The proposed European Super League may have flamed out within 48 hours of it being announced this week, but for a brief time we were being promised a new league chock full of footballing superpowers: AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Internazionale, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

Had the whole thing not dissolved quicker than you could say "this idea is a spit in the face of all football lovers," the competition would have pitted a stellar selection of the continent's most venerated and decorated clubs (and Spurs) against each other.

The Super League's organisers were banking on the sheer historical stature of the 12 would-be "founder" clubs from England, Spain and Italy delivering on a regular basis the kind of enthralling heavyweight slugfests usually reserved for the latter stages of the Champions League.

Sounds great, right? Well, as is so often the way, the reality of the situation probably doesn't match up to the big sell.

A look at this season's results between the breakaway clubs from the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A when they play each other at domestic league level shows that, when the big teams clash, the action isn't quite as pulsating as you'd imagine.

The high calibre of names involved would definitely be worthy of the "Super" moniker, but alas the underlying stats don't quite follow through on that promise.

- Marcotti: Why clubs abandoned their Super League plans
- Hamilton: How fan revolt helped cause Super League collapse

Premier League

Meetings between Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are usually built up as epic, gladiatorial clashes but the truth of the matter is they can often be tense, cautious affairs which struggle to deliver much in the way of thrills.

For example, there have been 27 league meetings between two "Big Six" sides so far during the 2020-21 season, which combined have mustered a relatively meagre total of 59 goals:

Man United 0-0 Man City
Man City 0-2 Man United
Man United 1-6 Tottenham
Tottenham 1-3 Man United
Man United 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 0-0 Man United
Man United 0-0 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-0 Man United
Liverpool 0-0 Man United
Man City 1-1 Liverpool
Liverpool 1-4 Man City
Chelsea 1-3 Man City
Man City 1-0 Arsenal
Arsenal 0-1 Man City
Man City 3-0 Tottenham
Tottenham 2-0 Man City
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 0-3 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham
Tottenham 1-3 Liverpool
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham
Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea
Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham
Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal

That's an average goals-per-game ratio of 2.18, which is considerably lower than the overall 2020-21 Premier League average which stands at 2.67 (854 goals in 320 games as of the end of matchweek 32).

Of those 27 "Big Six" matches, a total of 6 have finished in goalless draws, which amounts to 22.22% of those matches. This is far higher than the overall league proportion for 0-0 results this campaign, which stands at just 8.75% (28 goalless draws from a total of 320 matches) ahead of this weekend's games.

A further 5 of the 27 all-"Big Six" encounters have produced a single goal, while well over half (16) of those games have been limited to just two goals.

There are still three all-"Big Six" league fixtures to come before the end of the season: Man United vs Liverpool (May 2), Man City vs Chelsea (May 8), and Chelsea vs Arsenal (May 12).

La Liga

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid were the three Spanish clubs who initially signed up to the Super League concept, which was spearheaded by Real president Florentino Perez. The numbers from domestic league clashes involving any two of those sides are slightly more favourable once compared with their counterparts in England, though they still fail to provide a compelling case for dismantling the current system.

Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico
Atletico 1-1 Real Madrid
Atletico 1-0 Barcelona

Spain's three biggest clubs have scored 12 goals in 5 meetings this season, an average goals-per-game ratio of 2.4. By way of contrast, the 318 games to take place in La Liga so far this campaign have yielded a total of 794 goals, meaning the league as a whole has produced slightly more bang for the buck with an average rate of 2.49 goals per game.

Only one of the 5 matches between Barca, Real, and Atletico has ended in a draw (last month's Madrid derby ended 1-1), meaning none have finished goalless.

Overall, there have been 26 goalless draws in La Liga so far during the course of the current campaign, which equates to 8.18% of the total number of games.

There is still one fixture left between two of the top trio, with Barca scheduled to face Atletico at the Camp Nou on May 8 in a clash that could yet decide the title.

Serie A

Andrea Agnelli was the other chief architect of the failed Super League coup. His club, Juventus, were one of the three Italian sides to sign up, along with AC Milan and Inter.

Those three have only been involved in four meetings between each other in Serie A so far this season, Those four encounters, which include two Milan derbies, have produced 12 goals at a comparatively high average ratio of 3 goals per game.

Inter 1-2 Milan
Milan 0-3 Inter
Milan 1-3 Juve
Inter 2-0 Juve

However, the overall goals-per-game ratio for Serie A this season is still narrowly higher, with 319 games producing 969 goals -- an average of 3.04 goals per game at the end of matchweek 32.

Juventus still have to play both Inter and Milan next month, meaning the numbers are bound to change.

In general terms, despite its somewhat outdated reputation for cagey football, the Italian top flight has produced considerably fewer goalless draws than the both Premier League and La Liga this season. In fact, only 15 of the 319 games have finished 0-0, 4.7% of Serie A results this season.

So there you have it -- this season has seen the combined domestic league meetings between Super League "founders" return fewer goals than all their respective league averages.

And just to make matters more damning, the Premier League "Big Six" -- who were originally meant to constitute half of the teams in the European Super League -- have resulted in goalless draws at a rate almost three times higher rest of the division.

So for all of the claims of fans wanting to see more matches between the biggest teams, this season's results would suggest that a Super League churning out more of them might not actually be especially "Super" after all.

An enhanced structure for more multi-day cricket for Full Members outside the World Test Championship (WTC) and Associates could be a possibility in the next cricket calendar. Though the discussions, which took place last week at the ICC's scheduling meeting, are at a very formative stage, they took in the possibility of revisiting a past effort to form a second division for Test cricket.

According to multiple sources, such a format could be a blended structure combining Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe - who play Tests but are not part of the WTC - and Associates with ODI status including Netherlands, Scotland and potentially others.

"I know it's been mooted," an Associate administrator told ESPNcricinfo. "I think every nation and every governing body is trying to find ways to make the game better. We're here to deliver cricket and improve the standards of cricket globally."

Another official familiar with the discussions said Full Members outside the WTC had pushed - and have been pushing for a while - for a more formalised "second division" for the WTC. That would provide similar context to Tests for these members as there now exists for those in the WTC, though he did stress that discussions were informal and at a very early stage.

The nature of Test commitments for the three Full Members who are not in the WTC has been one of the issues to resolve as the next calendar from 2023-31 is drawn up. Members have viewed the WTC itself as a success and there is an appetite to pursue it beyond the next cycle, which plays out from 2021-23.

But there has been growing realisation that the situation has been unfulfilling for Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland. The trio have only played ten Tests between them - Ireland just one - since the WTC began in July 2019, albeit in a cycle hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. And though they have a slightly busier Test calendar during the second cycle of the WTC, it is not by much.

Any such competition would go some way to filling up a sizable fixture gap in the 2023-2031 FTP for these three Full Members as well as some leading Associates.

"What does it look like? Where would we want more cricket?," said one administrator. "Would it achieve our ambitions? There's a lot of things in the mix before you actually commit and dig deep into it. If it was kicking around, we'd certainly want to be in the conversation."

As well as the scarce number of Tests for the non-WTC trio, the Associates have not had any multi-day international cricket since the last edition of the Intercontinental Cup concluded in December 2017. Unsurprisingly, financial considerations are believed to be the biggest hurdle to clear if any such structure is to come to fruition, and is one of the main reasons why the Intercontinental Cup has not been played since.

"It was a finance-driven issue," said the administrator. "It was about affordability. Again, what does a new tournament look like? What is the cost of running it? You have to be able to fund it to do it properly. So until any detail is produced, you can't make any informed decisions.

"Being an Associate, it's quite a tough world when it comes to finances when you're trying to compete and do the best but you've only got a limited budget. So while you want to play cricket, the big question is always - can you afford it?"

With inputs from Matt Roller

Cricket South Africa (CSA) is on the verge of being stripped of its status as the game's official cricketing body, as the Sports Minister prepares to intervene in the ongoing crisis - potentially as soon as next week - by "defunding" and "derecognising" the body. Such a move, which the minister Nathi Mthethwa warned of in a letter to the interim board and Members' Council, will have seismic implications for the game in the country, not least for the immediate futures of the national teams.

In the four-page letter, Mthethwa outlined his reasons for acting, and concluded: "In the circumstances, I have decided to invoke my powers under the Act [which allows ministerial intervention in a sporting body] and I hereby notify you that I have done so…. by de-funding and de-recognising CSA, and I will cause this to be published in the Government Gazette in due course at the earliest opportunity."

There is some wriggle room in the publishing of such an order in the Gazette. Government Gazettes are published every Friday, which effectively gives the Members' Council one week in which to agree to the sticking point in this crisis - the new memorandum of incorporation which will include the framework for a majority independent board.

The interim board called it a "sad day" for the country, and specifically for its cricketers. It also made it clear that it was down to the Members' Council to salvage the situation. Forewarning the impact of such an act, the interim board chairperson Stavros Nicolau said in a press conference on Thursday, "We are in a situation where a minister is in a position to trigger measures he has and powers he has at his disposal in term of the Act. The consequences of those would be dire for cricket - financial, economic, developmental and sporting consequences. It would plunge cricket into crisis."

The basis of the ongoing disruption lies in the reluctance of the Members' Council to agree to a majority independent board ,even though it had done so as far back as 2012 in the aftermath of that year's bonus scandal - ostensibly because they want cricket to be run only by people involved in cricket structures, rather than by business people from the outside. CSA have been embroiled in administrative issues for the last 18 months and have rotated through three different acting CEOs following the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Thabang Moroe for misconduct.

The interim board added in a statement: "It is deeply disappointing that a self-interested vocal minority voted against change while three members chose to abstain. These actions have now brought the game to its knees and will cause the greatest crisis since readmission."

The men's national team is not in action until June, when they are due to play in the West Indies in a series rescheduled from last year. The women's team have no major assignments until the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup next year. It is unlikely any such act will have an immediate impact on South Africa's players currently taking part in the IPL.

Mtethwa also wrote that the ICC will be informed "of my decision and provide them with my reasons for doing so".

That will likely open up a new phase of involvement from the global governing body who, so far, have observed the situation rather than take any direct action. Government intervention in running cricket has usually drawn sanction from the ICC but, with such prominent members, it has not always been so straightforward.

In a statement reported earlier this week, the ICC said it "encourages Members to work with governments to resolve issues. Not all government intervention is problematic and for the ICC to get involved it requires a formal complaint from our Members that it is unwanted. Should that happen we will evaluate the situation based on the facts provided and plan an appropriate course of action."

Rassie van der Dussen, the South Africa batsman, is expected to join the Rajasthan Royals for the 2021 IPL season, as a reinforcement for the England pair of Ben Stokes and Liam Livingstone, who have both withdrawn from this year's tournament.

It is understood that van der Dussen is currently awaiting his visa clearance before he can fly into India. Livingstone, who chose to withdraw due to bubble fatigue, returned home this week ahead of India being added on Friday to the UK government's "red list", due to the deadly second wave of Covid-19 infections which is currently sweeping the country.

If van der Dussen does secure his visa, he will embark on his maiden IPL campaign, having played previously only in the 2020 CPL and the 2013 Champions League T20.

Recently the 32-year-old became the oldest South African player to record a maiden ODI century in the first match of the home series against Pakistan.

Despite being an unknown in franchise leagues, van der Dussen has vast experience in the shortest format, having played in 126 T20s - only seven players had more T20 caps before making an IPL debut. In that time, van der Dussen has made 3824 runs at an average of 38.62 and a strike rate of 131.31 in T20s.

The Royals have been severely hurt by the withdrawal of two key players: Stokes and fast bowler Jofra Archer, the tournament's MVP in 2020, and are currently last on the points table in the eight-team IPL, having won just one of their four matches.

Stokes was ruled out of the IPL after breaking his left index finger in the field in the Royals' opening match of the tournament, and is set to spend 12 weeks on the sidelines after undergoing an operation on his return to the UK.

Archer's absence from this year's tournament was confirmed on Friday, after he underwent surgery on his middle finger of his bowling hand, while also undergoing treatment on a longstanding elbow injury.

Stats inputs by Sampath B

England fast bowler Jofra Archer will not be available for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 IPL. The decision was taken on Friday by the ECB who said Archer would be "stepping up" his training intensity after spending time in rehab to tend to the finger surgery carried out recently as well as a longstanding elbow injury.

Archer has been training with Sussex at Hove this week as he works his way back to fitness. England coach Chris Silverwood and elite pace bowling lead Jon Lewis were in attendance to see his progress on Thursday, when Archer underwent a full session of batting and bowling in the nets, followed by some running work.

He was back at the ground on Friday, doing some sprints on the outfield during the lunch break of Sussex's match with Yorkshire, in which England captain Joe Root is also playing.

"The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that England and Sussex bowler Jofra Archer will not play in the 2021 Indian Premier League," the ECB said in a media release on Friday. "Archer returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress."

The ECB pointed out that Archer was "expected" to return to playing cricket in the "next fortnight" if he could "bowl and prepare pain-free." It is understood that Archer could return to playing in a second XI match in the next fortnight followed by a Championship game for Sussex in mid-May.

The Royals were initially optimistic about Archer's return, accounting for the strike bowler missing out on at least their first four matches in the league phase. Such optimism evaporated soon after the ECB said on April 11 that while Archer would be returning to training there was no date set for his return to playing.

The other big deterrent for Archer, who was the Most Valuable Player in IPL 2020, was the mandatory week-long quarantine participants have to serve upon entering the IPL bubble this season. All three concerned parties, Archer, the ECB and the Royals, agreed that it would interrupt the fast bowler's preparation and bowling build-up.

Archer returned to England in March after T20Is in India for surgery on his right hand to remove fragments of glass wedged in during a fish tank accident at home in January. Simultaneously, Archer also received treatment for a longstanding elbow injury for which the fast bowler has taken cortisone injections.

At the outset of this IPL, Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain and now the Royals' team director, had said while Archer's unavailability was a "big blow", the franchise could not act "selfishly" and would take a "holistic view" about his return.

Toss Punjab Kings opt to bowl vs Mumbai Indians

KL Rahul won the toss and chose to bowl first as the Punjab Kings attempt to put a form slump behind them and steal a march on the reigning champions, the Mumbai Indians, in Chennai.

Punjab made a solitary change from the side that was routed by nine wickets by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their most recent outing, but despite posting barely more than a run a ball in that match, it's a bowling change with a legspinner, Ravi Bishnoi, replacing another legspinner, M Ashwin. England's Dawid Malan, until recently the world's No. 1-ranked T20I batter, will have to wait a while yet to make his IPL debut.

"We just lacked a little bit of cricket smartness when we lost a couple of wickets (in the previous game)," Rahul said at the toss. "We should have realised it wasn't a 170 wicket. Hopefully, we'll learn from that. It does look a little damp and sticky, might get easy to bat on later."

Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai captain, said that his team would have batted first anyway, in the hope that the dew factor would be minimal come their turn to bowl later on a cloudy evening. Sharma had been afflicted with a minor calf niggle in the build-up to the game, but has reported a clean bill of health.

The last time these two teams played, in Dubai in October, it took two Super Overs to separate the sides - with the Punjab side coming good at the second attempt. They would settle for that sort of nerve-shredder again, having lost their last three games, and even though they put a formidable 221 for 6 on the board in their tournament opener against the Rajasthan Royals, they were made to battle all the way for an eventual four-run win.

As for Mumbai, they haven't yet found their best form this season, with two wins out of four so far, and a couple of rescue acts from their bowling attack therein - most notably against those serial collapsers, the Sunrisers, last week. But with the pace of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah to spearhead their attack, and the unfathomable wiles of Rahul Chahar having already bagged figures of 4 for 27 and 3 for 19 in the tournament to date, they have got the weaponry to derail any team at any juncture of a contest.

Punjab Kings: 1 KL Rahul (capt & wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Moises Henriques, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Mumbai Indians: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Jayant Yadav, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

A blockbuster welterweight championship rematch is now official.

Champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Jorge Masvidal both successfully weighed in Friday morning for their title clash. Usman weighed 169.5 pounds and Masvidal hit the mark at 170.

Usman will defend his UFC welterweight title against Masvidal in the main event of UFC 261 on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. The card will be the first the UFC has held with a full capacity crowd since before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. ESPN has Usman ranked No. 2 in the world on its pound-for-pound MMA fighters list.

Usman (18-1) beat Masvidal via unanimous decision at UFC 251 last July in Abu Dhabi. But Masvidal came into that fight on just six days notice after Usman's original opponent, Gilbert Burns, tested positive for coronavirus. Usman, 33, is looking for his fourth straight title defense and his 14th straight UFC victory.

If Usman, a Nigeria native who trains out of Colorado, were to win Saturday he would be in sole possession of second place in terms of the longest winning streaks in UFC history. Usman is currently tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones with 13 straight victories. Only Anderson Silva has more consecutive wins in UFC history (16).

Masvidal (35-14) is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster. The Miami native was on a three-fight winning streak before falling to Usman last year. In 2019, Masvidal stopped Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in a span of eight months to become one of the hottest MMA athletes in the world. Despite the loss to Usman, he hasn't slowed down much. Masvidal, 36, has been a pro fighter for almost 18 years, but has just hit his stride recently.

There will be two other title fights at UFC 261 and all four competitors successfully made weight Friday.

In the co-main event, Zhang Weili will defend her women's strawweight title against former champion Rose Namajunas. Zhang (21-1), the UFC's first-ever Chinese-born champion, weighed in at 114.5 pounds and has not lost since her pro debut in 2013. Namajunas (9-4), hit the same number and has won four of her last five fights. ESPN has Zhang ranked No. 4 on its women's pound-for-pound list and Namajunas at No. 5.

Both flyweight title contenders weighed in at 124.5 pounds. Valentina Shevchenko (20-3) is ESPN's No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound women's fighter, while Jessica Andrade (21-8) is No. 6.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns have exercised the fifth-year option on the contract of quarterback Baker Mayfield, a source told ESPN.

The move extends Mayfield's contract in Cleveland through 2022, when he'll make $18.86 million.

Last season, the former No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft quarterbacked the Browns to their first playoff victory in 26 years. In that 48-37 win over the Steelers, Mayfield passed for 263 yards and three touchdowns, as the Browns snapped a 17-game losing streak in Pittsburgh during their first playoff appearance since 2002.

Mayfield finished last season ranked 10th in the league in QBR, with 26 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions. From Week 7 to Week 15, he was actually third in QBR, trailing only last season's MVP (Aaron Rodgers) and the 2019 MVP (Patrick Mahomes).

Coming off a season in which he broke an NFL rookie record with 27 touchdown passes, Mayfield struggled at times in 2019, as the Browns finished a disappointing 6-10. But playing for a fourth head coach in his third season, Mayfield thrived under first-time head coach Kevin Stefanski last year.

"I hope it is significantly better," Stefanski said this week, when asked about Mayfield improving with another season in his scheme. "He has heard these plays over and over again. We have streamlined concepts, and we have tried to adjust what we do based on his strengths and our players' strengths. I would hope he is much more comfortable from that perspective. That is what time allows you to do -- time together."

When he took over, Mayfield became Cleveland's 30th starting quarterback since the franchise returned to the league in 1999.

Mayfield is also eligible for a extension, which the team could engage him on later this offseason.

Despite what you've seen and heard on social media and the exclamatory talk that has been tossed around outside the walls of team complexes in the weeks leading up to the 2021 NFL draft, a "riser'' is not just a prospect who blew up at his pro day and posted ridiculous numbers. Not in reality, at least. No, the real draft risers are the players who move their way up draft boards over the 12-plus months leading up to the draft. This year, that included the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season but also the Senior Bowl and pre-draft processes.

So with just days left before the picks start coming in, let's look at who gained the most ground in the class since last summer and why they climbed the board. Last year's list included the likes of Joe Burrow (No. 1 pick) and Mekhi Becton (No. 11). Which potential stars have made the biggest moves? Here are some of the top risers for this year, starting with a quarterback who won't wait very long to hear his name called on Thursday night.

Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

How far he climbed boards: Before the 2020 season, Wilson had just seven games with at least 20 completions in the previous two seasons combined. And he had 23 career touchdown passes, 10 fewer than he threw in '20 alone. So entering 2020, some in the league saw him as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 prospect. But Wilson is now squarely among the top three QBs on the board for many teams thanks to a huge season.

Turning point: He moved the needle quickly as the Cougars sauntered through the early portion of their schedule, winning their first three games by a combined 148-24. Wilson threw six touchdown passes with one interception in those games.

Why he rose: He had right shoulder surgery early in 2019 and then also missed four games during the 2019 season after right hand/wrist surgery. He finished with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine games. So when he vaulted from the gate in '20, people were quickly in tune with the athletic traits and variety of throws he showed.

Of course, a five-game stretch as October turned to November when Wilson threw 18 touchdown passes to one interception didn't hurt either.

What they're saying: "The goal ... was to kind of show what makes me different, the type of throws I can make that I feel like other guys don't practice and don't try to do." -- Wilson after his pro day

Quinn Meinerz, G, Wisconsin-Whitewater

How far he climbed boards: Players have gone through a Senior Bowl week many times before and forced evaluators to say that they'd "go home and take another look." But few have truly launched themselves into teams' evaluations after just a few days of work in Mobile, Alabama, like Meinerz did this year. He was squarely a Day 3 prospect last summer, but he could now easily be an early Day 2 pick.

Turning point: Meinerz's Senior Bowl week was filled with high-quality work, both in team drills and one-on-ones. Though he did not play in the actual game after fracturing a bone in his right hand, he had consistently performed through the week of practices against some of the best upperclassmen in the draft from the SEC and the other Power 5 conferences.

Why he rose: Meinerz's Wisconsin-Whitewater team canceled its season in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. So the Senior Bowl marked the first time any scout or personnel executive had seen him on a football field since the end of the 2019 season.

Before they arrived in Mobile, many scouts thought of Meinerz as a quality developmental prospect who finished plays with a coveted nasty streak. When they were finished in Mobile, they had seen a player who had obviously put in the work when he couldn't play in games. He was a better-conditioned player with better footwork and better technique across the board.

What they're saying: "I always liked him some, especially when he finished plays, but thought he'd need a lot of work when he stepped up in competition. And then he showed up in Mobile and looked like a different guy who still finished plays." -- an AFC scouting director

James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati

How far he climbed boards: Sometimes it is just a matter of a short résumé getting a little longer. After moving from the defensive line to right tackle during his redshirt year at Michigan, Hudson played in only three games with the Wolverines in 2018. He then played in only one game in 2019 at Cincinnati after his request to the NCAA for a waiver to become immediately eligible after his transfer was denied. He opened the 2020 season as a late Day 3 prospect who most wanted to keep an eye on because of his potential.

But then Hudson played 10 games at left tackle this past season and had the opportunity to show his skill set, and he's now rated a Day 2 prospect by many.

Turning point: Some scouts say his only game in the 2019 season -- a January 2020 bowl game against Boston College -- was a reminder to check on Hudson whenever the 2020 season got rolling. After not being able to play following his transfer, he was cleared for the final game of the '19 season and fared well against the BC front.

Why he rose: Hudson did not surrender a sack in his only collegiate season at left tackle and consistently showed the mobility people want at that position, along with the developmental room to grow.

What they're saying: "I know he was ejected in their bowl game [against Georgia, for targeting] and it was a late hit and all that, but overall, [he's] an athletic player who is only going to get better -- strong hands, good feet. And I just like the way he closes out plays." -- an NFC area scout

Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky

How far he climbed boards: In a cornerback class that has been considered deep through Days 2 and 3, Joseph was just another name in the pool -- most likely in the Day 3 range -- when the 2020 season began.

He had played sparingly in 2018 as a true freshman at LSU (12 tackles in 11 games) and didn't play in 2019 because he had transferred from LSU to Kentucky. And because he also opted out of Kentucky's final two games this past season, his draft résumé is essentially nine starts in 2020. But he could now be a late first-round or early Day 2 pick depending on how the board falls.

Turning point: It will seem odd that evaluators took notice of Joseph's skill set in a game that the Wildcats lost 63-3, but several have said his work against Alabama raised some eyebrows.

In all of that scoring mayhem, the game tape revealed that Alabama, with some of the best offensive talent in this draft class, threw Joseph's way in coverage just three times -- and he intercepted one of those passes.

Why he rose: His inexperience did show at times this past season, but we're talking about a cornerback just a bit under 6 feet tall who smoothly ran in the 4.3s at his pro day and held up against some of the SEC's best receivers. His best football is in front of him.

What they're saying: "As a player, my time at UK, I just improved as a better person, better teammate, better leader. ... [I've gotten] a lot of good feedback." -- Joseph before his pro day

Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

How far he climbed boards: Campbell's rise depends largely on the philosophy of the specific evaluator regarding the relationship between traits and production. But many around the NFL had a fourth-round grade -- or lower -- on him entering last season. Now? Evaluators say they could maybe see Campbell landing in the second round -- and perhaps even earlier for teams with a more traits-first approach.

The kind of size/speed combination that Campbell has at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds with a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash (some scouts had him in the 4.3s hand-timed at his pro day) is always an attention-getter in the weeks before a draft. There is the matter of one career interception in 33 games, but pro potential can often muscle past college production on a draft weekend.

Turning point: As a true freshman at Georgia, Campbell got plenty of attention from opposing quarterbacks playing opposite DeAndre Baker, and by the final three games of that sometimes choppy season, he was no longer a starter. But evaluators believe his response to that season was to play with some additional composure over the next two years. Campbell said he would "panic sometimes'' when he was in certain matchups as a freshman, but the tape shows that dissipated during his sophomore and junior seasons.

Why he rose: In general, a player with size and speed can repair some technique issues, while a player who doesn't have Campbell's wheels can't just become fast, no matter how good the technique might be. Teams are often more willing to take a chance on a potential-over-production player when he has Campbell's quickness and has faced the best of college football.

What they're saying: "I know our coaches like him, and I think he's got that upside. You just want to get comfortable with the idea he will put in the work, and I think he will." -- an AFC scouting director

Malcolm Koonce, OLB/DE, Buffalo

How far he climbed boards: Exactly how far Koonce climbs may depend on how teams feel about a foot injury that kept him out of both the Senior Bowl and Buffalo's pro day. Those events could have helped his cause. But then again, he went from splitting snaps at his position in 2018 to a nine-sack season in 2019 to five sacks in six games in 2020. (He didn't play in Buffalo's bowl game.) Once considered a late Day 3 guy, Koonce could find his way into the early Day 3 rounds or maybe even the later side of Day 2 if a team or two find a comfort level with his medical evaluation.

Turning point: His work in 2019 got him plenty of notice from teams' area scouts who worked that region, but his Bahamas Bowl performance moved him to the "make sure you keep an eye on him" list for some. That performance included five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Why he rose: Through the years, pass-rushers' skills have translated to the NFL fairly quickly, no matter what level of competition they had faced. Koonce has the developmental profile of a still-ascending player at a high-value position who had 14 sacks over his last 19 games. Toss in the length coaches like to see in their pass-rushers -- an 81-inch arm span for a 6-foot-2¼ pass-rusher -- and you have a prospect who will get a long look.

What they're saying: "If the medicals check out, I could see some Day 3 interest from people. I know I would push for that." -- an NFC scouting director

Demetric Felton, RB, UCLA

How far he climbed boards: It's all about the fit sometimes. For some, Felton is a late Day 3 pick. But for others, those who want some potential pop in the passing game, he will get a longer look in the fourth- or fifth-round range.

Felton is a bit undersized at 5-foot-8⅝ and 189 pounds, but some evaluators see lots of possibilities for him in a specific role in their respective offenses.

Turning point: Teams checked in throughout 2019, when he had four scoring plays of at least 75 yards, but overall, it has been the combination of his route running and potential in the passing game over the last two seasons that has moved him up boards. His catch-and-run touchdown in the Senior Bowl when he was lined up out wide was a tidy reminder.

Felton's willingness to work at wide receiver in drills when teams have wanted to see him there -- including at the Senior Bowl -- has also helped his cause.

Why he rose: Felton had 77 receptions and seven receiving touchdowns over his last 18 games (2019 and 2020 seasons) to go with 1,002 yards rushing. Toss in his potential as a kick returner and there is plenty of value to his game.

What they're saying: "I feel like the league is just transitioning to mismatches, being able to create mismatches. If you put me against a linebacker, there's no way he's going to be able to cover me, and at the Senior Bowl, I feel like I was able to get open against DBs as well. In the league, that's huge." -- Felton

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Joc Pederson was placed on the 10-day injured list with left wrist tendinitis, the team announced on Thursday afternoon.

Pederson, 29, was off to a slow start after signing a one-year deal with the club this past winter. He was hitting just .137 in 51 at-bats before being placed on the IL.

To take his place on the roster, the Cubs recalled former first-round pick Nico Hoerner from their alternate site.

Along with Pederson, Hoerner was one of the best hitters for the Cubs in spring training, but he didn't break camp with the team. He hit .222 in 48 games last season for Chicago.