1. LE A CL GE UT TE RS 2. SE TT ER 3. IN STALL LEAF FI TE NEWSLEADER.COM TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024 3B Upgrade your bathroom, upgrade your life. With a new walk-in shower, you can make sure your bathroom ages as gracefully as you do.
This shower was designed by experts, with you in mind, focusing on safety and convenience when it matters most. Discover how a walk-in shower can help reduce the risk of falling, giving you the freedom to enjoy your bathroom again. Commercial Grade Non-Slip Floor Optional Barrier Free Wheelchair Accessible Luxurious 8" Rainfall Shower Head Professionally Installed in 1 day Easy-to-reach Shower Wand Fold Down Safety Seat Ergo Shaped Grab Bar Lifetime Warranty Call today and receive exclusive savings of up to FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY Call Toll-Free 540-457-8554 With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Shower. Not applicable with any previous walk-in shower purchase. No cash value.
Must present offer at time of purchase. Enjoy the ease of Showering Safely So you can stay in the home you love! Call Now Toll-Free for more information and ask about our Senior Discounts Introducing the ALL NEW Walk-In Shower! FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH APPROVED CREDIT CSLB 983603 F13000002885 13HV08744300 www.WhySafeStep.com 540-457-8554 1,000 OFF AL A LIG 10 GU Say to Cleaning Out Your Gutters. Protect Your Home With LeafFilter. AFTER BEFORE We offer financing that fits your budget! 1 See Representative for full warranty details. coupon per household.
No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. 1Subject to credit approval. Call for details AR CA CT FL IA ID LA MA MD 2102212986, MN MT ND 47304, NE NJ NM NV NY H-52229, OR PA RI TN UT VA WA WV www.LeafFilter.com/grop Promo: 364 20 OFF Your Entire OFF Seniors Military CALL TODAY FOR A FREE INSPECTION! 540-712-3317 LET THE PROS HANDLE IT! TM FULL SERVICE GUTTER PROTECTION SCHEDULE YOUR FREE INSPECTION NOW! 540-712-3317 Mitchell also appears to have Chris Ballard squarely in his corner, as the Colts general manager defended his in- coming rookie after reports suggested character concerns could be a contrib- uting factor in the Georgia slide in the draft. is a good Ballard said in a news conference. those reports to come out, I said it last year, (exple- The real X-factor here is Richardson.
Everything in or- bits around him. If he takes a shine to his new wideout and guessing the signal-caller will develop an for someone who can easily snare jump balls and salvage errant throws thanks to his body control then role will grow as far as the two players push it. 2. Cooper DeJean, Phila- delphia Eagles (second round, No. 40 overall).
Until Thursday, the Eagles had not selected a cornerback in the round since 2002, when the team took Lito Sheppard. Howie Roseman could have been forgiven, then, if he had resisted using another premium pick in his secondary after choosing Toledo cornerback Qui- nyon Mitchell at No. 22 overall, espe- cially with veteran starters Darius Slay and James Bradberry returning. Yet in the second round, talent proved too alluring to pass up. The 6-0, 203-pound defender is one of this premier playmakers, thanks in large part due to his versatil- ity.
At Iowa, he handled duties at out- side cornerback and safety as well as in the slot, and his explosive athleticism and natural instincts should allow him to handle matchups at any of those spots in the NFL. That makes him a valuable chess piece, even if he quite have a natural home at any place. Roseman said the Eagles box DeJean in as he begins his pro career, and he could be ticketed to handle several matchups before his exact spot. 3. Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers (second round, No.
51 over- all). Had the Steelers selected Frazier in the round, the move likely would have elicited some mild surprise but not outright shock, as the West Virginia center had been considered by some to be a fringe candidate for the late round. Instead, Pittsburgh nabbed another prospect integral to its push up front tackle Troy Fautanu and returned with Frazier in the sec- ond. The four-time high school wrestling champion is exactly what many would picture if asked to envision a Steelers center. Rugged to the core, Frazier to forklift opponents in the run game, which no doubt will be the driving force of the under new coor- dinator Arthur Smith.
He solves what could have been a persistent problem for Pittsburgh and slots in as a savvy starter from the get-go. 4. Payton Wilson, LB, Steelers (third round No. 98 overall). no way to game out the in- jury factors that seemingly sunk Wil- stock.
Despite following up his Bednarik Award-winning per- formance last fall with a stellar athletic showcase at the combine, the 6-4, 233- pounder tumbled all the way to the end of the third round. His litany of red were mostly widely known after his time at North Carolina State the Fayetteville Ob- server and the USA TODAY Network re- ported last January he had already un- derwent 10 surgeries but reports emerged during the draft that he no longer has an interior cruciate ligament in his right knee. If Wilson can avoid major setbacks early in his career, however, he has all the tools to be a staple at the second lev- el. His hyperactive and instinctive ap- proach was evident in his 138 tackles and six sacks last season. Few linebackers can match his blend of size, speed and playmaking range, both in coverage and against the run.
For a franchise that has through subpar linebacker play in re- cent years yet look prepared to make a premium investment in the po- sition, plenty to be excited about. 5. Christian Haynes, Seattle Seahawks (third round, No. 81 over- all). Concern for the outlook of the Sea- interior line ramped up soon after Damien Lewis departed for the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
Seattle signed veteran Laken Tom- linson but entered the draft with a lack of resolution at guard. In Haynes, the team looks to have landed a blocker capable of stepping in straight away to provide some stability. A four-year starter at UConn, the 6-3, 317-pounder repeatedly took de- fenders for a ride in the run game. Limited agility is his biggest knock and perhaps the shortcoming that kept him out of the two rounds. 6.
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos (fourth round, No. 102 over- all). Almost instantly after he was draft- ed at No. 12 overall by the Broncos, quarterback Bo Nix began to push back on the notion that he was a deep passer who had been boosted by quick-hitting passing attack. Regardless of the truth, what better way to help him feel more comfortable attacking NFL defenses vertically than by giving him Franklin, his big-play tar- get for the Ducks? The 6-2, 176-pounder arrives with a built-in rapport with Nix, which should help him settle in early and compensate for an overall lack of to his game.
If he can clean up his troubles with drops and prove he can hold up against defensive backs who will try to rough him up, Franklin could be No. 2 option before long. 7. T.J. Tampa, CB, Baltimore Rav- ens (fourth round, No.
130 overall). Adding Nate Wiggins to a group led by Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens might have been considered enough for Baltimore to stand pat at cornerback for the rest of the draft. But the Ravens looked for ad- ditional depth in the secondary and turned to Tampa. The 6-1, 189-pounder once looked like a solid candidate to land early on Day 2. The Iowa State pre- draft process, however, seemed to do him few favors.
A hamstring injury cost him the op- portunity to work out at the combine, leaving concerns about his pure straight-line speed as well as his dis- jointed movements in transition. But Baltimore could be a favorable setting for him to launch his pro career, as a zone-heavy scheme should mask some of his problem areas while showcasing his ball skills. 8. Jaden Hicks, Kansas City Chiefs (fourth round, No. 133 overall).
The Sneed trade reinforced an unfortunate truism for the two-time defending champions: Tough decisions are always around the corner regarding some of your top contributors. An essential part of this cost-control however, is collecting replace- ments, ideally with mid-to-late round draft picks. With Hicks, who surpris- ingly slid all the way to the fourth round, the Chiefs might have a piece who could help them recalibrate their roster. The Chiefs do already have capable options elsewhere at safety in Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner and Deon Bush. The 6-2, 211-pound Hicks, however, has the athletic of a starter comfort- able erasing tight ends in coverage or delivering big hits against the run.
If he can become a more consistent tackler and hone his instincts, he could be ready to replace Reid by the start of next season. 9. Brandon Dorlus, DT, Atlanta Falcons (fourth round, No. 109 over- all). decision to take quarter- back Michael Penix Jr.
at No. 8 sparked plenty of scorn for the seemingly detri- mental it had on ability to compete with Kirk Cousins, and rightfully so. The Falcons ranked last in pass-rush win rate metric in 2023, and the unit add much on the edge beyond Bralen Trice, a third-rounder more likely to push the pocket and steal some clean-up sacks than be a truly disruptive force. Still something of a tweener learning how to win on the interior with hand us- age rather than wrecking-ball tenden- cies, the 6-3, 280-pounder could learn from Grady Jarrett before potentially taking over for him in 2025, when the two-time Pro Bowler could be a cut can- didate in the year of his contact. 10.
Austin Booker, DE, Chicago Bears round, No. 144 overall). After opening the draft with two marquee picks in Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, the ap- peared to be set to wrap up early, as the puzzling pick of punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round marked their only Day 3 selection. Then, Chicago traded into the round to land Booker. As a rangy threat the edge (6-4, 254 pounds) who can close in on the quarterback in a hurry, the late-devel- oping pass rusher has drawn compari- sons to Maxx Crosby.
Now, have the of work- ing under Bears defensive line coach Travis Smith, who helped bring Crosby along when he was an assistant defen- sive line coach for the Raiders. Steals Continued from Page 1B.
