Chuck Foreman, Robert Smith, Kevin Williams & Chad Greenway Revisit Draft Days Apr 29, 2021 at 09:00 AM
Robert Smith was too uneasy to enjoy a pancake with roommates.
Kevin Williams left his spot manning the grill.
Chad Greenway got the most out of a landline s phone cord before a send-off.
The four former first-round picks of the Vikings Foreman in 1973, Smith in 1993, Williams in 2003 and Greenway in 2006 recently got together for a conversation hosted by Pete Bercich that was a featured segment of the Minnesota Vikings Podcast.
Each shared draft memories and explained signature welcome-to-the-NFL moments.
The conversation starts at the 26:10 mark after pre-draft analysis by Vikings Entertainment Network s Jay Nelson, Chris Corso and Eric Smith. Listen to the whole episode, or check out some highlights, below.
20 years later, Steve Smith remains among Carolina Panthers best draft-day calls
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More than 25 years experience covering NFL, college football and NASCAR
Joined ESPN in 2006
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Then-Carolina Panthers wide receivers coach Mike McCoy had his eyes set on Utah s Steve Smith when he entered the war room at Bank of America Stadium for the 2001 NFL draft.
For weeks, McCoy had been doing a soft sell on Smith to head coach George Seifert, not wanting his bias as a former Utah quarterback to make it appear this was more than a football evaluation on a 5-foot-9 player viewed more as a return specialist than a receiver.
Game Preview
The Arizona Coyotes needed a win this past Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings. They had just dropped their last two against the Minnesota Wild and seven of their previous eight games, moving them out of a playoff spot.
We have seen this situation before this season. The Coyotes have all the motivation in the world to play well, only to drop the important game against a team they should beat.
But that didn’t happen on Saturday. Instead, the Coyotes had a dominant game against the Kings, shutting them out and getting the 4-0 victory.
Arizona played a dominant game against the Kings, controlling play for most of the game. They limited Los Angeles’ chances with solid defensive and neutral zone play, had a commanding forecheck, and got great goaltending from Darcy Kuemper. They just need to find a way to do it more consistently.
Apr 25, 2021
Some mock drafts tell you what will happen, others tell you what should happen. This is the only mock draft that tells you what
could happen. That’s how I began last year’s Mock Draft for The People, and it’s how I’ll begin this year’s as well, because you didn’t even read this introduction.
USA Today Sports (4)
1. Jacksonville: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
He’s the best quarterback prospect in a decade and it isn’t particularly close. He’ll fit in any system you want to run: Air Raid, Shanahan-ian play-action, Wishbone, the playbook the
FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2019, file photo, Oregon offensive linemen Shane Lemieux (68) and Penei Sewell, right, block for quarterback Justin Herbert (10) against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif. The acquisition of Sam Darnold via trade earlier this month has given the Carolina Panthers more options with the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft. Carolina s most pressing need entering the draft is at left tackle, a position they have failed to solidify over the last seven seasons. That means 6-foot-6, 330-pound Sewell and 6-foot-3, 305-pound Rashawn Slater from Northwestern could be in play if either is around at No. 8. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)