For the first time ever, the NFL Draft is airing on ABC. "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts will host the coverage today, tomorrow and Saturday.
For the fourth time in five years, the San Francisco 49ers took a defensive lineman with their first-round pick Thursday night, all in hopes of improving a pass rush that has been mediocre for several seasons. This time it's Ohio State's Nick Bosa, who hasn't played since suffering a season-ending injury last September.
Bosa had 17 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in 30 games with the Buckeyes. He played in only three games as a junior before suffering a core muscle injury that required surgery. Although there was speculation Bosa would return, he announced in mid-October that he would be concentrating on the draft.
Prior to getting hurt, Bosa had four sacks, 14 tackles, six tackles for losses and a forced fumble and was in the early Heisman Trophy conversations.
That came on the heels of his spectacular sophomore campaign when Bosa had eight sacks, 15 tackles for loss and was the Big Ten defensive lineman of the year despite starting only four of the 14 games he played.
The 49ers are hoping Bosa can upgrade a deficient pass rush.
San Francisco was 23rd in the NFL with 36 sacks in 2018.
Bosa does come with some baggage. He recently came under scrutiny for comments he made on Twitter regarding political and racial subjects. Bosa deleted some of them and told ESPN he did so because he might end up in San Francisco.
The Oakland Raiders used the fourth pick in the draft on Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell in hopes of finding the edge rusher to replace Khalil Mack.
Coach Jon Gruden and first-year general manager Mike Mayock passed up pass rushers rated higher by most analysts like Kentucky's Josh Allen and Houston's Ed Oliver to select Ferrell on Thursday night.
Mike Mayock pulled off a bit of a shocker with his first pick as an NFL general manager that even surprised the player he selected.
The Oakland Raiders used the fourth pick in the draft on Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell on Thursday night, passing up other pass rushers rated higher by analysts in the team's quest to find a replacement for Khalil Mack.
Ferrell said he knew the Raiders liked him but didn't know if they would use the first of three first-round selections to take him. Many analysts had players like Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver rated higher than Ferrell but Mayock and coach Jon Gruden went a different direction.
"I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't surprised," Ferrell said. "This was a really, really long process for me. I don't pay attention to the mock drafts. Those things are stupid. Just talking to my agent, we didn't know what to expect going in. But me personally, I always felt like I was going to be a Raider. I had such a good relationship and good meetings with the Raiders. It was just a great process."
The Raiders then used the 24th overall pick acquired in the deal that sent Mack to Chicago to take Alabama running back Josh Jacobs to replace Marshawn Lynch, who isn't expected to return this season. Oakland then took Mississippi State safety Jonathan Abram with the 27th pick acquired from Dallas for receiver Amari Cooper.
The Raiders became the fifth team this century to make three first-round picks in the same draft.
Ferrell called himself an "NFL historian" and pointed out past great defensive linemen in Raiders history like Hall of Famers Howie Long and Ted Hendricks. He also said he models his game on the field on Aldon Smith, who played briefly with the Raiders before off-field issues derailed his career.
The Raiders' most glaring need was at edge rusher after trading Mack last year to Chicago for a package that included two first-round picks. Oakland finished last in the NFL with 13 sacks in 2019, 17 fewer than the next worst team. Their 95 total pressures, according to SportRadar, also ranked last - 29 fewer than 31st place Tampa Bay.
Ferrell had 11 1/2 sacks last season for the national champion Tigers and finished with 27 sacks in 84 career games. He also had 59 quarterback pressures, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Oakland has been busy this offseason, adding receivers Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, tackle Trent Brown and several potential starters in the back seven on defense. But they have little in place at edge rusher with Arden Key and Benson Mayowa the top players currently on the roster. Key had just one sack as a rookie, while Mayowa has 13 sacks in 72 career games.
Jacobs was the first running back or receiver taken in the draft despite being only a part-time player in college at Alabama. He had double-digit carries just seven times in his career and ran for 100 yards only once as he shared time with Damien Harris and Najee Harris.
Jacobs finished his career with 251 carries for 1,491 yards (5.9 per carry) and had 48 catches for 571 yards. He joins a backfield with Isaiah Crowell, Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington and Chris Warren III.
Abram is a versatile safety capable of playing both in the box or deep. He gives the Raiders insurance if they decide not to pick up the fifth-year option on 2016 first-round safety Karl Joseph, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Abram had two interceptions, three sacks and five passes defensed last season.
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The broadcast schedule is as follows:
THURSDAY:
- 4 pm. - ABC7 News
- 5 p.m. - NFL Draft Round 1
- 8:30 p.m. - "After the Draft"
- 10 p.m. - "Jeopardy!" - Watch to see if James Holzhauer's streak continues! Check out this link to the brand new James Tracker and follow his progress.
- 10:30 p.m. - "Wheel of Fortune" - If you are unable to see Thursday's episode due to pre-emptions and coverage of the NFL Draft, "Wheel of Fortune" will accept any entries submitted on wheeloffortune.com by 2:59 PM PT on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th as valid for the Hawaii Vacation Giveaway, regardless of which Bonus Puzzle Solution you enter. Good luck and thanks for being a loyal Wheel Watcher! Again, for details and to enter visit wheeloffortune.com.
FRIDAY:
- 4 p.m. - NFL Draft Round 2-3
- 8:30 p.m. - "Jeopardy!" - Watch to see if James Holzhauer's streak continues! Check out this link to the brand new James Tracker and follow his progress.
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SATURDAY:
- 2 a.m. - "Wheel of Fortune" If you are unable to see Friday's episode due to pre-emptions and coverage of the NFL Draft, "Wheel of Fortune" will accept any entries submitted on wheeloffortune.com by 2:59 PM PT on Saturday, April 27th as valid for the Hawaii Vacation Giveaway, regardless of which Bonus Puzzle Solution you enter. Good luck and thanks for being a loyal Wheel Watcher! Again, for details and to enter visit wheeloffortune.com.
- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. - NFL Draft Round 4-7
- NFL Draft 2019: 7 things to know about the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders
- I Know Sports: you have never seen an NFL draft preview quite like this
- Meet the Bay Area NFL Draft Prospects: Cal Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk
- Meet the Bay Area NFL Draft Prospects: Stanford Running Back Bryce Love
- Meet the Bay Area NFL Draft Prospects: Stanford Linebacker Bobby Okereke
- Meet the Bay Area NFL Draft Prospects: San Jose State Tight End Josh Oliver
- LIST: Top Bay Area college football prospects for NFL Draft
- NFL draft predictions for all 32 teams: Who's trading up, who's taking a QB and more
- The most impactful draft-day trade for all 32 NFL teams
- NFL draft do-overs: Let's re-pick ... and fix mistakes for all 32 teams
- All-Trades 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Barnwell proposes 32 wild deals
- Gruden's draft advice to new Raiders GM Mayock: Don't mess it up
- NFL Draft Dreams: Nine San Jose State Spartans make their case to be in the NFL at the school's Pro Day
- Stanford Football Pro Day becoming reunion of NFL stars and league brass
- Kyler Murray: Telling A's that he's committed to playing in NFL 'was tough'
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