UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player selected in the NFL draft Thursday night, going No. 15 overall to Indianapolis to snap a record streak of 14 straight offensive players selected. The latest a first round had previously gone before a defensive player was taken was No. 8 overall. Not only were the 14 straight offensive players to start the draft a record, it was the first time 14 straight offensive players were taken at any point in the draft.
Defensemen Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov got Carolina off to a fast start and the Hurricanes held on to beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Thursday night for a 3-0 lead in the first-round series. Sebastian Aho also scored for the Hurricanes and Andrei Svechnikov had two assists. Frederik Andersen stopped 29 shots.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons provided the first major surprise of the NFL draft by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 overall pick on Thursday night. The Falcons extended their recent trend of selecting offensive skill players in the first round by drafting Penix one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. Using a draft slot normally targeted for players expected to make an immediate