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The 2025 season is a crucial one for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, but also for the organization as a whole. In order to feel positive about the direction of the franchise, they need to hover around the eight or nine-win mark this upcoming season.
Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick has Carolina making the fifth overall selection in his way-too-early 2026 mock draft, which would have them nowhere near an 8-9 or 9-8 record. With that pick, he has Carolina selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
"Versatile, athletic, and highly talented, Downs wears a lot of hats in Ohio State’s secondary. The Panthers surprisingly bypassed defense in the first round in 2025, selecting receiver Tetairoa McMillan, but added a pair of pass rushers on Day 2. Still, Carolina’s defense, one of the worst in the NFL last season, needs more playmakers. The 6' 0", 205-pound Downs has the range, tackling, instincts, and cover skills to be a problem solver early in his career at the next level."
Caleb Downs 2024 highlights
While the Panthers certainly need help in the back end, particularly at safety, I have a feeling the conversation is going to be more about Bryce Young if they are picking in the top five next spring. The defense was historically bad in 2024, and they had the eighth overall selection. Picking higher would mean something went wrong on the offensive side of the ball as well.
More must-reads:
- Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
- Vikings HC discusses Justin Jefferson's availability for Week 1 after injury
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Packers rookie could miss time after suffering injury in training camp
The Green Bay Packers offense was dealt a bit of a blow early in training camp. Friday, third-round rookie wide receiver Savion Williams was a spectator for practice after suffering a concussion. Williams, chosen by the Packers with the No. 87 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, is aiming to climb the depth chart at a crowded wide receiver position this summer. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Williams ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.48 seconds during the NFL Combine and has the profile of potentially becoming a reliable possession receiver and after-the-catch weapon for quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense. Reaching those benchmarks and climbing the depth chart will have to wait, though, as Williams works his way through the concussion protocol and back onto the field for practices during training camp and the preseason this summer.
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy
On Thursday, wrestling icon Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea died at the age of 71. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," the company said in a statement. "One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s... WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans." Hogan was the first true superstar to emerge in the wrestling industry, capturing a casual audience worldwide and bringing new eyes to the sport. He was an unbelievable draw, both as a baby face and as a heel. From his time as an All-American hero to leading the New World Order and teaming with Randy Savage as part of the "Mega Powers," he has been a staple of the scene for decades. Who can forget his WrestleMania III moment, where he defied the laws of physics to body-slam a 520-pound Andre the Giant? Or, more recently, his match with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania 18? His last appearance on WWE RAW on Jan. 6 saw him booed throughout, highlighting the rocky legacy Hogan leaves behind. Hogan's universal popularity has plummeted in recent years, primarily due to a racism scandal that led to his removal from the Wrestling Hall of Fame, only to be reinstated in 2018. Nevertheless, the damage had been done. Hogan's outdated and unwelcome outlook on specific aspects of life derailed the final stanza of a legendary career. Still, there's no denying that without Hogan, the wrestling we know and love today wouldn't exist. There wouldn't be WWE on the world's largest streaming platform, or All Elite Wrestling, which is developing into one of the most successful challenger brands. Instead, there would be smaller, more localized promotions, all competing for a sliver of television time. Hogan popularized the sport by bridging the gap between the wrestling ring and Hollywood. During his time in the spotlight, Hogan appeared in movies such as "Rocky III," "No Holds Barred" and "Suburban Commando," all of which helped bring his larger-than-life persona to a new audience. It's no surprise, then, that The Rock, John Cena and Dave Bautista have all made similar jumps in recent years. Hogan leaves behind an everlasting imprint on the wrestling world. Unfortunately, it comes with multiple asterisks; however, that doesn't change what he achieved as the first global wrestling star.
Helsley To Philadelphia? Why Cardinals-Phillies Trade Makes Sense
The St. Louis Cardinals are in a very interesting spot this season as the trade deadline rapidly approaches. They have a few pieces on the roster that they could look to trade away in the next few days, but nobdoy stands out like a trade piece more than closer Ryan Helsley. Helsley sits on an expiring contract and is projected to sign for $81 million in free agency next winter, per Spotrac. At that price tag, it's unlikely the Cardinals will re-sign him, so trading him now makes the most sense. Plus, relievers are typically the most sought-after players at the deadline. Trading Helsley could net the Cardinals a star or two in return. One team that makes a lot of sense as a suitor for Helsley is the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies need to add a closer after Jose Alvarado was suspended for half the season and the entire postseason because of a failed drug test. Beyond closer, the Phillies are stacked with talent. Adding Helsley would be the cherry on top of an excellent year in the City of Brotherly Love. In return, the Cardinals could look to land a deal for talented outfield prospect Justin Crawford. Crawford is a speed and glove-first outfielder with elite athleticism and a solid bat. He's crushed Triple-A pitching this season and is hitting well over .300 with an on-base percentage over .400. The only issue with adding Crawford is that he's very similar to Victor Scott II. While this could be an issue, Scott has been excellent, so adding a younger version that plays the game very similarly to Scott could be a huge addition for the Cardinals.
Orioles infielder set to make MLB debut after Gregory Soto trade
The Orioles are going to select infielder Jeremiah Jackson to their roster. Manager Tony Mansolino informed reporters, including Steve Melewski, that he will take the roster spot vacated by left-hander Gregory Soto. Soto was traded to the Mets earlier on Friday. Jackson, 25, gets called up to the majors for the first time and will be making his debut as soon as he gets into a game. He signed a minor league deal with the club in the offseason and has been putting up huge numbers in the minors this year. Split between Double-A and Triple-A, he has 351 plate appearances with 15 home runs. He’s only drawing walks at a 4% clip but is also only striking out 14.2% of the time. He has a combined line of .311/.340/.538 line and a 135 wRC+. Prior to joining the Orioles, Jackson spent time in the systems of the Angels and Mets. The Halos flipped him to the latter club in the 2023 deadline deal , which sent right-hander Dominic Leone to Los Angeles. The lack of strikeouts this year is notable, as that was a key problem for Jackson in previous seasons. He had a 33% strikeout rate in 2021, but he has dropped that down over the years. Defensively, he’s played the three infield spots to the left of first base and all three outfield spots as well. He has some speed on the bases, regularly putting up double-digit stolen bases totals, including ten already this year. It’s possible that this will be a short big league stint for Jackson. Putting him in for Soto gives the club 14 position players and just 12 pitchers. That’s less than ideal, and they will likely look to even that back to 13 and 13 soon. On the other hand, it’s possible the Baltimore roster is set for further moves in the coming days. Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Urías, Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins, Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Trevor Rogers, Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge are all candidates to be moved before the deadline. It’s anyone’s guess how the roster will look in the wake of all those theoretical trades. Since Jackson can play multiple positions, perhaps he’ll find a way to still have a role once the dust settles next week.
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