• The Canadian Press

    Rams make a rare first-round NFL draft pick, taking Florida State defensive end Jared Verse 19th

    HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams selected Florida State defensive end Jared Verse with the 19th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night. Verse had two productive seasons for the Seminoles, finishing with 13 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in 25 games, after starting his career at FCS-level Albany. Verse joins a Rams defensive front that no longer has Aaron Donald, who retired in March. Donald, a three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time first-team All-Pro, had been

  • The Canadian Press

    Magic beat Cavaliers 121-83 to cut their deficit to 2-1

    ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first

  • The Canadian Press

    Seahawks target defensive line by selecting Byron Murphy II from Texas with No. 16 pick in NFL draft

    RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks filled a need on the defensive front, selecting Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II with the No. 16 pick of the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night. The first draft under new coach Mike Macdonald went to the defensive side of the ball with the first selection of his tenure and bolstered a clear area where Seattle needed improvement. The Seahawks had veteran Jarran Reed at the position, but otherwise lacked an impactful second option. Murphy

  • The Canadian Press

    Bengals take OT Amarius Mims in the NFL draft as Cincinnati seeks better protection for Joe Burrow

    CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals, seeking an offensive tackle who can play in front of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow for years to come, chose huge Georgia tackle Amarius Mims in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound Mims played seven games and suffered an ankle injury in his third year at Georgia in 2023. The Bengals lost tackle Jonah Williams to Arizona in free agency. They have Orlando Brown Jr. on the left side. They signed veteran Trent Brown to