Adam Wainwright and Nolan Arenado.

These Dodgers are another planet entirely, with dozens of reporters following Ohtani’s every move and nearly 4 million fans expected to jam through the turnstiles this season.

Edman hardly gets lost in the shuffle, even if he’s far from long in the tooth. When Freeman returns, Edman will outrank only Will Smith – by a few days – and outfielder Andy Pages in service time among the Dodgers’ 13 position players.

That might cause him to take a number at the batting cage. But the payoff is worth it, for both club and player.

“It’s a cool opportunity to get to learn from guys who have had Hall of Fame careers already,” says Edman. “To have that long-term contract and know that I’ll be in L.A. for a while, it means a lot.

“I feel very blessed to be in L.A.”

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Near the final stretch of his first round of The Masters Thursday, Jose Luis Ballester felt something even stronger than the pressure to perform in golf’s most storied tournament and on the game’s most fabled course.

He had to relieve himself.

Shortly after notching a birdie on the 12th hole at Augusta National Golf Club, the 21-year-old Ballester, an amateur who’s a senior at Arizona State, had forgotten there were restrooms to the left of the 13th hole tee box and went to the tributary to nearby Rae’s Creek to urinate while his playing partner, Justin Thomas, was still on the 12th green.

“I’m like ‘I really need to pee,’’ he said after his round. ‘Didn’t really know where to go, and since (Thomas) had an issue on the green, I’m like ‘I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much,’ and then they clapped for me. Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny.”

Not surprisingly, Ballester wasn’t able to pee in total privacy, with thousands of patrons scattered across the Augusta National grounds. 

“They saw me,” Ballester said. “It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again.”

Succumbing to a natural and understandable urge may have ultimately paid off for Ballester. After going 4-over on his opening 12 holes of the round, the Spaniard went even par on the final six holes.

Ballester finished the round with a 4-over 76, tying him for 73rd in the 95-player field. He was tied for second among the tournament’s five amateurs.

Adding to the tributary’s liquid volume was the highlight of an eventful day for Ballester.

Without some of the same sponsorship obligations that other golfers have, Ballester wore an Arizona State hat in which “Sun Devils” was written upside down and backwards. While it’s a popular style for Zoomers, the hat drew widespread attention and, in some circles in what can be a stodgy sport, criticism.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – If Rory McIlroy is ever truly in position to win one of these things on a Sunday afternoon, make sure you’ve taken your medication, keep your cup full of whatever helps you relax, take deep breaths every few minutes and grip your rosary beads tight.

Here’s the reality of the situation: Augusta National is in his head. It’s lodged in the deepest, darkest places of his psyche. It draws out his worst instincts in the wrong moments. He’s tried everything to figure it out. And once again, it appears McIlroy will be back next year answering all the same questions that have hounded him for more than a decade at the Masters.

McIlroy came to Augusta on Monday as the main character, the popular pick, the guy whose form this year suggested he was ready to take the big step into a green jacket and finally complete the career Grand Slam. He put in the work in the offseason to tidy up his wedge game and develop some lower-trajectory shots that might come in handy around this place. He even went to see Jack Nicklaus last week to talk about how he was going to play the course, literally shot by shot.

“I think it’s about time that Rory won,” Nicklaus said. “He’s got all the shots. He’s got all the game. He certainly is as talented as anybody in the game. But if you look, go back and see his history the last few years, he gets to a place a lot of times and an 8 or 7 pops up, and that keeps you from getting where he needs to go.”

That was Thursday morning. And by Thursday evening, you have to wonder: What was it all for?

Because even though McIlroy isn’t necessarily out of contention after shooting an even-par 72, it was arguably, pound for pound, the most disappointing Masters round of his career.

Of course, that’s just conjecture. It would have been good to get McIlroy’s thoughts on the matter, but he went straight from the 18th green to the scoring office to the practice range and out of this place before answering any questions from the media. Which is absolutely his right, but it’s also becoming a little bit of a trend toward unprofessionalism after big disappointments. He did the same thing last year at Pinehurst after a letting the U.S. Open slip away to Bryson DeChambeau.

Whatever. That’s not the most important story here.

The more pressing issue is that McIlroy was absolutely cruising toward a 67 or 66 on Thursday – at worst. He was pounding the driver, controlling the irons, scrambling when necessary. It was beautiful golf. And when he walked off the 13th green after a tap-in birdie that got him to 4-under par, it looked like McIlroy might even have a chance to catch first-round leader Justin Rose at 7-under.

And then, inexplicably and for no obvious reason, it went completely the other direction.

After failing to convert a nine-foot birdie putt on No. 14, McIlroy stood in the middle of the 15th fairway with a 4-iron from 241 yards away. His shot was on line, landing close to pin high, but took a firm bounce and bounded long of the green. Still, it seemed like a straightforward situation: Cozy a delicate chip down the hill, walk away with no worse than a par.

There’s no other way to describe what happened next: It was a complete disaster. A self-immolation. An unnecessary mistake someone of his experience on this course should not make. From the moment McIlroy made contact with the ball, it was obvious he had carried it too far on the green, hit it too hard and that it wasn’t going to stop until it had trundled all the way off the front edge and into the pond.

It was, in a word, stunning. And it’s the shot that so many players knew they had to be defensive about because the 15th green is one of four at Augusta National that was rebuilt this year, making it firmer to begin with. Then when you factor in the greens getting a little dry and crusty late in the afternoon, plus a tough pin placement, it’s a truly treacherous place on the course – which makes it all the more confounding that McIlroy played the shot so aggressively.  

“You can easily hit a nice pitch on that green and it just rolls in the water, which I’m sure a lot of guys did today,” said Viktor Hovland, who was playing one group in front of McIlroy and almost certainly did not see what was happening behind him. “You don’t have to be far off to make a double.”

Which is exactly the score McIlroy recorded after a mediocre pitch from the other side of the pond. As Nicklaus alluded to, it was one of those big numbers popping up at the wrong time.

Still, better to have that happen early in the tournament rather than late, right? And it only took McIlroy back to 2-under. Even if he finished with a 70, which seemed like the worst he could shoot given the way he was playing, he’d be right there on the first page of the leaderboard.

But by the time McIlroy walked to the 16th tee, his entire mood had changed. About an hour earlier, he was chatting it up with Akshay Bhatia coming down the 10th fairway and waving to fans, walking with that trademark Rory strut you see when things are going well.

Now, he was sullen, his lips pursed. And he didn’t really hit a good shot the rest of the day.

On No. 17, McIlroy flared his 3-wood a little bit to the right off the tee, making the approach slightly more difficult. But he blew his approach way long, hit another terrible chip 28 feet past the hole and three-putted for another double bogey.

It was the kind of breakdown where you have to wonder whether McIlroy actually has what it takes to win here. Because Thursday’s collapse over the final four holes wasn’t about the golf shots. It was about what’s between his ears. It was about having the discipline and focus to not make the obvious mistake. It was about checking out instead of fighting back when he did something really dumb and costly.

McIlroy is a great champion, probably the best golfer of his generation and the owner of four major titles. He’s so good, with so much time still left in his prime, he’ll probably find his way to a fifth or even a sixth at some point – even though the drought now stretches back to 2014.

But the mental challenge of Augusta and the precise decision-making it requires on every single shot is obviously something he still fights, even at this stage when he’s got all the experience he needs and he’s playing some of the best golf of his career.

“There’s no golf course that suits a man better than (Augusta) does for Rory,” Gary Player said Thursday.

But that’s obviously not true. This place torments him. And it appears that will continue for at least another year.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has ended months of speculation about his future by signing a two-year contract extension at Anfield, the Premier League leaders said on Friday.

The 32-year-old, who joined the club in 2017 from AS Roma, could have left for free in the summer with his contract previously set to expire in June.

‘I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,’ Salah told the club website.

‘It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football.’

He paid tribute to the club’s fans, and pledged to keep working hard to bring them results.

‘Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.’

In his eight years at the club Liverpool have won a Premier League title – likely to win a second this year – as well as one Champions League crown, an FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

He has been a stand-out performer for Liverpool this season, scoring 32 goals in all competitions and leads the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot with 27 goals.

Liverpool are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with seven games left to play.

‘It’s not going to be easy at all because Arsenal are also catching up. We’ll give it our all and hopefully in the end we can win it,’ Salah said.

Mo Salah new contract

British media had reported on Wednesday that Liverpool had made a breakthrough in negotiations over a new deal for the Egypt international after months of deadlock.

‘My family also feels at home, we enjoy every moment in this city and every moment in the club,’ Salah said.

‘It’s a special moment always when we play at Anfield. There is no place like that. The warmth you feel inside, the song before the game. Every time I score a goal and they sing my song, it is something special, and the story will continue.’

Salah, winner of the Premier League’s Golden Boot three times, is also Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time with 243 goals in 394 games. ‘But I’m more proud when we win team trophies,’ he said.

‘When you win something with the team and are scoring goals and you are involved, that’s what people remember. Just individual awards without winning anything doesn’t feel great.’

Premier League standings

Salah was reported to be the subject of interest from the big-money Saudi Pro League but is widely seen as key to Liverpool’s hopes of consistently winning silverware given his own form over the years.

Liverpool’s last title came during the COVID-19-affected 2019–20 season, and Salah said he is hopeful of winning it more than ever this year, as his side were not able to celebrate it the way they wanted.

‘Probably because last time we didn’t celebrate it the way we wanted… we are closer than ever now that we can win it in a special way.

‘The Premier League is very tricky… It’s the hardest and the weirdest league in the world.

‘We have to just stay humble and do our job properly and be ready to suffer, because that’s what it will take to win the Premier League.’

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he had known for a while that Salah would be extending his deal but understands the relief Liverpool fans have felt after the announcement.

‘For the fans, it was a pleasant surprise. But I knew for a bit longer that things were heading in the right direction,’ he told reporters in a news conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home game against West Ham United.

‘He has shown at this club for so many years in a row how much of a value he is for the club and the team. Like all our fans and his teammates, we are very happy that he has extended for two more years.

‘And hopefully, he can show on Sunday again how important he has been for us all season.’

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is also being tipped to extend his stay on Merseyside, while full back Trent Alexander-Arnold has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

In the unchecked world of artificial intelligence (AI), possibilities are endless.

Years after Apple broke through with Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home have continued to push on. People drive around in cars that are essentially computers on wheels. Ovens are now Bluetooth compatible, doorbells double as security cameras and televisions are smarter than we are.

Ads appear for items that we are only just beginning to think about, and surveillance is at an all-time high.

The overreliance on technology and its impact on communication has blurred lines – not like Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams though. It begs the question, how much is too much?

That’s a story for a different day, but there is a positive takeaway. At the end of the day, AI is certainly artificial in terms of intelligence. With the NFL draft approaching in just a few weeks, we wanted to get a look at how Grok, X’s AI chatbot, would predict the first round.

The mock draft, especially in this case, is appropriately named. Four quarterbacks snuck into the top-10 and there were more than a few reaches throughout.

Welcome to the robot revolution. Here’s a look at Grok’s 2025 NFL first-round mock draft.

2025 NFL mock draft: First-round AI picks

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)

Grok has taken notice of the Titans’ quarterback need, saying, ‘Will Levis has been inconsistent,’ before electing to make Ward the top pick in the draft. The Miami quarterback is widely considered to be the best at the position in this draft, so it comes as no surprise that Ward heads to the Music City in Grok’s imaginary eyes.

2. Cleveland Browns: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

Hunter is easily the most interesting player in this class as he tries to play both sides of the ball. While Grok takes a trip down easy street with this pick, it’s not for the right reason. It acknowledged the uncertain quarterback situation in Cleveland but used Deshaun Watson’s contract as the reason to pivot elsewhere. Watson’s ability to play this season is in doubt after tearing his Achilles again. Still, Grok is on a roll to start.

3. New York Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Grok isn’t falling for the Giants’ tricks following their signing of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, instead predicting the G-Men will bring Deion Sanders’ son to the Big Apple. It’s another pick that makes sense, especially after factoring in the job security for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. Both could be given a pink slip if the Giants struggle again, so expect them to swing for the fences with nothing left to lose – besides their jobs, of course.

4. New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU

Campbell went from being a short-armed man at the NFL combine to suddenly having acceptable arm length at his pro day. Grok is buying some stock in the offensive lineman who either has a great stretching routine or a taffy puller at home. Regardless, those concerns are now a thing of the past and make Campbell a fit on a team with a young quarterback to protect in Drake Maye.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Grok continues to play it safe, predicting Graham to land with the Jaguars. Jacksonville’s defense needs some reinforcements and they land a player with a high floor who doesn’t carry much risk.

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

Now let’s get funky, apparently. Milroe hasn’t been thought of as a first-round pick, but he did notably accept an invite to the green room for the draft. That must’ve been enough for Grok, who says the Raiders will let Milroe develop behind Geno Smith. There is no question he has the traits, but it’s a shocking pick at No. 6. Anyway, the Raiders will choose to take a dynamic dual-threat prospect rather than fill other glaring needs. Bold strategy, Grok.

7. New York Jets: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

Another offensive lineman sneaks into the top-10, with Grok calling for the Jets to continue investing in their offensive line. Opting for Banks is a bit of a surprise this early, but at least the logic of building the trenches lines up. Aaron Glenn saw how an offensive line significantly improved the Detroit Lions. He could use the same formula to build a team in New York.

8. Carolina Panthers: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee

Conventional wisdom suggests that the Panthers will continue to work on improving their offense led by Bryce Young. Grok decided to avoid making a conventional pick with any wisdom here, opting to improve Carolina’s defense with Pearce. The pick is a real head-scratcher, but passing on Abdul Carter, who plays the same position, would lead to an uprising in the Queen City.

9. New Orleans Saints: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

‘It’s a weak quarterback class,’ they say. When we zig, Grok is busy zagging. The bot managed to sneak four quarterbacks into the top-10, this time sending Dart to the Big Easy. It’s an interesting landing spot for Dart, who has been rising up draft boards all offseason. Paired with new head coach Kellen Moore, a new era would be underway for the Saints.

10. Chicago Bears: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

The Bears continue their offseason remodel by drafting McMillan. Grok says that adding a third weapon for Caleb Williams on offense will help with his development. Keenan Allen is currently a free agent, meaning there is plenty of room for McMillan to fit in alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.

11. San Francisco 49ers: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

The 49ers need some offensive line help, especially at the tackle spot. Grok found a landing spot for Membou in the Bay Area and that scenario would probably make for some happy Niner fans. Membou is considered to be arguably the top offensive lineman in the class and they would likely pounce if he slipped to them outside the top-10. In the current scenario, however, San Francisco continued the trend of passing on Penn State’s Carter.

12. Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Grok has taken notice of the Cowboys’ issues at running back, calling it the ‘most pressing need’ for the team in the draft. After calling the Dallas offense ‘anemic’ in 2024, the frisky robot picked Jeanty for ‘America’s Team.’ It seems unlikely that Jeanty will reach this point, but the Cowboys should be thrilled with this result if it comes to fruition. Landing one of arguably the top three talents in the class is enough reason to punt on other needs.

13. Miami Dolphins: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

Starks fits in seamlessly in a Dolphins defense that lost Jevon Holland to free agency. This felt like a prime landing spot for Jahdae Barron given the Texas star’s versatility and seemingly more important position. Starks is a luxury pick, but Grok argues it’s a worthy selection with the Dolphins having nine more picks throughout the draft.

14. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

The Colts are entering a make-or-break year for Anthony Richardson. They need to improve their weapons on offense and notably have a massive hole at tight end. Grok believes Warren would represent a ‘perfect safety valve’ for Richardson while doubling as a ‘Dallas Clark reboot in Shane Steichen’s offense.’

15. Atlanta Falcons: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

Carter shockingly plummeted down the board, but he landed safely in Atlanta. The Falcons pick up arguably the best player in the draft at No. 15 while filling its biggest need and is the second straight Nittany Lion to find an NFL home. Grok called Carter a ‘top-10 lock based on talent,’ but he ultimately fell because of the earlier run on quarterbacks and offensive lineman. Needless to say, Grok now has a lot of fans in the Peach State.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

The run on edge rushers is here, apparently. Williams joins a pass rush that just added Josh Sweat in free agency, with the chatbot saying the Cardinals will opt for high-upside, impact players thanks to their minimal collection of picks. An offensive lineman would’ve also made sense, but Williams figures to be another Georgia Bulldog to wreak havoc as a pass-rusher at the next level.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

It would’ve made sense to continue the run on edge rushers here given the uncertainty surrounding Trey Hendrickson’s future in Cincinnati, but the Bengals instead opt to add interior reinforcements. Regardless, he takes up plenty of space and possesses plenty of athleticism with some potential pass-rush upside to make this an interesting pick, even if it’s not the one we’d expect.

18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama

Some things never change and that includes the Seahawks need for offensive line help. However, Mike Macdonald and crew want to avoid continuing that mistake going forward, which they accomplish by taking Booker. He helps build the interior of the line, which is a significant need if they want to keep Sam Darnold standing. Grok called the need ‘priority one’ and likes the physicality that Booker would bring to the Pacific Northwest.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jalon Walker, LB/Edge, Georgia

Much like Carter earlier, Walker slid down the board thanks to Grok’s projection of a run on quarterbacks and other edge rushers. The Buccaneers have a clear need at the position and jump at the chance to take the former Georgia Bulldog. Head coach Todd Bowles would love to land someone with Walker’s versatility here, even if it’s unlikely he gets this far.

20. Denver Broncos: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

Denver’s running game was mostly nonexistent in 2024, meaning that is a need to be addressed at the draft. The Broncos ignored the position in a weak free-agent class but strike in Round 1 by taking Hampton here. Grok likes Hampton’s fit in Sean Payton’s scheme and the balance he’d provide to the offense.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

With the law firm of Grant and Graham off the board, the Steelers elect to pivot to Nolen to fill their need at defensive tackle. Pittsburgh is an interesting team that wants to contend but doesn’t have a quarterback. They’re stuck playing the waiting game for Aaron Rodgers, but it’s another ‘Aaron’ that’s on Grok’s fictitious mind here. The robot mentions Nolen has been called ‘the next Aaron Donald,’ making him an excellent piece for the Steelers defense.

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

Jim Harbaugh lands himself another Michigan man by filling the Chargers’ need at tight end with Loveland. There are other needs for Harbaugh’s squad, but you can only do so much with one pick. The Chargers’ loss in the playoffs proved that Ladd McConkey can’t be the only pass-catcher to fear in this offense. Loveland is a great fit and an even better value with this pick. Well done, Grok.

23. Green Bay Packers: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

24. Minnesota Vikings: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State

Despite adding Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave this offseason, the Vikings are still on the hunt for defensive line help. As the Eagles proved last season, you can never have too much of a good thing and Grok is all-in on adding to that position group here. Williams is a reach at this spot, but perhaps the all-knowing AI knows something we don’t.

25. Houston Texans: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

Heads have been scratched all offseason in Houston, but the itchy feeling isn’t going away yet. The Texans traded away their best offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil, and simply haven’t done enough to make the team better. Offensive line remains a huge need and Grok understood that with the Ersery selection. If nothing else, they have to protect C.J. Stroud going forward.

26. Los Angeles Rams: Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina

Cornerback has been a need for the Rams since Jalen Ramsey left and Sean McVay’s team now fills it by taking Revel at 26. Grok said the cornerback is a Day 1 starter and a steal for the Rams.

27. Baltimore Ravens: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College

Ezeiruaku finds himself a home in Baltimore and steps right in as a pro-ready pass-rusher. Grok highlighted the senior’s motor and seamless fit in John Harbaugh’s team as someone who will ‘Play like a Raven.’

28. Detroit Lions: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

In Grok’s estimation, Johnson will be in for a long evening. Provided he’s wearing something comfortable and in the presence of good company, it will all be worth it for the former Michigan Wolverine. The cornerback stays in the state and joins the Super Bowl contending-Lions, filling a need at cornerback. He is one of the best in the class but experienced quite the fall in this exercise.

29. Washington Commanders: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M

The Commanders are the beneficiary of another draft fall, pouncing on the potential that Stewart offers off the edge. Washington went into the Detroit pick likely feeling good about filling their needs with Johnson or Stewart, but Dan Quinn’s defense would get a much-needed injection of youth and potential in their pass rush with the Texas A&M product.

30. Buffalo Bills: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

The Bills didn’t skip a beat after trading away Stefon Diggs last offseason and dive into the receiver market in this draft for some reinforcements. Egbuka is only the second receiver off the board for Grok but steps in as a pro-ready option for Josh Allen and company. Primarily a slot receiver, it’s an interesting fit considering the presence of Khalil Shakir, but like ranch and bleu cheese, both players can apparently coexist in Buffalo.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

The Chiefs were eyeing a three-peat in Super Bowl 59. Instead they took a trip down memory lane to relive Super Bowl 55. As a result, the Chiefs are, once again, forced to rebuild the offensive line. That brings them to Conerly with the penultimate pick of the first round. Kansas City couldn’t keep Patrick Mahomes upright in the Super Bowl. Grok is making sure that will be addressed heading into next season.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss

For Grok’s grand finale, it is picking Umanmielen to land in Philadelphia. The Super Bowl champions secure more help on the edge, which became a priority after watching Sweat leave for Arizona. The Eagles love to flex their depth and this is arguably the biggest reason for their postseason success. Grok couldn’t resist one more reach on paper, but this is a draft that doesn’t rely as heavily on ’round grades,’ meaning we could see some surprises throughout.