2025 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

Welcome to this special edition of "Ranked", where I rank this year's Best Picture nominees.

10.Hamnet:

What a relief it was to have a Best Picture crop that features zero true stinkers in it. Every civilian in the United States that keeps up with awards season needed at a least year to recover from the pain of watching Emilia Perez and the generosity the Academy voters showed by not nominating another embarrassing failure of a movie will not be forgotten. Anyways, Hamnet is an incredible showcase for the talents of about-to-be Oscar winner Jessie Buckley and there are certain sequences in which Chloe Zhao is able to really viscerally convey the tragedy of what happens to Agnes, William Shakespeare and their family. The cold minimalism of Zhao's direction and underdevelopment of all of the relationships portrayed in the film prevented the emotional moments from leaving a significant impact on me, but the sniffle-and-tear-filled reactions of nearly every person in my vicinity when I saw this in theaters back in early December indicated that I'm very much in the minority.    

Grade: B-

9.The Secret Agent:

There's a title card in the opening moments of The Secret Agent that reads "Brazil 1977, a summer of mischief". That's a fascinating and accurate description of what transpires during The Secret Agent. It's a really vivid, layered look at the chaos that unfolded during this period that included the systemic dismantling of institutions that serve the public good (schools, medical care, etc.), fatal consequences for anyone that dissented against the regime and strength the people of Brazil found in each other. While director Kleber Mendoca Filho eventually gets buried by the immense scope of the story he assembled-particularly when the frequently changing perspectives shifts to the present day where researchers find archival audio tapes of interviews between the protagonist Armando (Wagner Moura-in a tremendous understated performance full of resilience and pain) and the people that are trying to help him escape the country with his son (Enzo Nunes) after they get word that an old enemy of his (Luciano Chiroll) has hired assassins (Roney Villela, Gabriel Leone, Thomas Aquino) to kill him, The Secret Agent remains a vital history lesson for a world that continues to refuse to heed the warnings of its past grave misdeeds. 

Grade: B

8.Sentimental Value:

The Best International Feature frontrunner is another 2025 cinephile favorite that I wasn't overly high on. There's plenty of emotions on display in this film about sisters (Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) who reunite with their estranged filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgard) when he returns to Norway to make his latest film about their life as kids with a famous American actress (Elle Fanning) in the lead role and the performances are very good all-around as expected, I just didn't feel like the resolution to these complex family dynamics felt completely honest or earned given how much their relationships have suffered from decade's worth of emotional scars. I'm going to have to rewatch it sometime before late August when I do my 2025 movie re-evaluation piece to see if it hits different the second time around.

Grade: B

7.F1:

A throwback commercial blockbuster sneaking into the Best Picture race is easily one of the funnier things that's happened during this wacky awards season. F1 is an effective, rousing and technically dazzling sports underdog movie that is burdened by its hefty 155-minute runtime. By the time the big final race occurred, I had completely checked out and didn't really care who won or lost. If Joseph Kosinski can recapture the magic of the first 2/3 of this movie for the upcoming sequel but make it at least 30 minutes shorter, he should be in an excellent position to cook up something special.

Grade: B

6.Frankenstein:

It's not a secret that Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to make a Frankenstein movie for his entire career. del Toro's talent and love for the material is precisely why it's so disappointing that he only made a good Frankenstein adaptation that doesn't even come close to sniffing the heights of his previous monster movie standouts (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water). It's really a tale of two halves as the opening chapter focusing on Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Issac) is kind of a dramatically inert look at a scientist with a reputation as a useless quack trying to prove himself by bringing someone back from the dead while the second half is a heartbreaking, beautiful exploration of his monstrous creation (Jacob Elordi) trying to find a place in the world. The striking second half paired with the expected strength of the production design, costumes and cinematography got this movie within striking of greatness, but the tedium of the first half along with unremarkable performances from Issac, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz are detrimental enough to keep it from getting there.

Grade: B

5.One Battle After Another:

There's plenty to like about One Battle After Another. Paul Thomas Anderson has a real aptitude for action/chase sequences, Benicio del Toro plays a guy so effortlessly cool and chill that you can forgive the fact that he's driving drunk for the entirety of the last 15-20 minutes he's on screen and it has the decency to portray white nationalists as the insecure baby losers that they are. My issues with the film completely lie in not buying the decisions Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) makes or how her daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) reacts to the sins of her mother coming to light in the final act. Nothing about these character's journeys prior to these moments justify the choices they make, and it cast a dark cloud over a good portion of the film that I just can't overlook no matter how great it is at times. 

Grade: B

4.Train Dreams:

Netflix is very selective when it comes to narrative film acquisitions on the festival circuit these days, so it was a very encouraging sign that they were so aggressive in their pursuit of Train Dreams following its premiere at Sundance last winter. The brass had to be particularly glad they landed it after watching the awards prospects of Jay Kelly and A House of Dynamite go up in smoke before their campaigns even got a chance to really start. Filmmaking duo Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing, Jockey) struck gold once again with their simple yet poetic mediation on the string of triumphs and tragedies that make up a person's life. Joel Edgerton is pretty sensational as the working-class man whose life in late 1800's/early 1900's Idaho is followed for 102 minutes, and the cinematography from Adolpho Veloso capture the stunning beauty of the Pacific Northwest with impeccable naturalistic detail (Edgerton's character works as a logger and lives in the countryside, so there's a ton of serene shots of forests, sunrises/sunsets, creeks, etc.)

Grade: B+

3.Bugonia:

A Best Picture slate wouldn't be complete without the latest oddity from Yorgos Lanthimos. While it's not quite up to the level of his last awards season smash Poor Things, this remake of the 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet! is another bitingly funny, impeccably acted and deeply cynical look at humanity that ends on a haunting note that I haven't stopped thinking about for months.

Grade: B+

2.Marty Supreme:

All signs are pointing to Marty Supreme getting shutout at the Oscars now that Timothee Chalamet is no longer the frontrunner for Best Actor following Michael B. Jordan's SAG Awards win a couple of weeks back. The prospect of both Marty Supreme and Uncut Gems-which famously didn't get any nominations-not winning a single Oscar is pretty depressing and a sentiment that I couldn't possibly agree more with. Marty Supreme is an electrifying film that sees Josh Safdie-directing without his younger brother Benny for the first time-apply his signature chaotic grimy NYC aesthetic to a (mostly) fictional story of a cocky, sleazeball ping pong prodigy (Chalamet-who is fucking unreal in this role) who will stop at nothing to realize his dreams of becoming the best player in the world. Safdie is in the middle of a historic heater right now and hopefully he'll be able to keep it going with whatever project his twisted brain births next.

Grade: A

1.Sinners:

My favorite movie of 2025 for nearly a year now suddenly has a real shot of upsetting One Battle After Another for Best Picture now. While I remain skeptical of its chances of actually winning, I would obviously be thrilled if it happened. Ryan Coogler's talent is fully unleashed here as he weaves together a complex tapestry comprised of several genres (horror, music, Gothic period drama, thriller, action) and themes (assimilation destroying the specificity of communities, music as a tool that connects people across generation, the catharsis of finding euphoria in a cruel world where joy is fleeting) without ever losing its coherence. It's just an unbelievable piece of work that I'm confident will endure for as long as this planet remains alive.

Grade: A

Movie Review: The Bride!

As they did when they ran MGM pre-Amazon acquisition, Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca's tenure as the heads of Warner Brothers' film division has largely been defined by taking on projects that other executives wouldn't dare touch. One of their specialties is handing out hefty budgets to fund auteur passion projects and that very risky strategy has brought them huge commercial failures such as Horizon: An American Saga and Mickey 17 as well as legacy-defining triumphs like Sinners and One Battle After Another. The latest big swing that Abdy and De Luca backed at WB is Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride!-a project that came their way after Netflix dropped it over Gyllenhaal's budget requests-doesn't just fall into the former category, it's the new leader in the clubhouse to be the first film mentioned when any film nerd brings up the adventurous executive duo's biggest creative whiffs. 

Several reports that were at least partially confirmed by Gyllenhaal herself during the press tour have cited that The Bride! tested horribly and that WB brass requested changes to tone down the depictions of graphic violence and (attempted) sexual assault that are a key part of this bold reimagining of The Bride of Frankenstein. As a viewer, we don't ultimately know how the notes from the studio impacted Gyllenhaal's edit of The Bride! What I can say is that I don't believe that studio interference is the primary culprit of what went wrong with The Bride! Instead, I think this mainly a classic case of filmmaker being betrayed by their own ambition. 

The way The Bride! is assembled feels like Gyllenhaal had an outline of plot points and genres she wanted to tackle and reverse engineered the movie from there with zero plan on how they tied together or could be fleshed out further. The first act where Frankenstein's monster (Christian Bale) shows up in 1930's Chicago and relevantly convinces a scientist (Annette Bening) who specializes in the theory of reanimation to help bring an end to the loneliness he's been plagued by for 100 years+ by reviving a dead woman to be his wife and that deceased woman extracted from her grave at a nearby cemetery being a mob prostitute named Ida (Jessie Buckley) who was killed for snitching on her boss (Zlatko Buric) in public to serve in this role alone would be enough for Gyllenhaal to build a movie around. There are all sorts of possibilities for a story about bodily autonomy, consent and what really defines love from a female perspective using this purposefully streamlined explanation of where The Bride! starts from. But instead, Gyllenhaal proceeds to veer off into a million different directions once Ida is revived and this untamed beast of a movie proceeds to trample her from there. 

A few murders carried out in self-defense turn the monster pairing into outlaws who travel the country in stolen cars seeking to find refuge in various movie houses as they're being pursued by a motormouthed gumshoe (Peter Sarsgaard)-who is consumed by the guilt of his past corruption and his "secretary" partner (Penelope Cruz) who does most of the real detective work. There's also some interludes involving an encounter with Frankenstein's favorite actor (Jake Gyllenhaal-whose casting as a song-and-dance man proves just how much his sister loves him) at a New York party that transformers into an extended Vaudeville dance number and an allusion to the Bride starting a revolution of women bearing her signature makeup look that you can see on the above poster which was brought on by the whole being brought back from the dead thing standing up to the men who abused or harassed them. While all of the turns it takes solidifies its uniqueness, The Bride! never commits to any of its plot threads or genre influences for long enough to sell them as anything other than kooky, unrealized ideas. Ambition doesn't really matter all that much if those ideas add up to make something that is overstuffed and underdeveloped. All of the negative attention Gyllenhaal is getting right now as a result of The Bride! faceplanting on all moviegoing fronts (box office, critical reviews, audience reception) provides her with a great opportunity to reflect on what wrong went here and hopefully, she'll come out on the other side with a more cohesive plan to bring her unique ideas to life on screen.

Grade: C-

Jai Courtney Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Jai Courtney-whose latest project "War Machine" is now streaming on Netflix

Jai Courtney's Filmography Ranked:

16.Unbroken (D)

15.Jolt (D+)

14.Black Site (D+)

13.A Good Day to Die Hard (D+)

12.Jack Reacher (C-)

11.I, Frankenstein (C)

10.Storm Boy (C)

9.Terminator Genisys (C+)

8.Alita: Battle Angel (B-)

7.Suicide Squad (B-)

6.Dangerous Animals (B-)

5.Honest Thief (B-)

4.Insurgent (B)

3.Divergent (B)

2.Buffaloed (B)

1.The Suicide Squad (A)

Top Dog: The Suicide Squad (2021)

Having just rewatched this in late January, I'd like to reaffirm my belief that this is James Gunn's best movie. I don't know if it was the hunger to prove himself after the infamous resurfaced tweets debacle or simply the perfect fit between cast and material, but The Suicide Squad is such a perfectly calibrated mix of humor, heart, horror-esque splatter and sharp political commentary that I honestly can't wrap my head around how Gunn was able to pull it off. Big thanks to the reactionary Disney executives that made this movie and Gunn's eventual ascent to the head of DC's film division possible.

Bottom Feeder: Unbroken (2014)

Plenty of people really loved Angelina Jolie's biopic about the remarkable true story of Olympic sprinter-turned WWII POW Louie Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), but safe to say, I was not among them. Through sluggish pacing and an overreliance on melodrama, Zamperini's inspiring story of survival against all odds is turned into a stiff, cheesy piece of awards bait that does a complete disservice to his legacy.

Most Underrated: Buffaloed (2020)

Zoey Deutch is fucking excellent as a charming, working-class scammer fresh out of jail who gets caught up in the shady world of debt collecting in her hometown of Buffalo in this engaging, relatively clever crime dramedy from Tanya Wexler. Anybody who likes movies like The Big Short and The Wolf of Wall Street should seek out this little indie that has gotten buried in many a streaming library over the past 6 years.

Most Overrated: Jack Reacher (2012)

While it's been overshadowed by the success of the Alan Ritchson-led Prime Video series, Jack Reacher was a WOM hit back in 2012 that is arguably the most warmly received Tom Cruise-led project of the 21st century that wasn't a sequel to a movie that he made in the 20th century outside of Edge of Tomorrow. This overly serious, convoluted crime thriller delivers none of the frenzied action magic that Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie went onto deliver with their four Mission-Impossible collabs and contains one of the worst villain performances I've ever seen in a movie from none other than German filmmaker Werner Herzog.

2026 NFL Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available

The deadline for NFL teams to use the franchise or transition tag came yesterday at 4:00 PM EST and as expected, there wasn't much action as George Pickens (Cowboys), Breece Hall (Jets), Kyle Pitts (Falcons) and Daniel Jones (Colts) were the only players to receive this increasingly unpopular designation that prevents players from hitting the opening market. With the 2026 free agency class locked in, it's now time to take a look at what players will be the most coveted when the legal tampering period opens on Monday at noon EST. Here are the 10 players that I believe are the best available in this not overly flashy but still intriguing free agent class. 

(Note: Kyler Murray was excluded from this list as he's currently still on the Cardinals roster and could still get traded before the new league year begins next Wednesday-which is when they're set to cut him if no trade materializes)

10.Malik Willis, quarterback (2025 team: Green Bay Packers)

After being traded to the Packers right before the start of the 2024 regular season, Willis went from a guy who was on the cusp of not being able to make an NFL roster to arguably the most trusted backup quarterback in the league. How sharp Willis looked every time he was asked to step in for Jordan Love paired with the thinness of this year's draft class means a number of QB-desperate teams will be vying for his services despite his relative lack of action (6 career starts, 155 career passing attempts). Given the plethora of options he'll have, Willis would be wise to prioritize going somewhere with an established offensive coach like the Vikings or Steelers that will give him the best chance of making the most of his first true crack at being a starter in the league.

Possible Destinations: New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals

9.Jaelan Phillips, edge rusher (2025 teams: Miami Dolphins/Philadelphia Eagles)

After appearing in just 12 combined games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Phillips was able to play a full 17-game slate in 2025 and looked like every bit of the player he was during his first 2 years in the league. While he wasn't always able to get home (he only logged 5 sacks last season in his 9 games with the Dolphins and 8 with the Eagles), Phillips is outstanding at generating pressure on QB's (73 last year-which ranked 9th in the league) and would be a great addition to any team that's looking for a top-tier #2 edge rushing option.

Possible Destinations: Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals

8.Isaac Seumalo, guard (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Seumalo has been one of the best guards in football since he became a full-time starter with the Eagles back in 2019. Coming off a campaign where he graded out as the 12th best guard in the league according to PFF, he's got plenty of gas left in the tank heading into his age 33 season and should be able to land a nice 3-or-4-year deal come next week.

Possible Destinations: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns

7.Alec Pierce, wide receiver (2025 team: Indianapolis Colts)

A vertical passing attack is a key part of most NFL offenses and no pure deep threat in the league right now is more lethal than Pierce. The University of Cincinnati product has averaged over 20 YDS per reception and scored 6+ TD's in back-to-back seasons and cleared 1,000 YDS for the first time in his career in 2025. If the Colts can't find a way to bring him back, he'll have a massive market in this very shallow pool of free agent wideouts.

Possible Destinations: Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins

6.Kenneth Walker III, running back (2025 team: Seattle Seahawks)

It was a bit surprising that the Seahawks didn't elect to franchise tag the reigning Super Bowl MVP given how important running the ball is to their offense's identity (that's not expected to change with the departure of OC Klint Kubiak) and that their 1B running back Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in their Divisional Round matchup with the 49ers. While durability and play-by-play consistency certainly aren't among Walker's strong suits, the huge runs that his rare burst and power allow him to rip off make him the kind of backfield weapon that is capable of transforming an entire offense. 

Possible Destinations: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars

5.Odafe Oweh, edge rusher (2025 teams: Baltimore Ravens/Los Angeles Chargers)

Landing with the Chargers after being dealt away by the Ravens in mid-October made Oweh a lot of money as he raised his game to a whole new level (7.5 sacks, 8 TFL's, 13 QB hits in 12 games) playing in Jesse Minter's blitz-happy system. Not everybody looking for edge help will have the stomach to pay a guy who only plays in sub packages, but those who do will be getting a tenacious, unrelenting pass-rushing specialist who just so happens to be in the middle of his prime.

Possible Destinations: Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

4.Jamel Dean, cornerback (2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers) 

Dean being a constantly dinged-up player (he's missed somewhere between 2 and 5 games in all 7 of his NFL seasons thus far) about to enter his age 30 season gives him a level of risk that isn't attached to other corners in this free agency class such as Cobie Durant, Alontae Taylor and Jaylen Watson. However, unlike his aforementioned peers, Dean has displayed a consistently high level of play while drawing tough assignments and should be able to remain a #1 corner for at least another 2-3 years if he's able to stay at least relatively healthy.

Possible Destinations: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals

3.Trey Hendrickson, edge rusher (2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals)

After a couple years of unfilled trade requests and contract disputes, Hendrickson has finally been liberated from the Bengals organization. The timing isn't exactly ideal for the 4x Pro Bowler to hit the open market as he's coming off a 2025 campaign that ended with him getting hip/pelvis surgery after appearing in just 7 games and will turn 32 in December. While there's certainly a real chance Hendrickson's best football is behind him, a guy who has a whopping 74.5 sacks over the last 6 seasons is worth rolling the dice on.

Possible Destinations: Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2.Devin Lloyd, inside linebacker (2025 team: Jacksonville Jaguars)

Over the past couple of seasons, Lloyd has turned into the elite sideline-to-sideline linebacker that he was projected to be when the Jaguars took him in the 1st round back in 2022. Getting the chance to bring in a linebacker this complete as he's about to enter his prime is incredibly rare and the payday he'll receive will likely reflect that.

Possible Destinations: Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos

1.Tyler Linderbaum, center (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

It would be flat out irresponsible for a Ravens team whose offensive line took a huge step back in 2025 to let the most reliable member of that group walk. However, they may not be able to afford Linderbaum's services as center is one of the thinnest positions in the league and he's been among the few consistently great ones since he came into the league in 2021. Given how many teams are desperate for interior line help right now, Linderbaum has an excellent chance of becoming the new highest paid center in the league and that type of contract may be too much to ask of a team that also has to imminently hand out serious $$$ to Kyle Hamilton and Lamar Jackson.

Possible Destinations: Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears

Other Notable Free Agents:

A.J. Epenesa, edge rusher (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Al-Quadin Muhammad, edge rusher (2025 team: Detroit Lions)

Alex Anzalone, inside linebacker (2025 team: Detroit Lions)

Alex Singleton, inside linebacker (2025 team: Denver Broncos)

Alijah Vera-Tucker, guard (2025 team: New York Jets)

Alohi Gilman, safety (2025 teams: Los Angeles Chargers/Baltimore Ravens)

Alontae Taylor, cornerback (2025 team: New Orleans Saints)

Andre Cisco, safety (2025 team: New York Jets)

Andrew Wingard, safety (2025 team: Jacksonville Jaguars)

Ar'Darius Washington, safety (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Arnold Ebiketie, edge rusher (2025 team: Atlanta Falcons)

Austin Hooper, tight end (2025 team: New England Patriots)

Bobby Wagner, inside linebacker (2025 team: Washington Commanders)

Boye Mafe, edge rusher (2025 team: Seattle Seahawks)

Braden Smith, tackle (2025 team: Indianapolis Colts)

Bradley Chubb, edge rusher (2025 team: Miami Dolphins)

Brady Christensen, guard (2025 team: Carolina Panthers)

Braxton Jones, tackle (2025 team: Chicago Bears)

Brian Robinson Jr., running back (2025 team: San Francisco 49ers)

Bryan Cook, safety (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, safety/cornerback (2025 teams: Houston Texans/Chicago Bears)

Cade Mays, center (2025 team: Carolina Panthers)

Cade Otton, tight end (2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Calais Campbell, defensive tackle/defensive end (2025 team: Arizona Cardinals)

Calvin Austin III, wide receiver (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Cam Taylor-Britt, cornerback (2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals)

Cameron Jordan, edge rusher (2025 team: New Orleans Saints)

Charlie Kolar, tight end (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Chidobe Awuzie, cornerback (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Chigoziem Okonkwo, tight end (2025 team: Tennessee Titans)

Christian Kirk, wide receiver (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Chuck Clark, safety (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Cobie Durant, cornerback (2025 team: Los Angeles Rams)

Coby Bryant, safety (2025 team: Seattle Seahawks)

Connor McGovern, guard (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Cordale Flott, cornerback (2025 team: New York Giants)

D.J. Reader, defensive tackle (2025 team: Detroit Lions)

Dallas Goedert, tight end (2025 team: Philadelphia Eagles)

Dane Belton, safety (2025 team: New York Giants)

Daniel Faalele, guard (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Dante Fowler Jr., edge rusher (2025 team: Dallas Cowboys)

DaQuan Jones, defensive tackle (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Darren Waller, tight end (2025 team: Miami Dolphins)

David Edwards, guard (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

David Njoku, tight end (2025 team: Cleveland Browns)

David Onyemata, defensive tackle (2025 team: Atlanta Falcons)

DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Deebo Samuel, wide receiver (2025 team: Washington Commanders)

Demario Davis, inside linebacker (2025 team: New Orleans Saints)

Dennis Gardeck, edge rusher (2025 team: Jacksonville Jaguars)

Derek Barnett, edge rusher (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Devin Bush, inside linebacker (2025 team: Cleveland Browns)

Donovan Wilson, safety (2025 team: Dallas Cowboys)

Dre'Mont Jones, edge rusher (2025 teams: Tennessee Titans/Baltimore Ravens)

Dylan Parham, guard (2025 team: Las Vegas Raiders)

E.J. Speed, inside linebacker (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Ed Ingram, guard (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Elandon Roberts, inside linebacker (2025 team: Las Vegas Raiders)

Elijah Wilkinson, tackle (2025 team: Atlanta Falcons)

Eric Stokes, cornerback (2025 team: Las Vegas Raiders)

Eric Wilson, inside linebacker (2025 team: Minnesota Vikings)

Ethan Pocic, center (2025 team: Cleveland Browns)

Fabian Moreau, cornerback (2025 team: Minnesota Vikings)

Geno Stone, safety (2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals)

Germaine Pratt, inside linebacker (2025 teams: Las Vegas Raiders/Indianapolis Colts)

Graham Glasgow, guard/center (2025 team: Detroit Lions)

Greg Newsome II, cornerback (2025 teams: Cleveland Browns/Jacksonville Jaguars)

Greg Van Roten, guard (2025 team: New York Giants)

Haason Reddick, edge rusher (2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Harrison Smith, safety (2025 team: Minnesota Vikings)

Hollywood Brown, wide receiver (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Isaiah Likely, tight end (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Isiah Pacheco, running back (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

J.K. Dobbins, running back (2025 team: Denver Broncos)

Jabrill Peppers, safety (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Jack Jones, cornerback (2025 team: Miami Dolphins)

Jadeveon Clowney, edge rusher (2025 team: Dallas Cowboys)

Jalen Nailor, wide receiver (2025 team: Minnesota Vikings)

Jalen Thompson, safety (2025 team: Arizona Cardinals)

Jamal Adams, inside linebacker (2025 team: Las Vegas Raiders)

Jamaree Salyer, tackle/guard (2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers)

James Pierre, cornerback (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Jaquan Brisker, safety (2025 team: Chicago Bears)

Jauan Jennings, wide receiver (2025 team: San Francisco 49ers)

Jawaan Taylor, tackle (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Jaylen Watson, cornerback (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Jaylinn Hawkins, safety (2025 team: New England Patriots)

Jermaine Eluemunor, tackle/guard (2025 team: New York Giants)

Joel Bitonio, guard (2025 team: Cleveland Browns)

Joey Bosa, edge rusher (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

John Franklin-Myers, defensive end/tackle (2025 team: Denver Broncos)

John Simpson, guard (2025 team: New York Jets)

Jonah Williams, tackle (2025 team: Arizona Cardinals)

Jordan Poyer, safety (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Joseph Ossai, edge rusher (2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals)

Josh Jobe, cornerback (2025 team: Seattle Seahawks)

Josh Uche, edge rusher (2025 team: Philadelphia Eagles)

Joshua Williams, cornerback (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Justin Strnad, inside linebacker (2025 team: Denver Broncos)

K'Lavon Chaisson, edge rusher (2025 team: New England Patriots)

Kaden Elliss, inside linebacker (2025 team: Atlanta Falcons)

Kader Kohou, cornerback (2025 team: Miami Dolphins)

Kamren Curl, safety (2025 team: Los Angeles Rams)

Kareem Hunt, running back (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Keenan Allen, wide receiver (2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers)

Kenneth Gainwell, running back (2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Kevin Byard, safety (2025 team: Chicago Bears)

Kevin Zeitler, guard (2025 team: Tennessee Titans)

Khalil Mack, edge rusher (2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers)

Khyris Tonga, defensive tackle (2025 team: New England Patriots)

Kingsley Enagbare, edge rusher (2025 team: Green Bay Packers)

Kirk Cousins, quarterback (2025 team: Atlanta Falcons)

Kwity Paye, edge rusher (2025 team: Indianapolis Colts)

Kyle Dugger, safety (2025 teams: New England Patriots/Pittsburgh Steelers)

Leo Chenal, inside linebacker (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Logan Hall, defensive tackle (2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Malcolm Koonce, edge rusher (2025 team: Las Vegas Raiders)

Marcus Mariota, quarterback (2025 team: Washington Commanders)

Matt Milano, inside linebacker (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Mike Evans, wide receiver (2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Mike Hilton, cornerback (2025 team: Indianapolis Colts)

Montaric Brown, cornerback (2025 team: Jacksonville Jaguars)

Myles Bryant, cornerback (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Nahshon Wright, cornerback (2025 team: Chicago Bears)

Najee Harris, running back (2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers)

Nakobe Dean, inside linebacker (2025 team: Philadelphia Eagles)

Nick Chubb, running back (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Nick Cross, safety (2025 team: Indianapolis Colts)

Nick Scott, safety (2025 team: Carolina Panthers)

Quay Walker, inside linebacker (2025 team: Green Bay Packers)

Quincy Williams, inside linebacker (2025 team: New York Jets)

Rachaad White, running back (2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Rasheed Shaheed, wide receiver/return specialist (2025 teams: New Orleans Saints/Seattle Seahawks)

Rasheed Walker, tackle (2025 team: Green Bay Packers)

Rasul Douglas, cornerback (2025 team: Miami Dolphins)

Reed Blankenship, safety (2025 team: Philadelphia Eagles)

Reggie Gilliam, fullback (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Rico Dowdle, running back (2025 team: Carolina Panthers)

Riq Woolen, cornerback (2025 team: Seattle Seahawks)

Rob Havenstein, tackle (2025 team: Los Angeles Rams)

Rock-Ya Sin, cornerback (2025 team: Detroit Lions)

Roger McCreary, cornerback (2025 teams: Tennessee Titans/Los Angeles Rams)

Romeo Doubs, wide receiver (2025 team: Green Bay Packers)

Roy Lopez, defensive tackle (2025 team: Detroit Lions)

Russell Wilson, quarterback (2025 team: New York Giants)

Samson Ebukam, edge rusher (2025 team: Indianapolis Colts)

Sean Rhyan, guard (2025 team: Green Bay Packers)

Sebastian Joseph-Day, defensive tackle (2025 team: Tennessee Titans)

Shaq Thompson, inside linebacker (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Sheldon Rankins, defensive tackle (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Teven Jenkins, guard (2025 team: Cleveland Browns)

Tony Jefferson, safety (2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers)

Travis Etienne Jr., running back (2025 team: Jacksonville Jaguars)

Travis Kelce, tight end (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Tre'Davious White, cornerback (2025 team: Buffalo Bills)

Trent Brown, tackle (2025 team: Houston Texans)

Trevon Diggs, cornerback (2025 teams: Dallas Cowboys/Green Bay Packers)

Tyler Allgeier, running back (2025 team: Atlanta Falcons)

Tyler Biadasz, center (2025 team: Washington Commanders)

Tyler Higbee, tight end (2025 team: Los Angeles Rams)

Tyler Huntley, quarterback (2025 team: Baltimore Ravens)

Tyquan Thornton, wide receiver (2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Tyrod Taylor, quarterback (2025 team: New York Jets)

Wan'Dale Robinson, wide receiver (2025 team: New York Giants)

Wyatt Teller, guard (2025 team: Cleveland Browns)

Zion Johnson, guard (2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers)

Movie Review: The Bluff

In terms of movie monopolies, few have even been as dominant as the one Pirates of the Caribbean has had on pirate movies over the last 20+ years. Gore Verbinski's original trilogy that ran from 2003 to 2007 were such rollicking, well-conceived high seas adventures that other creatives in the industry figured they were better off staying on land. The two entries that weren't helmed by Verbinski that were released during the 2010's (2011's On Stranger Tides, 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales) proved that the brand had run its course and perhaps it was time for somebody else to try their hand at big budget swashbuckling. Nearly nine years after the release of the last Pirates of the Caribbean film, veteran screenwriter Frank E. Flowers has dared to launch a vessel into these rarely explored waters with Prime Video's The Bluff.

To be clear, The Bluff is more of an action/revenge movie about pirates than a full-bore pirate movie as most of it is set on the island of Cayman Brac during the late 1800's when the practice of piracy was on its last legs. As disappointing as it is to see the return to this largely dormant genre be so light on ocean-based action, The Bluff has enough firepower in its arsenal to overcome its relative lack of aquatic hijinks. Priyanka Chopra as a retired lethal pirate whose settled into a quiet life on a beautiful island vs. Karl Urban as her sadistic former partner who kidnaps her husband (Ismael Cruz Cordova) at sea hen forces him to sail to Cayman Brac in order to reclaim the considerable amount of gold she took from him a couple of decades earlier when she made her escape is a fun combative dynamic and the well-staged action sequences pack a brutal punch that nicely correlates with the nastiness of its revenge narrative. When the movie shifts focus to the dramatic elements involving Chopra's relationship with her son (Vedanten Nadoo) and sister-in-law (Safia Oakley-Green), the clunkiness of the script really starts to show, and it loses momentum. Fortunately, every time it threatens to really start dragging, there's a bloody fight scene or fiery exchange between Chopra and Urban that jolts it back to life. It won't be overly difficult to make a better pirate movie than The Bluff and hopefully somebody will in the near future, but for now, I'm just glad that somebody was willing to make one post-POTC and it ended up being pretty decent.

Grade: B-
 

2026 NFL Mock Draft (Post-Combine)

1.Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback (Indiana)

2.New York Jets: David Bailey, edge rusher (Texas Tech)

3.Arizona Cardinals: Arvell Reese, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Ohio State)

4.Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate, wide receiver (Ohio State)

5.New York Giants: Sonny Styles, inside linebacker (Ohio State)

6.Cleveland Browns: Francis Mauigoa, tackle (Miami)

7.Washington Commanders: Caleb Downs, safety (Ohio State)

8.New Orleans Saints: Jeremiyah Love, running back (Notre Dame)

9.Kansas City Chiefs: Spencer Fano, tackle (Utah)

10.Cincinnati Bengals: Rueben Bain Jr., edge rusher (Miami)

11.Miami Dolphins: Mansoor Delane, cornerback (LSU)

12.Dallas Cowboys: Jermod McCoy, cornerback (Tennessee) 

13.Los Angeles Rams: Avieon Terrell, cornerback (Clemson)

14.Baltimore Ravens: Caleb Banks, defensive tackle (Florida)

15.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyon Sadiq, tight end (Oregon)

16.New York Jets: Makai Lemon, wide receiver (USC)

17.Detroit Lions: Keldric Faulk, edge rusher (Auburn)

18.Minnesota Vikings: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety (Toledo)

19.Carolina Panthers: T.J. Parker, edge rusher (Clemson)

20.Dallas Cowboys: Cashius Howell, edge rusher (Texas A&M)

21.Pittsburgh Steelers: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver (Arizona State)

22.Los Angeles Chargers: Olaivavega Ioane, guard (Penn State)

23.Philadelphia Eagles: Monroe Freeling, tackle (Georgia)

24.Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston, wide receiver (Washington)

25.Chicago Bears: Peter Woods, defensive tackle (Clemson)

26.Buffalo Bills: Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver (Indiana)

27.San Francisco 49ers: Blake Miller, tackle (Clemson)

28.Houston Texans: Kadyn Proctor, tackle (Alabama)

29.Los Angeles Rams: C.J. Allen, inside linebacker (Georgia)

30.Denver Broncos: KC Concepcion, wide receiver (Texas A&M)

31.New England Patriots: Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher (Miami)

32.Seattle Seahawks: Colton Hood, cornerback (Tennessee) 

Movie Review: GOAT

Sony Pictures Animation is starting to settle into a pattern as their filmography continues to slowly increase in size of letting their beautiful house style that blends together hand drawn and CG animation do the heavy lifting over the narrative. The Steph Curry-produced GOAT fits into this box as snuggly as anything SPA has ever made. The only thing that distinguishes GOAT from other sports underdog stories is that the hero (Caleb McLaughlin) that's told he's too small, weak, etc. to play professional sports is a talking goat who dreams of being a professional roarball player (it's basically basketball with all animal players, a more liberal foul system and courts that look like Super Smash Brothers stages). Beyond that, the adults in the audience will have no trouble predicting everything that happens to Will as he gets to live out his dream of playing in the pros, clashes with the team's selfish, insecure aging veteran star player (Gabrielle Union) and helps a previous dysfunctional group of players rediscover the power of teamwork and their love of the game through his infectious spirit. This adhering to a predictable genre formula ends up being perfectly excusable as it executes the classic sports movie tropes skillfully enough and delivers consistently impressive visuals (the roarball games look particularly great) throughout. Plus, it pulls off the magic trick of using modern slang in an organic, non-cringey way and has the courtesy of acknowledging who the real villains in sports are: greedy owners who value their bottom lines over the culture of their locker room or the quality of the product their team is putting out there. Any parent that wants to get their kids out of the house for a couple of hours could pick a far more torturous activity than taking them to see GOAT.

Grade: B-