The NFL Draft continues Friday, April 26, and there were plenty of standout defenders still on the board. The draft will be live streamed on Sling (half off first month), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and fuboTV (free trial).
With a run of offensive players on Thursday, it shoved plenty of first-round worthy defenders into the second round Friday, led by Cooper DeJean, the Iowa cornerback who broke his lower leg in November but has been cleared to return to football activities.
DeJean is one of the best ballhawks in this class and also one of the best punt returners available, having averaged 13.1 yards per return over the last two seasons.
Other defenders who will almost certainly hear their names called early Friday night when teams have had a chance to gather their thoughts and dive into the second round include Texas A&M inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Cooper led the Aggies in tackles (84), tackles for loss (17) and sacks (8). McKinstry, besides having among the coolest names in the draft, is seen as a plug-and-play performer.
McKinstry is like DeJean in two ways in that he’s an elite punt returner and he’s coming off an injury. McKinstry couldn’t participate in drills at the NFL scouting combine because of a broken bone in his right foot. But he ran at his pro day on March 20 and then underwent surgery to repair the fracture. He’s expected to be ready to go by training camp.
Another name to keep an ear out for is Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, one of the best interior pass rushers in this year’s draft. He pressured the quarterback more than 100 times over the last two seasons combined and also had 13 sacks and 22 1/2 tackles for loss in 2022 and ‘23. He didn’t work out at the combine or his pro day after undergoing foot surgery after the season.
When is NFL Draft’s second round?
The NFL Draft is set for 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) on Friday, April 26.
Will it be live streamed?
Sling
Sling Orange is $40 a month (half off the first month) and offers ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.
There are four options of DirecTV Stream:
The Entertainment Package, which consists of 65+ channels, is $69.99 until the promotion runs out April 30. It’s the basic package for can’t-miss entertainment - including ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV.
The Choice Package has more than 90 channels and is $84.99 during the promotion. The channels in ENTERTAINMENT, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, college sports networks, and more. Enjoy Regional Sports Networks with no additional fees.
The Ultimate Package has more than 130 channels and is $114.99 during the promotion. Everything in CHOICE, plus Oxygen, Golf Channel, NHL Network, Universal Kids and more.
The Premier Package has more than 140 channels and is $159.99 during the promotion. Everything in ULTIMATE, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and more.
DirecTV Stream offers a free trial that doesn’t require much effort.
To sign up, enter a phone number, email address and credit card, and you’ll receive five days of the service without charge.
In addition, enhance your experience with the DirecTV Stream device. While it doesn’t include a free trial, it give you access to thousands of apps like Netflix and more on Google Play. You can search using the voice remote with Google Assistant, and you can enjoy a traditional live TV channel guide. It is sold separately.
FuboTV
The game will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo pro” package, which comprises 146-plus channels for $74.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.
There is also the “fubo elite” package, which comprises 205-plus channels for $84.99 per month. It comes with fuboExtra (48 more channels) and News Plus (11 more channels). Plus, more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.
The “fubo premiere” package is “fubo elite” with the addition of Showtime for $94.99 per month.
Will it be televised?
The NFL Draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN2 and the NFL Network.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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