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AL.com NFL mock draft: Unprecedented first round at hand

An unprecedented NFL Draft is at hand. The first round is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT Thursday, and every team still holds its original choice in the opening 32 selections.

Already the first draft since 1967 for which each team still held its original first-round pick when the league year started, that’s still the case five weeks later.

But there will be trades in the first round. Not at the top, though. The Tennessee Titans brass said on Tuesday they would make the No. 1 pick on Thursday night. Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward is the presumed choice.

Last year, quarterbacks were the first three picks and filled six of the opening 12 slots. But even though the Cleveland Browns at No. 2 and New York Giants at No. 3 have QB questions, the evaluations of the other first-round possibilities – Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe – coupled with the opportunity to add a projected star such as Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter will make this a different draft.

The quarterbacks still might go in the first round, but for Dart and Milroe, that would require teams trading back into the opening 32. Both the Browns and the Giants can make that happen. Each team will have four more picks in the top 105 after they make their first-round selections.

The perceived evenness of talent in the draft and the depth of prospects at positions such as edge rusher will have several teams eager to trade back. The Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all short of selections. The Vikings and Commanders seem the most likely candidates to trade out of the first round.

On the other side of that coin, the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have the draft capital to try to dictate where they pick. Seattle and Buffalo seem the most likely to move up to get what they want in the first round.

The Los Angeles Rams also need to move up to be happier about their first-round pick. But they also could trade out of the first round to fill the void on their draft board between the No. 26 and No. 90 picks.

Teams in the second half of the first round that appear able to sit still and end Thursday night genuinely thrilled include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans.

Then there’s the wild card of Kirk Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler has a no-trade clause, but he doesn’t want to spend the 2025 season as Michael Penix’s backup in Atlanta. Cousins flourished with Minnesota when current Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator.

An injury also looms over the first round. A recent shoulder ailment has cast doubt on New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr’s 2025 season, and it has caused a recalibration of mock drafts. Is a quarterback in play for the Saints at No. 9 or does New Orleans prefer free agents Aaron Rodgers or Carson Wentz? Or maybe a trade for Cousins? Are the Saints and Falcons even allowed to trade with each other?

Here’s a projection of the first-round picks played like a golf shot (as it lies, at least for now):

1. Tennessee Titans: Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward

2. Cleveland Browns: Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter

3. New York Giants: Penn State outside linebacker Abdul Carter

4. New England Patriots: LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty

7. New York Jets: Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou

8. Carolina Panthers: Georgia outside linebacker Jalon Walker

9. New Orleans Saints: Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan

10. Chicago Bears: Penn State tight end Tyler Warren

11. San Francisco 49ers: Michigan nose tackle Kenneth Grant

12. Dallas Cowboys: Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden

13. Miami Dolphins: Michigan cornerback Will Johnson

14. Indianapolis Colts: Michigan tight end Colston Loveland

15. Atlanta Falcons: Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron

16. Arizona Cardinals: Georgia safety Malaki Starks

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen

18. Seattle Seahawks: Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell

20. Denver Broncos: North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka

23. Green Bay Packers: Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart

24. Minnesota Vikings: Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon

25. Houston Texans: Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons

26. Los Angeles Rams: Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III

27. Baltimore Ravens: Marshall outside linebacker Mike Green

28. Detroit Lions: Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams

29. Washington Commanders: Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku

30. Buffalo Bills: North Dakota State center Grey Zabel

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Alabama guard Tyler Booker

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

General

Huntsville auto plant pauses production of SUV to counter Trump tariffs

Mazda has announced it is temporarily halting some production of its CX-50 SUV in Alabama in response to the Trump Administration’s automobile tariffs, according to Yahoo! Finance.

But the Japanese luxury automaker said there will be no changes to its overall production volume at the Huntsville plant.

Multiple reports say a production pause at Mazda’s joint manufacturing facility with Toyota will begin May 12.

The stoppage will only be for models intended for the Canadian market, a report from Bloomberg states.

Mazda will continue to produce the model for other markets, Nikkei reported.

In a statement, the company said production will continue as usual.

“As Mazda’s only vehicle assembly plant in the United States, we intend to utilize MTM to the fullest to support the growth of our business,” a statement from Mazda reads. “We will continue to monitor the situation, including government negotiations, market trends, and policy developments, and will consider flexible and appropriate responses accordingly.”

The Trump 25% tariffs on imported cars and parts was followed by retaliatory tariffs by Canada.

The CX-50, a compact crossover SUV, accounts for about 15% of Mazda’s total passenger vehicle sales in Canada, which amounted to about 72,000 units in 2024.

“Mazda Canada currently has a limited supply of CX-50 inventory and in-transit units that our retailers will continue to sell,” Mazda Canada spokesperson Sandra Lemaitre told Auto News.

If there is no change in the tariff policies, Mazda could raise the price of the CX-50 in Canada to offset costs, or withdraw the model from the market, analysts say.

This post was updated at 9:30 a.m. April 23 to add comments from Mazda.

General

Tennessee board recommends country music be pardoned for crimes committed in youth

A Tennessee sheriff took to social media to announce that country music star Jelly Roll could be seeing a pardon for crimes he committed.

“This was incredible,” he said of the board’s decision, per The Associated Press. “I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless.”

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall posted Tuesday on X that the state Board of Parole voted to endorse a pardon for the 40-year-old singer, legally known as Jason B. Deford, 40.

The Associated Press reported that the vote was unanimous, with one member recusing.

According to NBC News, the issue is now before Gov. Bill Lee, who can “grant a pardon, grant a commutation erasing Jelly Roll’s criminal record or turn down the request.”

Jelly Roll has said he’s not allowed to vote because of his criminal convictions.

The country music star said he spent most of the time between the ages 14 and 25 in jail, including a stint for robbery.

He revealed on a podcast last month that he sold drugs in his Nashville neighborhood.

According to The AP, his most serious convictions include a robbery at age 17 and drug charges at 23. In the first case, a female acquaintance helped Jelly Roll and two other young men enter a house in 2002. Both of the others were carrying guns, although Jelly Roll was unarmed. They demanded money, and received $350 and a wallet with no money in it. Because the victims knew the female acquaintance, she and Jelly Roll were arrested right away. He was sentenced to serve a year in prison and additional time on probation.

The Associated Press contributed this report.

General

Let Harvard take care of itself

This is an opinion column.

I get the impression from national headlines and so much social media flag-rallying that I’m supposed to be rooting for Harvard now. But I’m having a hard time getting excited about it.

Last week, the White House sent that lodestar of higher education a testy letter declaring war. So far, Trump has frozen more than $2 billion in federal grants and contracts with the institution, and he has threatened to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status.

Harvard has responded as Harvard people do when threatened. They’re taking Trump to court. They’re betting the institution’s fortunes that the judiciary is still constitutionally stable enough to give it cover.

“Can Harvard withstand Trump’s financial attack?” the breathless New York Times asked.

Typically, when a headline ends with a question mark, the answer is a hard “NO,” but in this instance, it’s a strong probably.

Harvard is rich.

As of last summer, the university had an endowment of $53 billion. The economic side effects of Trump’s global trade war might be a bigger threat to the institution than the president’s cuts to federal funding.

But I think it’ll be OK. Harvard can take care of itself.

If you smell a trace of resentment on my breath, I’ll cop to it now. You see, my alma mater, Birmingham-Southern College, went belly-up a year ago, and it didn’t need Donald Trump to tank it. A hull-meets-iceberg collision of bad spending decisions and the Great Recession left the school slowly sinking for more than a decade. Like any number of small liberal arts colleges struggling across the country, what it needed was money.

Meanwhile, the nation’s Ivy-plus institutions have solicited and accepted billions in donations. One half of one tenth of one percent of Harvard’s endowment could have saved my alma mater from closing, but whatever.

Accepting donations is their right — or as it seems now, their privilege — but not one without consequences.

Since the end of the Great Recession, Harvard’s endowment has doubled. Meanwhile, the number of first-year undergraduates admitted has remained mostly flat and has declined slightly in recent years.

And therein lies my grievance.

What is the mission of higher education but to educate people? And if so, why hasn’t Harvard done more?

As a teacher’s kid, I believe from the bottom of my soul that the utility of education is that it empowers people. It doesn’t only prepare us for jobs (don’t even get me started on that) but it equips us for more fulfilling lives, enfranchises us as citizens, and closes the gaps between our dreams and our potential. Education not only benefits the well-being of students, but also of our country and, heck, the whole human race.

The mission of higher ed should be to educate people, but that mission has gotten lost and in its place is something different.

Instead of bragging about how many people they educate, colleges and universities measure their standing by how many people they turn away. Some pride themselves on it.

Harvard’s acceptance rate is 3.5 percent.

In any other context, the absurdity here would be obvious. Imagine a tech start-up telling 97 percent of its potential customers to bug off. Would you give it your money? Probably not. But that hasn’t stopped donors at Ivy League schools from handing over billions.

Not all colleges and universities have kept their acceptance rates so low, which might be a good thing except for something worse lurking in the bargain.

While schools like Harvard have prided themselves on how many people they turn away, state schools have turned their castaways into a market opportunity. Consider the University of Alabama, where Chancellor Robert Witt thought it would be a cool idea to raise tuition $1,000 a year until they broke the affordability sound barrier.

“We didn’t approach what we’d charge from a particularly sophisticated level,” Witt told writer Josh Mitchell for his book, The Debt Trap. “We increased it $1,000. It was a fairly significant percentage increase. Applications and acceptances continued to go up. We basically systemically started taking it up $1,000 a year. Our thinking was, if we begin to notice a softening in applications, acceptances, and/or matriculation, we’ll know that we need to start backing off a little.”

Over about a decade, Witt had doubled UA’s tuition and swelled enrollment with out-of-state students paying the premium price.

Rather than seeing this as some sort of cautionary tale, universities throughout the country — including rival Auburn University — followed Witt’s lead, effectively turning public universities into private schools for out-of-state students.

Meanwhile, schools that have been struggling — smaller state schools, liberal arts colleges and HBCUs — have been the ones trying to do the Lord’s work, extending educational opportunities at a reasonable cost.

But at least schools such as Auburn and UA were trying to grow enrollment, more than elite institutions such as Harvard could say for themselves.

Obviously, not everyone is going to get into Harvard, nor should Ivy League schools be compelled to expand enrollment to the horizon, but they could do something. And short of that, do what for-profit businesses do — spin off divisions into new autonomous entities that might duplicate and multiply their success.

Instead, they have spent their time and donors’ money burnishing something else — exclusivity. The greatest value of a Harvard education is that not everyone gets to have one.

That’s their selling point — and the gigantic bullseye — the Harvards of the world have painted on themselves.

The easiest way to convince someone to want something is to tell them they can’t have it. Convince someone they want something bad enough, and eventually they’ll kill for it. But when that happens, if you’re the one holding the thing they want, then they’ll kill you.

And Harvard is the one holding the Holy MacGuffin right now.

Donald Trump’s war on higher ed is superficially over anti-Semitism, but don’t be fooled. He’s doing this because his base constituency likes it.

And higher ed needs to ask itself why.

The fuel of Trumpism is resentment, and the cultural exclusivity of elite higher ed is a well gushing crude.

Some will argue that now is not the time to question the endowments or the choices of the Ivies, and they are right. The time was years ago, but people have been making this argument for years and nobody listened then, either.

Now that the rabbit has the gun, maybe somebody will pay attention.

I would defend Harvard because, as with my late alma mater, I think the world is better off with it than without it. But they don’t need my help.

Trump is attacking the university for all the wrong reasons and, if he’s successful, he won’t replace it with something better. I think Trumpism is doomed to fail, and hopefully, the university and others like it will survive.

But we still need to have a talk about America’s higher education mission and what could be done to fix it.

Harvard doesn’t need to die, but a near-death experience might do it some good.

Kyle Whitmire is the Washington watchdog columnist for AL.com and winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. You can follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X , Threads and Bluesky.

General

Florida man crawls into hotel valet room, steals keys and $2 million in luxury cars, cops say

A Fort Lauderdale man was caught on camera crawling into a hotel valet room to steal a handful of high-end cars worth nearly $2 million, according to Miami Beach police.

Gregory Sean Yearty Jr., 24, was arrested on Monday after investigators say he stole four luxury vehicles—including a Lamborghini Urus and a Rolls-Royce Ghost—from the parking garage of the Setai Hotel on 2001 Collins Avenue.

Surveillance video showed a man police identified as Yearty crawling on the ground to sneak into the valet key room around 2 a.m. on July 6, 2024. Once inside, he stood up, grabbed several key fobs, and crawled back out, apparently trying to avoid being noticed on camera.

Police say Yearty then drove off with two stolen cars, accompanied by two unidentified men. He would return just before 6 a.m. to take two more cars. A rented black Cadillac Escalade was seen on surveillance video trailing and returning with the men during the thefts.

The investigation began after multiple reports of stolen vehicles from hotel guests. Detectives used video footage, rental car records, and cell phone tracking data to identify Yearty. He later turned himself in at Miami Beach Police Headquarters.

Yearty faces four counts of grand theft and burglary of an occupied structure. He is jailed at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Wednesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had retained an attorney.

“If you come to Miami Beach to victimize our community, you will be held accountable,” said Police Chief Wayne Jones in a statement.

General

37-year-old man found shot to death in east Jefferson County

An investigation is underway after a man was found shot to death in an eastern Jefferson County home.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Franklyn Isaac Ochoa Corea. He was 37.

Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday to a residence in the 5300 block of Ruby Carson Boulevard.

They arrived to find Ochoa unresponsive and evidence of a shooting. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 8:48 p.m.

It wasn’t immediately clear when Ochoa was shot. At least one person told investigators they last spoke to the victim over the weekend.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

General

Decatur father of 5 who died after controversial arrest ‘was just a big ball of joy,’ loved ones say

John “LJ” Scott Jr., a Decatur man who died Tuesday after a weeklong stay at in the hospital following a controversial arrest during an apparent mental health crisis, was remembered by a former teammate and two former coaches as a fierce athlete, a friend to all, and someone with an unforgettable smile.

Interim Police Chief Nadis Carlisle Jr. on Tuesday said that he has requested assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct a thorough review of Scott’s death.

Decatur police responded to a 911 call Tuesday at Brookridge Apartments on a report that Scott, 41, had taken her phone. She called again to say the issue was resolved, but when an officer showed up she explained that Scott was experiencing a mental health crisis.

Officers were called back later that evening due to a report of erratic behavior. Police attempted to have Scott voluntarily enter an ambulance, but when he refused, officers arrested him for an active warrant. The situation escalated, and police used a Taser and physical force to gain control.

He was handcuffed and taken to Morgan County Jail, where he later showed signs of distress and was transferred to Decatur Morgan Hospital and then Huntsville Hospital for further care.

According to Morgan County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mike Swafford, Scott arrived at the jail at approximately 8:50 p.m. and was transported to Decatur Morgan Hospital at approximately 10:10 p.m.

“Mr. Scott initially resisted and was non-compliant when he arrived,” Swafford said. “However, once inside booking this stopped.”

Swafford said Scott was in handcuffs when he arrived and shackles were placed on his ankles to prevent him from kicking staff while going through the booking process.

“The cuffs and shackles were removed once he was placed in a holding cell,” Swafford said. “While in the holding cell, he was conscious and interacted with corrections officers until medical attention was needed.” — Scott remembered

Scott’s former assistant football coach at Austin High School, Mitchell Knox, said Scott inspired positivity everywhere he went.

“When you were around John, there was no sadness,” Knox said. “He was just a big ball of joy.”

Knox said the last time he spoke with Scott was two weeks ago when he saw him at a red light in Decatur.

“I think he was going to work because it was like 7:40 in the morning,” Knox said. “I didn’t even know he was back in Decatur. He was living in Cullman with his wife the last time I talked to him before then.”

Knox said he met Scott when he moved to Decatur in the 10th grade from New York. From a young age, Knox said he could tell Scott was talented and had the potential to be a big playmaker on the field.

“Right off the bat, he was one of the best players, if not the best player we had on the team as a sophomore,” Knox said. “He had his moments when he was stubborn … but he was a great high school football player.”

Standing 6-foot-2 as a sophomore, Scott started at defensive end in his 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years with his coaches moving him to various positions across the defensive line and even trying him at tight end once.

“At that time, he probably weighed 240 or 250, but he was one of the quickest players on the team,” Knox said.

Scott took his talents to the next level, playing football at Jacksonville State University on the defensive line as a nose tackle, according to Knox.

“The nose tackle is lined up right on the center, so he has to draw a double team,” Knox said. “John drew a double team all the time and he would split that double team and still make plays.”

He said Scott led the defensive line in tackles and sacks his entire football career at Austin, which he said led to his scholarship at Jacksonville State. After he graduated from college, he played arena football for the Tulsa Talons and the New Orleans VooDoo, finishing his career in 2011.

Knox said Scott was “just a great person” whose “smile could win over anybody,” and that he’ll always miss his youthful love of life and the joy he brought to those around him.

Elkmont High head coach Joel Schrenk was another one of Scott’s assistant football coaches at Austin, having coached there from 1995 to 2007. He also said Scott was unbelievably fast given his large size.

“He could fly,” Schrenk said. “He was a freaky athlete. He made plays everywhere and could do anything — run, pass, special teams, he could do it all.”

Schrenk said he was always impressed by the way Scott worked to overcome adversity in his life, coming from a housing project in Yonkers, New York before he moved to Decatur.

“When he got to us, he was not a very good student,” Schrenk said. “He really struggled in school and he worked like crazy to get eligible. He did everything we asked him and he worked his tail off.”

Schrenk laughed about the time when former Austin High head football coach Joe Gaddis wanted to play Scott as a tight end.

“I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know if we need to do that, this guy is a Division I football player at defensive line and we don’t need to mess with it,’” Schrenk said. “So, day two of John practicing at tight end, he’s running across the middle and he twists his ankle. Coach Gaddis runs out there to check on him and we figured he’s going to be OK, but anyway, coach looks at me and goes, ‘He don’t need to play offense, you keep him over there with you.’ I said, ‘Well, I told you that all week, but OK.’”

Schrenk said Scott and the other defensive linemen that started alongside him were “the best defensive front I’ve ever had in 30 years.”

Knox, who coached at Austin High from 1993 to 2020, said that Scott did not have a father figure when he moved to Decatur, and he decided to take him under his wing.

“I was just one of those people who happened to be able to get him the mentoring that he needed,” Knox said. “Not just him, but all the other players who was on defense those three years.”

Knox said he knew that Scott had two younger brothers.

He said that while Scott was blessed with natural talent, he matched it with relentless hard work.

“He worked hard to develop his body, because he was a little fluffy when he came to Austin,” Knox said. “He had to get in the weight room, and he had to do it between football and basketball. So, he worked extremely hard in the weight room and in the academic part to get where he needed to go.”

Holly Pond High School head football coach Will McDaniel said he remembered meeting Scott in the 10th grade at Austin High. Both graduated from Austin in 2003.

McDaniel said he remembered seeing Scott, or LJ as his friends called him, walking everywhere because he did not have a vehicle. He started giving Scott rides, and from there a strong friendship formed between them.

From going to watching standup comedy shows at a theatre in Huntsville, to listening to music in McDaniel’s car, to playing NCAA video games, McDaniel said he will never forget the times he spent with his friend.

“I remember LJ had a unique taste in music,” McDaniel said. “I had a Dave Matthews Band CD in my car once and I’m trying to change it to something else, and he’s like ‘Na, man.’ He knew their music and he liked it and I was like, ‘Alright, OK.’ I specifically remember that that he wanted me to keep the Dave Matthews CD in.”

McDaniel started as inside linebacker at Austin, lining up behind Scott as he played defensive end. He recalled one game against Athens High.

“I remember in the fourth quarter, Athens got the ball back after we missed the extra point and there was enough time left where they could run a couple of plays,” McDaniel said. “I remember LJ playing defensive end and they ran toss sweep to his side on the first play. I remember by the time the dude caught the toss, LJ hit the dude up under the mouth. He hit the guy and the ball came out and I don’t know how we didn’t recover it.”

McDaniel said he will always remember LJ for his great personality and the respect he had for those he came across every day.

“He’s got children, he’s got five kids and they are going to miss their daddy,” Schrenk said. “For me selfishly, I’m going to miss that smile and that hug and the contagiousness of his laugh and just how excited he always was when we saw each other. He gave you a bear hug, I’m not talking about a little bitty hug, he gave you a grown man hug.”

General

Hotel-apartment combination opening in Huntsville’s MidCity

Hospitality and multifamily company Placemakr announced the launching of its first Alabama property on Tuesday in Huntsville’s MidCity.

Placemakr Huntsville at Anthem House is open for booking. It is a partnership with developers RCP Companies and capital partners Revolution Capital.

Residents will have access to elevated, hotel-like services including a la carte room cleaning, laundry and linen service and discounted hotel stays for friends and family and more.

Placemakr Huntsville at Anthem House features 330 studio, studio plus, and one-bedroom units designed for both multifamily living and short-term stays. Upon completion, MidCity will include 1,865 residential units and 925 hotel rooms.

The district combines culture, innovation, and entertainment in a walkable, amenity-rich area, featuring the award-winning $40 Million Orion Amphitheater, Trader Joe’s, and Top Golf, among the estimated 600,000 square feet of curated restaurants and retail, and a 40-Acre Public Park for guests to enjoy during their stay, regardless of whether they are there for work or play, Placemakr said.

“This property represents an incredible opportunity to bring our unique experience to an exciting and growing community,” said Jason Fudin, CEO and co-founder of Placemakr. “The rich heritage of Huntsville mixed with the modern investment in business and entertainment makes this a perfect fit with where Placemakr sees opportunities to meet demand for our products.”

The developers touted Placemakr Huntsville’s proximity to Cummings Research Park and Redstone Arsenal and said potential guests and residents included government agency workers based in D.C., including those from NASA or the Department of Defense, or families traveling for leisure.

Placemakr said guests and residents will find home-like comfort across any length of stay.

“We’re excited to partner with Placemakr to be the first to provide this type of offering with all the corporate travelers and contract work that comes through Huntsville,” said Max Grelier, co-Founder of RCP Companies, the master developers of MidCity District. “This district is prime for this type of experience, where guests can enjoy a home-like experience whether they’re here for a weekend, six months, or longer.”

For more information visit anthemhousemidcity.com.

General

Wayfair is offering an $800 discount on this stylish 4-Piece Patio Set

Wayfair is offering early Way Day deals now through Friday including limited time markdowns on name brand patio furniture.

During this online sale, Wayfair customers can get an $800 discount on the Wade Logan Aubre 4-Piece Conversation Set with grey cushions. This means you can snag this set for $359 instead of its original list price of $1,175. You can also get the same set with navy cushions on sale for $366.99.

Aubre 4-Piece Conversation Set by Wade Logan

The Aubre 4-Piece Conversation Set by Wade Logan is on sale for $800 off during the Way Day Preview Sale.

Buy Now

According to Wayfair, all product features included in the Aubre 4-Piece Patio Set are as follows:

This set seats four people and includes two club chairs, one loveseat and one end table
Exceptional durability keeps your furniture beautiful for years to come with powder-coated steel and PE wicker construction.
Quick and easy assembly thanks to the included easy-grip handle hex screwdriver with magnetized tip
Pair this exciting set with matching set items for more choice and more versatility
Unzip and clean cushion covers easily in your washing machine (air dry only)

“Create a cozy seating area on your porch or patio with this 4-piece outdoor conversation set. Each piece is made with a powder-coated steel frame that stands up to the elements, and they rest on solid wood tapered legs for a mid-century silhouette,” Wayfair’s product details state.

“We love how the brown polyethylene wicker is complemented by the polyester blend cushions, bringing subtle contrast to your porch or patio. Plus, with eight removable, machine-washable cushion covers, this set is easy to keep looking its best season after season.”

The Aubre 4-Piece Patio Set is also a top-rated item with an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars on Wayfair’s website.

“We are very happy with this set! The materials used are high-quality and built to last. The cushions are plush and supportive. Putting this set together was very easy. The instructions were clear, and all the necessary hardware was included. Color is exactly like picture,” one promising review states.

Another recent review reads, “Love my new patio furniture! It’s very comfortable, stylish and very easy to put together! It was also at a reasonable price. I highly recommend this product!”

Those interested in this deal can checkout the full rundown on Wayfair’s website here.

General

Which player has been the best No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft?

The 2025 NFL Draft starts on Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the 32 first-round picks. AL.com has counted down to the event by highlighting the best choice – overall, from the SEC and of players from Alabama high schools and colleges — made with each of the first 32 picks in the 89 NFL drafts.

Best No. 1 pick: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998

Manning won The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player five times and finished as the runner-up in the voting three times during his 17 seasons.

The quarterback was the first-team All-Pro QB seven times, made the Pro Bowl 14 times and played for the NFL championship team twice.

Manning left the game as the NFL’s career leader in passing yards and touchdown passes and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2021 in his first year of eligibility.

Thirteen other No. 1 picks have been chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 89 No. 1 picks have produced 24 first-team All-Pros and 51 Pro Bowlers.

The first selection in last year’s draft was Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams by the Chicago Bears.

Best No. 1 pick from the SEC: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998

Frank Sinkwich and Cam Newton were NFL MVPs, Eli Manning won the Super Bowl MVP Award and Charley Trippi is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All were former SEC stars who were the first players picked in an NFL draft.

Peyton Manning did all those things after leaving Tennessee.

The runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, winner of the Maxwell Award and consensus All-American quarterback for Tennessee’s 1997 SEC championship team, Manning had competition to be the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft from Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf.

The Colts went with Manning, and he worked as Indianapolis’ quarterback for the next 13 seasons. The San Diego Chargers took Leaf at No. 2, and he started 18 games in three seasons before finishing his career with four games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2001.

Of the 22 SEC players picked at No. 1, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is the most recent after going to the Carolina Panthers in 2023.

Best No. 1 pick with Alabama football roots: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton by the Carolina Panthers in 2011

Newton joined the Panthers after winning the 2010 Heisman Trophy for Auburn’s undefeated BCS national-championship team and made an immediate impact for the Panthers. Newton won the NFL Offensive Rookie the Year Award as he threw for a first-year record 4,051 yards and broke the league’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 14 in 2011.

Newton went on to set Carolina’s career records for passing yards and passing touchdowns as he became the NFL’s career leader for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 75 and won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award for the 2015 season, when the Panthers reached Super Bowl 50.

The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.