Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali could be set for a fresh move in the coming weeks, according to new reports.

Nwabali has been without a club since leaving Chippa United after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in January. Despite strong performances for Nigeria and earlier interest from clubs such as Al Ettifaq and Queens Park Rangers, no deal was completed, leaving him as a free agent.

The former Enyimba goalkeeper is still widely rated as one of Africa’s top shot-stoppers, and his availability without a transfer fee has made him an attractive option for several clubs.

Reports say Tanzanian giants Simba SC are interested in strengthening their squad, while South African side Kaizer Chiefs have also been long-time admirers of the Nigerian goalkeeper.

Both clubs are expected to step up their plans once the current season ends, with African leagues entering their final stages.

For interested teams, signing Nwabali on a free transfer is seen as a major opportunity, given his experience and quality at international level.

The 29-year-old will also be hoping to regain his place as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper under Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, after recent matches saw him lose his starting role to Maduka Okoye.

Nwabali has built an impressive career, rising from local football in Nigeria to becoming the national team’s number one during major tournaments. A move to a top African club now looks likely as he searches for a new chapter in his career.

For the first time, the Anthony and Sam Freedman operation will tackle an Adelaide Group sprint with two representatives.

Point Barrow and Ameena are the father-son teams hopefuls in Saturdays Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) on Morphettville.

The race has proven fruitful for the Freedmans since achieving Group 1 in 2005, with Lee Freedman taking three in a row beginning with Alinghi, succeeded by Ellicorsam and Universal Queen, and Anthony triumphant with Shoals in 2018.

Sam Freedman hopes to inscribe himself among the winners, certain that his two sprinters present strong cases.

Early wagering has Point Barrow at $4.60 favourite and Ameena priced at $34.

Freedman highlighted Point Barrows flawless campaign to date, drawing parallels to Shoals explosive finish in her Sangster conquest.

“This has been a target race for the whole prep,” Freedman said.

“She’s coming in with the strongest form and due to circumstances in the Oakleigh Plate, we didn’t see her at her best, but she put up a great run last start.

“Maybe it wasn’t a great field, maybe she got the right run throughout, but they’ve still got to go out and do it.

“Shoals won this race a few years ago and had a better CV than Point Barrow but had a similar sort of racing style where she got back and swooped down the middle.

“I think for a three-year-old filly, I wouldn’t go swapping her with any that are in there.”

Point Barrow missed a planned Sandown jump-out last week as Freedman deemed it unnecessary.

Opting for Mornington last Saturday, she worked sharply on the course proper, impressing her joint trainer.

Ameena makes her Group 1 return first-up since spring, bolstered by four recent jump-outs.

Employing the same strategy as 12 months back that yielded second in the Sangster and fourth in The Goodwood, the Freedmans proceed confidently.

“She’s going in fresh,” Freedman said.

“She ran brilliantly in the race last year fresh. She should have nearly won, so we’ll follow the same path.

“There is the Goodwood a fortnight later for both them if you have a hard luck story or they pull up well, so there is the option to do that, but I don’t think they will be pushing on to Queensland as this is very much a target race for them.”

Discover the best racing betting markets ahead of the Robert Sangster Stakes.

We’ve had plenty of pitchers show flashes this season, but I’m not sure any have me as interested as what we saw from Payton Tolle in his season debut Thursday.

Pitching against the Yankees, Tolle was absolutely dominant. He limited the Yankees to just one run on three hits over six innings of work, and he did it while striking out 11 and walking just one. He racked up 18 whiffs to back up the big strikeout numbers, and if you know anything about Tolle, you won’t be surprised to learn that the four-seam fastball led the way with eight whiffs. That is an elite pitch, coming in at 97.1 mph from the left side with very near ideal movement and release profiles, as has come to be expected. It is simply one of the best fastballs in baseball among starters already, and has been since he was in the minors last season.

But what stood out was how Tolle expanded the arsenal this time around. When he pitched in the majors last season, he threw the four-seamer 64% of the time, but it was down to 49% this time around. He mostly introduced more sinkers, a heavy bowling ball of a pitch with 17 inches of horizontal break and seven inches more of drop than the four-seamer. But he also nearly tripled his curveball usage, and that pitch was excellent, too, generating seven of his 18 whiffs; he added two more on the cutter and one on the changeup to get to 18 for the night.

The development of the non-four-seamer part of the arsenal has been the focus for Tolle since his middling debut in 2025, and it looked pretty awesome in his first start. And that was after he struck out 19 in 15 innings in his first three Triple-A starts this season. Tolle is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, and he just put up arguably the best debut by any pitcher this season. Why wouldn’t we add him in all formats?

Well, it’s not 100% clear he’s going to stay in the rotation moving forward. The need arose with Sonny Gray going on the IL with a hamstring injury earlier this week, but if he ends up missing just the minimum, the Red Sox might have to make a tough decision, and that decision might end with Tolle back in Triple-A.

No matter. I’m adding him everywhere. Pitchers get hurt, and opportunities tend to arise unexpectedly, as we’ve already seen here. Maybe Gray comes back at the minimum, and it’s a tough decision; maybe Tolle dominates a few more times and makes the decision to keep him around obvious. Or maybe someone else gets hurt or struggles with effectiveness and clears a spot for Tolle anyway. Or maybe he’s just so irrepressibly good that they go for a six-man rotation to keep him in. There are paths where Tolle is back in the minors and isn’t worth adding, but if he pitches like he did Thursday, it’s hard to see those actually coming to fruition. 

I’ve said it many times already this season, but we’re always looking for big upside at pitcher, and Tolle showed he has as much as anyone who has been available on the wire so far this season. Maybe it won’t work out for him. But I’d prioritize Tolle over Noah Schultz and Mick Abel and Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie and most other young pitchers we’ve gotten excited about lately. 

Before we get to the rest of what you need to know about from Thursday’s MLB action, we’ve gotta talk about the Francisco Lindor injury. He suffered a calf injury Wednesday, and while the full extent of the injury is not known, it sure doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a minimum stay on the IL. 

Lindor was placed on the IL after undergoing testing Thursday, and manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters, “he’s going to be down for quite a bit.” Specifically, he contrasted it to Juan Soto’s calf injury, saying that the team knew “right away with Juan that it was kind of the best-case scenario.” But he added, “I don’t think we’re dealing with the same thing here.”

That’s still awfully vague, of course, but we can assume it’ll be longer than Soto’s 19-day stint on the IL. For hitters over the five seasons leading into 2026, the average IL stint for a calf strain lasts 35 days, with a median stay of 30 days; with Mendoza’s comments, even that timeline might be optimistic. One data point we can point to is Lindor’s previous calf strain back in 2019, which cost him 10 weeks when he suffered the injury in February.

That’s probably closer to the worst-case scenario here, but it’s going to be more than just a few weeks. If it’s just four weeks, replacing Lindor will be tough, but manageable; names like Andres Gimenez (61% rostered) or Ezequiel Tovar (53%) could get hot and help carry the load; if you’re in one of the 21% of CBS Fantasy leagues where Dansby Swanson is available, that’s even better.

But if Lindor’s injury lingers longer, it’ll be even tougher to replace him, and the hole will get even deeper. You could hope for a quick promotion for someone like Colt Emerson, or you could hope Jose Fernandez can get hot and help carry you. But your best bet will probably be to try to trade from a position of strength on your roster to acquire a shortstop, preferably someone off to a slow start who might come at a discount. 

In that case, I would be aiming high for one of the rookies who hasn’t quite clicked yet, JJ Wetherholt or Konnor Griffin, both of whom have top-12 upside at the position if they figure it out. You could also try to buy low on Jeremy Pena, who should be back from his hamstring injury at least a few weeks before Lindor. 

The truth is, there’s no good replacement for Lindor, and any trade is going to leave you weaker somewhere else. I like targeting one of those underwhelming rookies and hoping they can get hot in time to help carry you, but there’s risk involved there, too – Griffin is striking out 30% of the time, and Wetherholt isn’t hitting for much power yet. But there is at least upside, and aiming for that is better than going with a low-ceiling free agency target. 

You could look at Ronny Mauricio, a former top prospect for the Mets who is expected to get a lot of run at shortstop as the Lindor replacement. Mauricio has mostly looked overmatched in the majors so far, striking out 29.4% of the time and hitting just .234/.294/.359 in his first 296 plate appearances. But the physical tools that made him an interesting prospect are still there, and he has generally remained pretty productive in the high minors, hitting .305/.360/.537 with 32 homers and 33 steals in 140 games at that level. I think Mauricio is a long shot to matter much, but the upside is there. 

Here’s what else you need to know about from Thursday’s action around MLB: 

Friday’s top waiver-wire targets

Here’s who we’re looking to add coming out of Thursday’s action: 

JR Ritchie, SP, Braves (26%) – Yesterday, I said I didn’t see how Ritchie could have long-term value in the Braves rotation unless he made himself indispensable. Well, he might have done that in his MLB debut, as he was phenomenal. Ritchie overcame a first-pitch homer to James Wood to throw seven innings of two-run ball, with seven strikeouts and just two walks, and he did it mostly as expected: With a wide arsenal of good pitches, without any one looking especially dominant. With Spencer Strider likely back in the rotation this time next week, the Braves would either have to pull Reynaldo Lopez or Grant Holmes from the rotation or go with a six-man, and I’m not sure how likely either outcome is. I would prefer Tolle to Ritchie even if both were guaranteed their role, but with the uncertainty around Ritchie, he’s hard to view as a must-add, though I don’t mind a speculative add in deeper leagues. 

Tanner Scott, RP, Dodgers (54%) – In the first save opportunity after Edwin Diaz went on the IL, it was Scott who got the ninth Thursday, so we have to consider him the leader. Maybe this weekend sees Alex Vesia get another save or two and change our perception, but when Diaz got hurt, I expected Scott to be the primary ninth-inning option, and then he got the first save. That’s enough for me to buy in pretty much everywhere on Scott, who has been an elite closer in his career before he fell apart in his first year with the Dodgers in 2025. 

Cade Cavalli, SP, Nationals (26%) – Cavalli was the only member of the Nationals rotation entering the season with any real hope for upside, but he spent the first five starts of the season showing basically none of that. Entering Thursday, he had just 18 strikeouts to 12 walks in 19.2 innings of work. So skepticism is necessary, even coming off an excellent start Thursday against the Braves. Still, it’s not like it was out of nowhere – Cavalli has a strong curveball that has always generated whiffs, and he was definitely locked in here, striking out 10 over five innings. It’s the first great start we’ve seen from him. In deeper leagues, it’s interesting enough to be worth a second look. 

Davis Martin, SP, White Sox (42%) – Martin has the ERA down to 2.01 for the season, and that’s obviously unsustainable. But that doesn’t mean he’s not good. Because underneath that 2.01 ERA, you’ve got a 3.08 FIP and 3.57 xFIP after his seven-strikeout effort against the Diamondbacks Thursday. He’s thriving thanks to added confidence and usage of his cutter, which has helped expand his arsenal and seems to have helped the slider become a better swing and miss pitch – it generated four whiffs Thursday. I don’t think Martin is likely to be a good strikeout pitcher moving forward, but he is throwing plenty of strikes and limiting damage on contact, so maybe he can at least be useful for an upcoming matchup against the Angels. 

Brandon Marsh, OF, Phillies (28%) – At this point in his career, I’m pretty sure about who Marsh is, and that’s a pretty good platoon outfielder, but not likely much more than that. He’s done almost nothing against lefties so far this season, as is his norm, but he’s having an excellent start to the season nonetheless, hitting .300/.329/.500 for the season. You’ll always have to check the schedule to know how useful he’ll be, but here’s the good news: The projected schedule for next week has six righties listed. That’ll play. 

Riley Cornelio, SP, Nationals (1%) – Here’s one for your deeper league players. Cornelio is a pitching prospect in the Nationals system who emerged as a pretty productive pitcher last season and may have leveled up here in the early going as he gets set to make his MLB debut this weekend, per The Athletic. Cornelio had a 3.28 ERA while making his way to Triple-A last season, but didn’t garner much attention in prospect circles because he typically sat in the low-90s with his four-seamer by the time he got to Triple-A. FanGraphs had him ranked as the team’s No. 41 prospect in their mid-season update last season, and BaseballProspectus.com didn’t even mention Cornelio in their preseason write-up of the system. That’s usually a reason to ignore a call-up, but in Cornellio’s case, we have some new information, most notably that he’s throwing his four-seamer significantly more at 95.5 mph. His sinker isn’t up nearly as much, but that four-seamer jump is significant, and it’s tied to a jump from 11.2% swinging strikes to 17.1%. I’m not saying Cornelio is likely to be an impact arm in the majors, but that leap stood out as I looked into him, and it makes me at least interested to see what he could look like.

Thursday’s standouts

Tarik Skubal, Tigers vs. MIL: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K – Skubal was cruising with just one earned run allowed through six innings, but with his pitch count still low, they opted to let him go out for the seventh, and that’s when things unraveled, as he allowed three straight hits, including a double, to open the inning; all three runners would come around to score before the end of the inning, leaving Skubal stuck with an ugly line. You expected better from your aces, and I’m not making excuses here. I’m just saying, a different decision would have left him with a much better line. 

Cristopher Sanchez, Phillies @CHC: 5.1 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – Yeah, these kinds of games will happen from time to time for groundballers. I don’t see much reason to be worried about it, but it does highlight one thing of note for Sanchez and the Phillies writ large: This is probably a bottom-10 defense in the league, especially if Trea Turner continues to underwhelm. He rather miraculously reversed years of defensive sliding last season to be one of the best shortstops in the league, but he hasn’t rated out nearly as well. That doesn’t change Sanchez’s outlook that much, but it matters on the margins. 

Jacob deGrom, Rangers vs. PIT: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K – It’s kind of weird how quiet deGrom’s dominance has been this season. Now that everyone isn’t approaching every pitch with bated breath, waiting for the next injury, it seems like he’s gone kind of overlooked. His fastball whiff rate has ticked back up to solidly above-average, and it’s helped fuel an excellent strikeout rate in the early going. deGrom is nobody’s idea of a boring veteran. 

Cam Schlittler, Yankees @BOS: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K – The strikeouts have tailed off a bit over the past two starts, but even pointing that out feels like nitpicking when he has allowed one run over 14 innings across those starts. When he isn’t generating hit strikeout numbers, Schlittler is still pounding the zone and generating weak contact across his whole arsenal. I’m not far from moving him into my top-15 starters at this point. 

Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers @SFG: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K – What if this is just the year he stays healthy? I know, he probably won’t; Glasnow has famously never thrown more than 134 innings in 11 MLB seasons. But it’s not like he’s limited by the inability to go deep into games, or is likely to have his starts skipped down the stretch. He just has to stay healthy, and he could probably give us 160 innings of ace-level production. He’s just never done it, and I would never bet on him to do it. The injury track record is too long to make that kind of bet. So, I suppose you can make a “sell-high” high case here … if someone in your league somehow doesn’t know about that injury track record, I guess. 

Joe Ryan, Twins @NYM: 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K – Ryan has a 3.78 ERA now, which mostly just means he’s had two bad starts. Those two starts were frustrating, accounting for nine of the 14 runs he has allowed to date. But I don’t see any real reason to be concerned about him at this point. 

Logan Webb, Giants vs. LAD: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K – Webb has been legitimately worse this season, entering this start with a 4.40 xERA to go with his 5.10 ERA. His strikeout rate is down, his walk rate is up, and he isn’t limiting hard contact to make up for it. He’s genuinely been worse this season, though I don’t actually have a good explanation for why that is. His sinker is getting hit harder, but it’s not like he’s lost velocity on it; he’s down 0.3 mph, which is effectively nothing. It mostly seems to be a command issue, and that’s the kind of thing that can get fixed overnight. Given the success against the Dodgers here, he might have already fixed it. I don’t really have many concerns here. 

Edward Cabrera, Cubs vs. PHI: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K – Now here’s a hot start I really don’t believe in. Even after five strikeouts and zero walks Thursday, Cabrera’s 18.5% strikeout and 9.3% walk rates are a step back from where he was during his 2025 breakout. Cabrera is throwing his four-seamer more than he did last year, and that’s never really been the answer for him — though he has reversed that the past couple starts. I was skeptical coming in, and while the Cubs defense will continue to help cover up for his flaws, I do view Cabrera as a sell-high candidate if I can pull it off. 

Bubba Chandler, Pirates @TEX: 4 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K – I’m not going to give up on Chandler. I’ll park him on my bench if I have to. But I’m not giving up on an arm with as much obvious talent as his. He needs to figure a lot of stuff out, don’t get me wrong – his pitch mix very much remains a work in progress, and his command has obviously been terrible. There’s no guarantee he fixes those issues. But there just aren’t many pitchers with the kind of arm talent Chandler possesses, and I’d rather him be disappointing on my bench than figure it out in someone else’s starting lineup. 

Mike Soroka, Diamondbacks vs. CHW: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K – The results have been really solid so far, and the more traditional peripheral stats back it up – see the 2.71 FIP to go along with the 2.60 ERA. So, we’re buying in, right? I’m not so sure. Soroka is getting crushed right now, with a 91.7 mph average exit velocity and .468 xwOBA on contact allowed, truly terrible marks, and significantly worse than what he managed last season. It hasn’t hurt him yet, and a 23.4% K-BB% rate is usually enough to make any pitcher must-start for Fantasy. Soroka may just be that. But I’d be lying if I said I fully believed he will be that moving forward, even if he does have the upside. I’m just not quite there yet. 

Christian Scott, Mets vs. MIN: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K – Yikes. Scott was someone to put on the watchlist for his debut because he was, at one point, a pitching prospect of some note. But this was a pretty disastrous start, and I don’t know if he’s even likely to stick around in the Mets rotation after this one. If he does, you should still wait for him to give you some kind of reason to be interested. He may never. 

Former Brighton and Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April last year.

The cancer was detected early and he had successful surgery in May.

“The news certainly didn’t scare me,” the 67-year-old told the Daily Mail., external

“I know everyone is different, but my first impression was ‘I’ll be fine’. I didn’t instantly think ‘this is probably just going to kill me’. I just thought, ‘OK, we’ll have to do what we have to do’.”

During his playing career full-back Hughton most notably represented Tottenham, making 398 appearances for the north London club and winning a Uefa Cup and two FA Cups in the early 1980s.

He ended his career with West Ham and Brentford, and won 53 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

This is completely by accident, but I have a bit of a theme with my free home run picks for Friday in that I’m taking outfielders in their first seasons with new clubs who will be facing former teammates. Specifically, I’m talking about the Dodgers‘ Kyle Tucker and Rangers‘ Brandon Nimmo. Both will be playing in hitter-friendly parks and facing struggling starting pitchers they should know quite well. 

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Over the past four MLB seasons, I’m up $1,681 on my MLB picks. You can find more of my picks at SportsLine, and in the member-exclusive SportsLine Discord server, a community of sports betting enthusiasts and SportsLine experts.

Last Friday, my two home run plays were Arizona’s Ketel Marte vs. Toronto — while also mentioning teammate Nolan Arenado — and the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani at Coors Field. As I will always say, I’d obviously recommend Over 1.5 total bases on any players I’m picking to hit a home run. Marte didn’t go yard but had two hits. Arenado did homer, but he was not the official play. Ohtani didn’t homer but had two hits, so all three of those players would have cashed on Over 1.5 total bases. Just saying, in case you’re looking for more MLB betting opportunities.

New users gets major benefits when they place their first bets with the BetMGM bonus code.

Top Friday MLB home run picks

• Kyle Tucker, Dodgers (+537, DraftKings)
• Brandon Nimmo, Rangers (+410, FanDuel)

Kyle Tucker, Dodgers (+537, DraftKings)

One of the series I was most looking forward to this MLB season — at least as much as one can in the grind of 162 games — was Cubs at Dodgers in what’s hopefully a preview of the NLCS. It’s a first pitch of 10:10 ET tonight on Apple TV.

When there is no 2027 MLB season because of a likely lockout, the Dodgers’ signing of Cubs free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract in January will be a major talking point. It’s not that Tucker is not a fine player, but the Dodgers’ collection of All-Stars because of their spending spree has become a source of controversy. 

Tucker is good at everything but outright stellar at anything, and that includes power. His career high in homers is “only” 30. Sometimes players will press early in their first season with a new team after signing a big contract and Tucker might be doing that, as he’s currently batting .245 with three homers and a slugging percentage of .372 that is Tucker’s worst since his first year in the Show in 2018. Just for a point of comparison, Dodgers reserve outfielder Alex Call, a journeyman, has a .375 slugging percentage this year. I feel like I’m talking myself out of this… but I’m playing something on Cubs-Dodgers, so why not.

Dodger Stadium is near the top in terms of home run park factor and Tucker has terrific splits off 2025 teammate Jameson Taillon at 4-for-12 with a homer,  a double and 1.051 OPS. Taillon doesn’t throw very hard and has allowed six homers over his past three starts. Also consider Shohei Ohtani (3-for-10, two HR, 2B vs. Taillon) and Teoscar Hernandez (two HR, double in 18 at-bats).

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Brandon Nimmo, Rangers (+410, FanDuel)

Just like Kyle Tucker above surely saw his Friday opposing starting pitcher plenty in batting practices and the like as former teammates, we should be able to say the same about Brandon Nimmo when his Texas Rangers open an AL West home series vs. the Athletics at 8:05 ET. I’ll get there, don’t worry.

Many Mets fans and current players in that squad were blindsided when New York traded Nimmo, the longest-tenured Met at the time and one of the leaders in the locker room, to Texas for second baseman Marcus Semien. To be fair, Nimmo did have to waive his full no-trade clause to complete the move. 

I won’t sit here and say that deal is solely why the Mets are near the NL East basement, but it probably had some part. Semien isn’t hitting much. Texas, meanwhile, is contending in the mediocre AL West and Nimmo has settled in at the top of the lineup, batting .304 with four homers and an .892 OPS that would be a career high. 

The Rangers’ Globe Life Field is not quite as hitter-friendly at Dodger Stadium, but it’s in the top 10 of the league and Nimmo gets to see struggling Athletics righty Luis Severino for at least two at-bats (we’d think). Severino, who played on the 2024 Mets, had a decent 2026 debut but is 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA and four homers allowed in his past four. Nimmo is 5-for-13 career off Severino with two doubles an a homer. 

Severino lost in Sacramento to the Rangers on April 13 and allowed two homers in his six innings. Jake Burger hit both homers and is another option tonight at +436. But Burger is batting only .176 at home with no homers, so that’s also why I went with Nimmo. And, you know, the whole facing former a teammate theme.  

If you want to tail Matt Severance and other CBS experts, you can check out the latest FanDuel promo code.

The San Francisco 49ers added to their Day 2 arsenal after trading back twice and completely out of the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. As such, San Francisco now has picks at Nos. 33, 58 and 90 — great spots to add depth at various positions.

We scoured the top Day 2 mock drafts to see what experts think the 49ers will do with their picks. Here’s a roundup of those predictions:

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Round 2, Pick No. 33: Edge T.J. Parker, Clemson

The 49ers didn’t make a first-round pick after trading down twice in the first round. They could look to add some pass-rushing help with Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams both coming off torn ACLs.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: WR Chris Bell, Louisville

The 49ers signed Mike Evans during the offseason, but it would behoove the team to add a potential successor for the 32-year-old wide-out.

If not for a torn ACL late in the 2025 college season, Bell would have gotten some first-round buzz. He’s explosive for his 6-2, 222-pound frame, but it isn’t clear exactly when he will be able to return from the injury. San Francisco can afford to wait on him and hope he develops into a high-quality weapon.

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Round 3, Pick No. 90: OT Austin Barber, Florida

The 49ers should start planning for life after Trent Williams. Barber (6-7, 318 pounds) is a tall tackle who was a three-year starter on the left side at Florida. He is a great run blocker but will need to improve against speed rushers at the NFL level.

Round 2, Pick No. 33: Edge Zion Young, Missouri

The 49ers traded out of the first round and likely will field plenty of offers for this pick on Friday night, but Young fits the build of a traditional San Francisco pass rusher. The 49ers finished last in the league in sacks in 2025, and Young has the juice to elevate the unit this fall.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: OG Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

The 49ers may consider a tackle, but they need help on the interior, too. Pregnon, who stands 6′ 4″ and 314 pounds, has four years of starting experience at guard and brings a tough, physical presence.

Round 3, Pick No. 90: WR Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State

Round 2, Pick No. 33: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

The 49ers moved out of Round 1, but the chance to take the player I originally predicted for them is still here as McNeil-Warren slips to Round 2. After watching rival Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori neutralize offenses, former safety and 49ers general manager John Lynch can draft his own version.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: WR Antonio Williams, Clemson

San Francisco added Mike Evans in free agency, and they like Ricky Pearsall as a deep threat, but an intermediate option from the slot is needed. Williams is a precise route runner with consistent hands and yards-after-catch ability.

Round 3, Pick No. 90: OT Markel Bell, Miami

Round 2, Pick No. 33: Edge R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

Thomas is a personal favorite in this draft class and has been on my radar since his high school days, when he was a late riser. He brings so much energy to the field and is relentless in pursuit of the quarterback. There are so many in this class who can set the edge, but not push the pocket or push the pocket, but not set the edge. Thomas is one I’d want in my corner to potentially grow into that well-rounded starter.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: WR Chris Bell, Louisville

Among Day 2 options at the wide receiver position, Bell has arguably the most potential. He has great size and is dynamic with the ball in space. There is absolutely some boom or bust potential with him coming off an injury, but he could develop into something more than the complementary receiver often found on Day 2.

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Round 2, Pick No. 33: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

McNeil-Warren was a top-30 player on my final board and would check off a need for the 49ers, who moved out of the first round after missing out on “a couple of players” they had targeted, according to GM John Lynch. The best tackles in this draft are now gone, so it might make sense for San Francisco to check off another need here first.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern

If there’s a tackle worth taking in Round 2 this year, it’s Tiernan. The hulking 6-7, 323-pounder has an outstanding work ethic and an even better anchor.

Round 3, Pick No. 90: Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State

Round 2, Pick No. 33: WR Denzel Boston, Washington

The 49ers could opt for a tackle or edge defender here, but they displayed heavy interest in receivers with their documented top-30 visits — which makes sense given their need for more depth at the position. Boston’s blend of separation skill, contested catch ability (career 76.9% rate) and run-blocking prowess (77.1 grade in 2025) feel like too much to pass up for Kyle Shanahan considering the team lacks reliably healthy options out wide.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: Edge Gabe Jacas, Illinois

After acquiring Denzel Boston at the top of the second round, San Francisco will presumably add a defensive playmaker at Pick 58. Jacas’ 88.0 PFF pass-rush grade and 14.9% pass-rush win rate are needed on a 49ers front that ranked 23rd in pass-rush grade at the position — especially after losing Bryce Huff to retirement.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Day 2 mock draft: Who do experts think the 49ers will take?

Elsewhere in La Liga, Rayo Vallecano defeated Espanyol Barcelona (1-0) thanks to a goal from Sergio Camello (87th minute), maintaining momentum ahead of their Europa Conference League semi-final against Strasbourg.

Levante secured a 2-0 win over Sevilla in a relegation clash, moving to within one point of safety.

In the German Cup, Stuttgart reached the final after a 2-1 extra-time victory over Freiburg, with goals from Undav (70’) and Tomas (119’).

In tennis, Gaël Monfils was eliminated in the first round of the Madrid Masters 1,000, while Terence Atmane and Aryna Sabalenka progressed. The tournament also featured the inauguration of a practice court at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

In the NFL, the Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 Draft.

In the NBA, Atlanta lead New York 2-1 after a narrow 109-108 victory.

In the last few days, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has seized the Minnesota Vikings’ mock-draft momentum, and while that’s great, it’s important not to forget Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, who can rather reasonably be picked in Round 2.

The Sadiq buzz is louder. Stowers still matters.

The 2026 draft cycle for tight ends is basically SadiqMania, but whichever team lands Stowers, well, that fan base will be ultra-excited.

Round 2 Could Bring Minnesota a Different Tight End Path

Stowers might be a nice consolation prize.

Stowers Perfect Aligns for Vikings in Round 2

The Vikings own the 18th overall pick on Thursday night. They will not use that on Stowers. That’s too high. But as a matter of coincidence, Stowers lives at No. 49 on the Consensus Big Board on draft day, and that’s exactly where the Vikings pick in Round 2 — No. 49.

Therefore, if Minnesota wanted a tight end, but Sadiq flew off the board too early, to the Baltimore Ravens, for example, Stowers can get-got on Friday night instead of Thursday.

The Stowers Intel

Stowers is 6’4″ and 239 pounds, running a 4.51 forty at the NFL Combine. He was a quarterback in high school and has obviously made the switch to tight end quite adeptly. He’s known for his hands, catch radius, and versatility — offensive coordinators can line him up anywhere.

For weaknesses, Stowers is a bit undersized, and his run-blocking will need a lot of work.

The Ringer‘s Todd McShay on Stowers: “Stowers is still developing and needs to improve his route-running urgency and catch-point physicality. But from an athletic and explosive profile standpoint, he’s in the same elite tier as Vernon Davis, Kyle Pitts, and Noah Fant.”

“Combine that with his year-over-year production improvements and exceptional intelligence testing, and there’s a chance he’ll emerge as one of the best offensive playmakers from the 2026 draft class in a year or two. Stowers is a versatile F tight end with big slot receiver traits.”

Stowers turned 23 earlier this month.

McShay added, “He recorded a high rate of chunk plays (30.6 percent of catches going for 15-plus yards), was efficient (2.43 yards per route run), was solid after the catch (5.9 yards per reception), and flashed a good tackle-breaking ability (nine forced missed tackles) last season.”

“Stowers also has outstanding athletic testing numbers (4.51-second 40 speed, 45.5-inch vertical, 11-foot-3-inch broad jump) that could make him a mismatch creator in the NFL. Stowers showcases elite spatial awareness and coverage recognition as a route runner.”

The Hockenson Situation

When the offseason began, many Vikings fans expected TE1 T.J. Hockenson to be cut as a cap casualty. He was on tap to be the NFL’s highest-paid tight end. That didn’t make much sense because the Vikings used Hockenson as a blocking tight end in 2025, which makes the huge contract silly.

But the veteran playmaker agreed to a paycut and his restructured contract makes him a free agent next year. In all likelihood, Hockenson will depart in 2027 free agency. Therefore, with Hockenson probably existing as a short-timer, a new tight end is needed. If Sadiq isn’t the guy, Stowers in Round 2 could check some boxes.

Zone Coverage‘s Carter Cox on Stowers: “Above all else, Stowers is versatile. His history of playing quarterback also makes him a candidate for many trick plays, which would make him a huge asset to Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Stowers also has blazing speed, which makes him a mismatch against linebackers.”

“Whatever position Stowers plays in the NFL almost doesn’t matter, given his talent. Whether he is a tight end, wide receiver, or wildcat quarterback, Stowers is a weapon on the offense. Adding Stowers to Minnesota’s tight end room would be critical at a time when the rookie can learn from Hockenson, while T.J. can still offer production, which is the best way for the Vikings to build their roster.“

Other Round 2 Options

If Stowers does not interest the Vikings at Pick No. 49, non-TE options might look like this:

• Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
• Chris Bell (WR, Louisville)
• Germie Bernard (WR, Alabama)
• Chris Brazzell (WR, Tennessee)
• Brandon Cisse (S, South Carolina)
• A.J. Haulcy (S, TCU)
• Anthony Hill Jr. (LB, Texas)
• Lee Hunter (DL, Texas Tech)
• Gabe Jacas (EDGE, Illinois)
• Christen Miller (DL, Georgia)
• D’Angelo Ponds (CB, Indiana)
• Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
• Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt)
• Treydan Stukes (CB, Arizona)
• R. Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma)

Other tight ends after Round 2 include Ohio State’s Max Klare and Georgia’s Oscar Delp, among many others.