Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58), linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
The 2025 Minnesota Vikings were strong on defense and failed on offense. So it might seem strange to suggest the team should be concentrating on defense in the 2026 draft, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that is the case.
Defense Emerging as the Vikings’ Clear 2026 Draft Priority
Brian Flores has coached his defense to a very high level since arriving in Minnesota as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2023. The Vikings’ success on defense has largely been about a unit being stronger together rather than individual players. There are good players on the team, but no superstars. Adding some talent to this defensive roster could take it to the next level, making it the best in the league.
Minnesota Vikings Brian Flores on June 10th, 2025, and TCO Peformance Center, talking about his defense and the preparation for the 2025 regular season, which begins on September 8th, 2025, in a game at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears.
The draft is always a great place to do that, and with four picks across the first two days, especially when the team has a few older players. There is plenty of scope for the Vikings to strengthen if they get the first post-Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft right.
There are also arguments for picking offensive players in the draft. Depending on the futures of Aaron Jones, TJ Hockenson, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor, the Vikings could be in the market for an RB, TE, C, or WR. I favour free agency for bolstering what is already quite a youthful offense. RB would be the main exception where a Day 2 pick would be a good option – unless Jeremiyah Love slides to 18. Day 3 can be used to bolster the depth at the offensive positions.
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Defense in Round 1
Early mock drafts have focused heavily on defense in round one for Minnesota. The preferred positions have been interior defensive linemen and cornerbacks. It seems like the Vikings have been trying to draft their future at CB for years with a whole host of failed attempts. Minnesota drafted four CBs in the first round across six years between 2015 and 2020.
None of Trae Waynes, Mike Hughes, or Jeff Gladney achieved the lasting success the team had hoped for. Neither has a host of Day 2 picks, including Mackenzie Alexander, Cam Dantzler, Andrew Booth, or Mekhi Blackmon. It’s time to look again for a CB, while safety is also a position that needs to be addressed.
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Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Defensive tackle is a position that the Vikings have neglected in the draft in recent years. You have to go back to 2013 and Shariff Floyd for the last time Minnesota drafted a DT in the first round — no DT has been drafted before round 4 since then. It’s time for that to change. Whether it’s on Day 1 or Day 2, a young stud to pair with Jalen Redmond should be a high priority for the Vikings.
Possible Targets
If CB and DT are the positions to look at, who are the possible targets for the Vikings? Clemson’s Peter Woods has been seen as the star DT of this draft class who looked likely be out of reach for the Vikings at 18. However, his draft stock has fallen after a disappointing 2025 season. Making a path to Minnesota more likely. Next in line are Caleb Banks and Kayden McDonald — both would be solid picks for Minnesota. McDonald is my favored choice at the moment.
There are a lot of CB options like Jermod McCoy, Avieon Terrell, Mansour Delane, and Colton Hood that the Vikings could have a shot at in Round 1, and a host of other names if they wait for Day 2 to look at the position — the same can be said for DT. Which way around should be determined by who’s on the board on the day, but these are the first two positions I would be looking to address in the draft.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics – Alpine Skiing – Women’s Team Combined Victory Ceremony – Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy – February 10, 2026. Bronze medalists Jacqueline Wiles of United States and Paula Moltzan of United States celebrate after the Women’s Team Combined
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Austria’s Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber won women’s team combined Olympic gold on Tuesday as overwhelming U.S. favorites Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin missed out on the podium in a major shock.
Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher took the silver, 0.05 behind, and Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan finished third for the United States on a slalom piste set by the Austrian coach.
World and Olympic downhill champion Johnson and dominant slalom skier Shiffrin finished fourth — missing a medal by 0.06 of a second — after looking set to repeat their 2025 world championship win.
Johnson was fastest in the downhill leg but Shiffrin, winner of seven out of eight slaloms this season and the most successful World Cup skier of all time, was only 15th in the slalom run on Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Olimpia delle Tofane piste after losing the advantage early on.
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Shiffrin arrived at the 2022 Beijing Games as favorite to win a fistful of medals but left empty-handed. She has two more chances in giant slalom and slalom.
The fourth place also ended Johnson’s hopes of a “double double” — holding both the world downhill and team combined titles and adding Olympic golds in both.
The silver was Aicher’s second of the Games after she finished runner-up in the downhill. Remarkably, the German skied the slalom leg on Tuesday.
The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl on Sunday after beating the New England Patriots 29–13 to lift their second Lombardi Trophy.
Quarterback Sam Darnold led Seattle to victory with a calm performance, throwing for a touchdown and almost 200 passing yards on the biggest stage in American football.
The match was also special for Nigerians and people of Nigerian descent, as several players with Nigerian roots played key roles in the game and throughout the season.
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Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu was a major part of Seattle’s defence. Born to Nigerian parents, he recorded over 100 tackles and seven sacks in the 2025 season and has built a strong reputation in the NFL. He has often spoken proudly about his Nigerian heritage and the value of hard work.
Another defender, Boye Mafe, also of Nigerian descent, continued his rise with five sacks and several tackles for loss. He holds a club record for consecutive games with a sack.
Rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, raised in a Nigerian-American home, impressed in his first season with 81 tackles, 11 pass breakups and one interception.
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On offence, centre Olusegun “Olu” Oluwatimi played a key role in protecting the quarterback and organising the offensive line. He did not allow a single sack in his starts during the season.
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has Nigerian and Sierra Leonean roots, had a standout year. He led the league in receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns, earning Offensive Player of the Year honours.
Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe, who also has Nigerian heritage, added speed and rushing threat in special plays during the season.
The Patriots also had Nigerian representation, with offensive lineman Michael Onwenu starting all 17 games and anchoring their offensive line.
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Seattle’s Super Bowl win has again highlighted the growing impact of players with Nigerian roots in the NFL.
West Ham vs Man United TV channel, live stream and how to listen – Manchester Evening News
Manchester United face West Ham United on Tuesday evening in the Premier League
Everything you need to know about how to watch West Ham United vs Manchester United
Date and Kick-off Time: This Premier League encounter is set for Tuesday, February 10, at the London Stadium. The match is scheduled to begin at 8.15pm, making it the headline act of the night’s midweek football.
UK TV Channel: TNT Sports holds the exclusive broadcasting rights for this game, with the primary coverage airing on TNT Sports 1. Additionally, viewers with high-end setups can access the broadcast in stunning detail on the TNT Sports Ultimate channel.
UK Live Stream Details: Digital viewers can stream the entire match live via the discovery+ app, which is accessible on most mobile devices and computers. The stream is also available to eligible customers through the TNT Sports add-on within the Amazon Prime Video app.
International TV and Streaming: Fans in the United States can watch the game live on Peacock, while those in Canada will find the stream hosted on Fubo. Australian supporters can follow the action through Optus Sport, ensuring global English-speaking audiences are well-covered.
UK Radio Coverage: Full radio commentary will be broadcast across the UK on talkSPORT and BBC Radio 5 Live for fans on the move. Supporters in the Greater Manchester area can also listen to local perspectives and analysis on BBC Radio Manchester.
Manchester United Team News: Interim manager Michael Carrick is managing several absences, including Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu who are both ruled out. Mason Mount is also considered a significant doubt for the trip to London after picking up a minor injury in training.
West Ham Team news: The Hammers will be without Jean-Clair Todibo as he continues to serve a suspension following his recent red card. In his absence, the defensive line is likely to be bolstered by Axel Disasi, who is expected to start in front of the home crowd.
Match Context: Manchester United are riding high in fourth place and looking for their fifth consecutive win to cement their spot in the Champions League race. Conversely, West Ham find themselves in a relegation scrap and are desperate for a result to climb out of the bottom three.
The 2026 golf season is just getting underway, which means it’s time to plan for 2027. The biggest-name courses in the UK and Ireland — the Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Muirfield and their ilk — book out in the manner of hotels in Augusta around the Masters: early, fast, and with the nagging suspicion that you should have acted yesterday. If you’ve got your sights set on a big trip, now is when the logistical busywork begins: watching booking windows, corralling playing partners, sorting lodging. Never mind your swing. Focus on your spreadsheet.
That was the message from Destination Golf podcast co-host Simon Holt on a recent episode devoted to dream itineraries, and the planning required to pull them off.
For starters, know your dates. Muirfield’s booking window for 2027 opens March 18. Holt’s advice: get on the website, and get on it fast. Once you’ve got that building block in place, you can start adding on with North Berwick and other nearby musts.
Royal County Down opens Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. local time — which, depending on where you live, may qualify as “crazy o’clock.” Holt, who also runs luxury golf travel outfit 8AM Travel, didn’t sugarcoat it. “You will hit redial the whole day,” he said. “You will get a tee time. Just don’t expect to get 9:30 a.m. on the day you want to play.”
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Royal Portrush opens March 2, and Holt recommends landing County Down first, then hoping your Portrush options sync up. Miss one? There are workarounds. Pair Portrush with Portstewart and St. Patrick’s Links. If County Down is your anchor, build around it with a Dublin swing and Portmarnock.
The point: there’s more than one way to build the trip of a lifetime. But you have to start building now. And, as Holt put it, one of you has to do the hard work of getting up early and making the calls. You can listen to the entire episode below.
The past three winners of the gold medal have been Finland, Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) and Canada, in 2014. Four years before that, in 2010, Canada took home the gold once more, after beating the US in the final in Vancouver.
The USA has 11 medals in total for competition in ice hockey but has not taken home the gold medal since 1980, over 45 years ago. Their only other gold medal came in 1960.
But 2026 will mark the first time since 2014 where NHL players have participated in Olympic ice hockey. Historically the NHL and International Olympic Committee have failed to reach an agreement on allowing NHL players to participate. In both 2018 and 2022 this was the case, affecting the USA, Canada and many other countries.
With the inclusion of the NHL once more, Canada are the favourites for the gold medal in Milan. The USA are behind Canada as the second favourites but the USA are touted as the team to beat in the women’s ice hockey.
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Men’s hockey schedule for USA and Canada
Teams have been training at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena ahead of the Games (Getty Images)
USA
February 12: Latvia vs USA
February 14: USA vs Denmark
February 15: USA vs Germany
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Canada
February 12: Czech Republic vs Canada
February 13: Switzerland vs Canada
February 15: Canada vs France
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If both teams make it through the preliminary games the schedule will be as follows:
February 17: Playoff round
February 18: Quarter-final
February 20: Semi-final
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February 21: Bronze-medal game
February 22: Gold-medal game
All games will either be played at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena or the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
NEW DELHI: India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Tuesday the team has always been mentally ready to face Pakistan in their T20 World Cup league match.The two rivals are set to meet on February 15, and Ten Doeschate stressed that off-field issues never distracted the Indian camp from its preparations.
How PCB, ICC, BCB reached a resolution on India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match
He admitted Pakistan might have a slight advantage since they have already been in Colombo for two weeks, but India are concentrating on delivering its best performance. “It’s going to be a challenge going to Colombo, where Pakistan have been for the last two weeks, and we’re fully focused on just bringing our best game to that fixture next week,” he told the reporters. With India playing Namibia on February 12 in their second encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup, clarity over Pakistan’s participation means both teams can treat the match purely as a sporting contest. Meanwhile, India opener Abhishek Sharma missed the team’s first training session in New Delhi due to illness and stomach problems, raising doubts about his availability for the Namibia match. He had a poor start to the tournament with a golden duck against the USA and didn’t field in that match, with Sanju Samson replacing him. At a team dinner hosted by coach Gautam Gambhir, Abhishek left early, adding to health concerns. “Abhi (Abhishek Sharma) has still got a few issues with his tummy, but we are hopeful he will be available for the game in two days time. Bumrah is also feeling and moving a lot better,” he said on Tuesday. Jasprit Bumrah also missed the USA match due to illness. India may rest Abhishek to ensure he is fully fit for the Pakistan game, with Sanju Samson possibly opening in his place. Abhishek is seen as a key player due to his explosive T20 batting, and despite his early failure, the team values his impact. India still beat the USA by 29 runs, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 84 and strong bowling from Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has confirmed he is open to joining any club, either in South Africa or abroad, following his departure from Chippa United.
The 29-year-old said he has placed no restrictions on his next move as he begins life as a free agent. He added that he is focused on finding the right sporting project rather than rushing into a transfer.
“I can play anywhere I want to play, there is no restriction. I am open to any club, local or international,” Nwabali said during a media appearance.
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The former Katsina United goalkeeper has been linked with several clubs across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Reports have mentioned Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, Raja Club Athletic in Morocco, Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq, and English Championship club Queens Park Rangers as possible destinations.
Despite the speculation, Nwabali revealed that he has not received any concrete offers so far.
“There are no calls yet. The only calls are from my family and friends and people who are shocked at the news,” he said.
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Nwabali is expected to carefully consider his options in the coming weeks as he looks to secure a new club and stay fit ahead of Nigeria’s 2026 international fixtures.
Bengal stormed into the Ranji Trophy semifinals with a dominant innings and 90-run win over Andhra on Tuesday, completing a one-sided contest that had been set up by Sudip Kumar Gharami’s towering knock of 299.
Andhra resumed their second innings on the final day at 64 for three, but the result was virtually sealed after they had already fallen 334 runs behind Bengal’s massive first-innings total on Day 4. With the pitch offering assistance and time running out, Bengal needed only patience and discipline to close out the game.
The hosts will now face Jammu and Kashmir in the semifinal beginning February 15. The other semifinal will see Karnataka lock horns with Uttarakhand.
On Day 5, Andhra’s primary aim was to avoid an innings defeat, but left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed played a decisive role, exploiting the wearing surface to break resistance. Shahbaz finished with impressive figures of 4 for 72, while Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal chipped in with two wickets. Akash Deep, Sumanta Gupta and Anustup Majumdar claimed one wicket apiece.
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Mohammed Shami, currently out of favour at the international level, bowled just three overs in Andhra’s second innings after contributing with the bat in Bengal’s first-innings score of 629.
For Andhra, Nitish Kumar Reddy stood tall amid the collapse, showing resolve in a gritty 90 off 144 balls, which included seven fours and two sixes. Chasing 270 to force Bengal to bat again, Andhra needed a substantial stand between Reddy and skipper Ricky Bhui. However, Bhui was dismissed by Shahbaz after adding only 12 runs to his overnight tally.
Shahbaz soon accounted for Saurabh Kumar before removing Reddy to complete a fine spell. Tripurana Vijay scored 46 and Kalidindi Raju added 25, but their efforts merely postponed the inevitable as Gupta dismissed Vijay to seal Bengal’s emphatic victory. Wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat did not take the field due to injury.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, will run from Friday, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 22. Over the course of those two weeks, athletes from 92 countries — not including Russia or Belarus — will compete in 16 different sports.
At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the United States finished tied for third in the gold medal count, just behind Norway and Germany. The U.S. brought home nine gold medals, which was tied with China in that category, but the Americans finished fifth in the overall medal count with 25.
Team USA will try to improve upon those numbers in 2026, and they have some golden opportunities to do just that. Both the men’s and women’s hockey team should be in the running for a gold medal, Jordan Stolz is a favorite in speed skating, Chloe Kim is hitting the halfpipe in snowboarding and Mikaela Shiffrin will once again be on the ski slopes. And figure skaters Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin have high potential to reach the podium.
Norway will attempt to defend its title as the most awarded country in the Winter Olympics, both from 2022 and all-time. The Norwegians won 16 gold medals and 37 total medals at the Beijing Games four years ago, and they possess a large edge in the all-time medal count. Norway has won 148 gold medals and 406 total medals in its 24 appearances at the Winter Olympics. The Americans are a distant second with 330 total medals.
Russian and Belarusian athletes are permitted to compete, but only as individuals under a neutral flag. They’ll be classified as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” and their medals won’t factor into the overall count. Russian and Belarusian teams are still banned from competing the Olympics.
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Keep track of the live medal count over the next couple weeks as the United States looks to fill up its trophy case while competing across Northern Italy.
