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Another NFL Draft is in the books and the 2026 edition had all the usual shock picks and surprise slides as the 32 teams attempted to reload their rosters for an assault on the Super Bowl. tbzikra.com

There was no surprise with the Las Vegas Raiders' number one overall pick but a huge one was later sprung by the Los Angeles Rams, while another surprise came with the New York duo of Jets and Giants actually looking like putting a good draft class together.

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It was a good draft for UK involvement and an even better one for hosts Pittsburgh and the NFL itself, with the event continuing to grow.

So after three days and 257 players being chosen, let's take a look at who made the headlines for the right, or wrong, reasons.

• All 32 first-round picks from the 2026 NFL Draft
• Raiders take Mendoza with first pick of NFL Draft

Were the Rams right to draft a QB?

The shock of the draft was the Rams picking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick - because Simpson was not even a consensus first-round talent.

The Rams also have MVP Matthew Stafford at quarterback for a team many thought was the best in the NFL last season and even more see as Super Bowl contenders this coming campaign.

Head coach Sean McVay's instant subdued reaction to the pick went viral, but he insisted he did not want to seem too excited out of respect for Stafford - but his mood was one plenty of Rams fans shared.

Stafford is 38 and playing year-to-year so getting a long-term successor makes sense, but to take full advantage of his talents many thought a pick as high as 13 should be used to add a final elite piece to the roster that could just be the difference.

A star pass rusher or another top pass catcher being two options, but instead the Rams used that selection on a player who in all probability will not see the field at all in 2026.

The Rams made eye-catching moves in free agency for cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to strengthen even further - so as usual only time will tell if they won or lost this one.

Vegas finally heading in the right direction

There was no shock in Fernando Mendoza being the first overall pick of the draft - he certainly looks like a star, but top-pick quarterbacks can struggle without the right supporting cast.

The Raiders will have a sixth head coach for their seventh season in Las Vegas, but after all the turmoil they finally they look like heading in the right direction with some savvy picks.

Most notable was Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who is a super talent but slipped down to the fourth round, pick 101, after missing all of last season with a torn ACL.

It's a flier with a big upside if McCoy's knee is right, which he insists it is. He's got tremendous ability, and with fellow draftee Treydan Stukes at safety could add some much-needed playmakers in the secondary.

Mendoza has first-round picks around him already with running back Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers at tight end, while the Raiders splashed out big money to grab centre Tyler Linderbaum to add yet more assistance.

Whisper it quietly, but the Raiders are heading in the right direction and could be the biggest winners of the draft.

New dawns in New York?

The Giants have made the play-offs just twice in 14 seasons, while the Jets have the longest active play-off drought in American sports with 15 seasons on the outside looking in. So fans in the Big Apple needed a big draft.

They had five first-round picks between them and both teams, for once, seem to have emerged as draft winners.

Signing John Harbaugh as new head coach was already a win for the Giants, and getting edge rusher Arvell Reese at pick five was another big victory, which adds to what's looking a scary Big Blue defence.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart got a new weapon in third-round receiver Malachi Fields, who combined with superstar Malik Nabers gives the Giants the look of a side capable of making a leap this year.

The Jets are behind in their transition but pass rusher David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper all add star talent as first-round picks.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik was a bit of a flier in the fourth round but one worth taking if veteran Geno Smith struggles. Still, there are positive signs for a change with the Jets.

Pittsburgh sets NFL Draft record

You have to hand it to the NFL for making three days of reading names off cards into the second-biggest event on the league calendar.

A record 805,000 fans visited the three-day event in Pittsburgh, with a single-day attendance record of 320,000 for Thursday's first round.

Only the Super Bowl is bigger, and even then that's only of serious interest to two teams, but all 32 are involved in the draft for one simple reason - hope.

The worst teams get the best picks of the college superstars and that gives them hope of a magical turnaround - and the NFL has managed to market it all as a must-see experience.

Detroit hosted 775,000 fans in 2024, Green Bay had 600,000 last year, and both were topped by Pittsburgh.

Washington DC will hope for even more next year and commissioner Roger Goodell revealed cities were lining up to win hosting duties in years to come - with representatives from 10 on scouting trips in Pittsburgh this weekend.

The NFL Draft looks set to get even bigger.

• Steelers draft QB with Rodgers future still unclear

NFL Draft 2026 talking points

History was made by the International Player Pathway (IPP) as Britain's Seydou Traore and Nigerian Uar Bernard were selected by the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles respectively.

Tight end Traore came through the NFL Academy but Bernard has never played American football before - his physical attributes have earned him a shot at making it with the Eagles.

The gazumping of the draft came in the first round when Makai Lemon was on the phone to the Pittsburgh Steelers being informed they were drafting him at spot 21, only to then see the Philadelphia Eagles trying to call him.

The Eagles in fact traded up to number 20 to pinch Lemon from under the noses of their fellow Pennsylvanians - a move that did not go down too well with the home fans in Pittsburgh as they certainly lost that one.

Possibly both winners and losers, the Cleveland Browns made six trades in the first five rounds and became the first team in 30 years to draft two receivers in the top 40 - KC Concepcion at 24 and Denzel Boston at 39.

The Browns are also the first team in 15 years to draft three quarterbacks in two years as they added Taylen Green to a crowded four-man line-up including Deshaun Watson and last year's two draftees Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.

For all of Cleveland's good draft work, they will head into the season with another confusing four-way quarterback battle.

• Dolphins pick British tight end Traore in NFL Draft
• Nigerian with 'natural explosiveness' aiming for NFL spot

Had LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier entered the draft last year he may well have been a first-round pick. Instead he was only pick number 249 in the seventh round this year.

That's the downside. The upside is that he was picked by the Kansas City Chiefs and has only Justin Fields to battle for the job of backing up the injured Patrick Mahomes. That's turning a loss into a big win.

Billed as the biggest losers of the draft, the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars were among the more underwhelming teams - with both accused of 'reaching' when drafting players higher than their consensus rating.

San Francisco traded out of the first round then picked receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of the second - much higher than he was expected to go.

They then added running back Kaelon Black - who did not even get an invitation to the NFL Combine - in the third round. The Niners have a poor recent record both with second round picks and running backs, so neither bodes well.

Jacksonville may have picked up steals with their first four picks, but all four were drafted miles ahead of where they sat on most pre-draft rankings. General manager James Gladstone is still only 35 but in his second draft he's either pulled off some masterstrokes or made some huge errors.

The year 2020 truly was the best of times and the worst of times for Bayern Munich fans.

While much of the world was shut-in due to the pandemic, things eventually had to return to normal — and they did…at least somewhat.

Football was one of the first aspects of “normal life” to help people remember what it was like after masks, vaccines, and fears of a plague dominated the conversation for months.

Finally, football gave people some of those old time (pre-pandemic) feelings. And for Bayern Munich fans, it was a glorious time on the pitch. Hansi Flick had the squad rolling to a treble (and an eventual sextuple) and the Bavarians were just a rollicking and fun show to watch.

When it came to the Champions League final, though, it was not really all that much fun. Tension, intensity, and uncertainty reigned supreme as Bayern Munich could not break through vs. PSG. Finally, the Bavarians took a 1-0 lead on a header from Kingsley Coman of all people in the 59th minute.

That showdown was just one of many recent UCL battles between the two legendary clubs. Amid that war, was a player who had history with organizations — Coman. The Frenchman recently took some time to talk to FCBayern.com and think about to 2020, that Bayern Munich team, and his Champions League finale:

FCBayern.com: Everyone remembers the image of your header in the 2020 Champions League final against PSG. When you think back to the seconds before the goal: What small moment – a run, a glance, a thought, a shout – has stayed with you most vividly?

Coman: “Perhaps Thomas’s shout after the goal. I’m not sure if I actually heard it. I remember more the moment I opened my eyes and saw that the ball was in. It was during the pandemic, so there were no fans in the stadium. But even if there are sounds: In a moment like that, you hardly notice them. You’re only focused on the ball, on the player crossing, on your opponent, and your teammates. I wanted to be as focused as possible in every situation.”

FCBayern.com: Did you know when the ball came that it could be your moment?

Coman: “No, it all happens far too quickly. It’s not like in a movie where time stands still and you think: Now’s my moment. You don’t have time to think, you just run to where you think the ball might go – and suddenly it’s there. Headers were never my strongest point. So I just wanted to hit it as cleanly as possible. The execution might not have been textbook, but the ball went exactly where it needed to go, with the necessary force. In the end, that’s all that matters.”

FCBayern.com: You say that heading the ball was never your strongest skill. Yet it was precisely such a moment that landed you in the FC Bayern history books. What does that tell you about big games today?

“It’s almost a strange situation. This very weakness helped me fulfill my biggest dream. It’s a beautiful contrast. For me, it shows that with focus, courage, and belief in yourself, you can achieve things on the biggest stage, even if they aren’t among your greatest strengths. That will always make me smile.”

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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Michael Carrick could see his options boosted by the returns of Leny Yoro and Patrick Dorgu against Brentford this evening.

Manchester Evening News’ Steven Railston claimed on Sunday that he ‘assumes’ the pair will be available tonight due to Shea Lacey and Tyler Fletcher, who made up Carrick’s matchday squad as substitutes in the win over Chelsea, starting for the academy yesterday.

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Will Yoro and Dorgu start vs the Bees?

It remains to be seen if the two young Reds will be instantly restored to the starting XI, though.

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With the form Dorgu was in before sustaining his hamstring injury, having scored against both Manchester City and Arsenal in consecutive game weeks, fans have been desperate to see him back in the fold as soon as possible.

However, Carrick may opt to gradually reintroduce him to action by utilising him off the bench tonight.

As for Yoro, he was ruled out of the Chelsea trip on the day the players travelled down to London, leaving the manager with only one senior centre-half available: Ayden Heaven.

How Heaven fared last time out

The teenager excelled in the absence of his counterparts, with Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez suspended and Matthijs de Ligt sidelined.

Heaven was partnered by natural full-back Noussair Mazraoui, yet they oversaw a formidable shift between them, securing a clean sheet and playing a vital role in Manchester United claiming their first win at Stamford Bridge in six years.

As a result, it would be incredibly harsh for Heaven to be dropped out of the side just because Maguire and Yoro are set to be available.

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Liverpool are looking for a stop-gap option to replace Hugo Ekitike

As mentioned, Ekitike has been one of Liverpool's best players this season.

And, even though Alexander Isak is back in action and could take the reigns, it's been made clear that he's a tad unreliable.

Liverpool will want to be back challenging for titles in the 2026-27 campaign but without Salah and Ekitike to help them, it's clear that some additions need to be made.

Unsurprisingly, a fresh report from Football Insider has claimed that the Reds are going to do exactly that but maybe not in the way fans think.

"Liverpool will explore the market for a new striker in the summer transfer window but will hold back from spending big, sources have told Football Insider," they wrote.

"The Merseyside giants are eyeing a possible loan move or bargain transfer, using the bulk of their summer kitty for other squad acquisitions.

"The club’s recruitment team are honing their strategy for the window after it was confirmed that Hugo Ekitike is set to be ruled out for the rest of 2026 with a ruptured Achilles."

Liverpool need to upgrade several areas of their team in the summer