Birds draft a cornerback; Sixers triumph | Sports Daily Newsletter

On a night when Joel Embiid helped the Sixers keep their playoff hopes alive, the Eagles took another step toward rejuvenating their defense.

The Eagles selected Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft. Mitchell was the first cornerback to come off the board on Thursday night. The 6-foot, 195-pound Mitchell was a three-year starter at Toledo. He also was one of the speediest players at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds.

Mitchell cemented his first-round status with a standout performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. That’s where the Eagles first made contact with him.

The Eagles made news before the draft by agreeing to a contract extension with receiver A.J. Brown that runs through 2029. According to the NFL Network, Brown’s deal is worth up to $96 million with $84 million guaranteed.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Joel Embiid started hitting three-pointers like he was Stephen Curry in the third quarter Thursday, and that pumped new life into the Sixers. Embiid sank five threes overall and poured in 50 points as the Sixers beat the Knicks, 125-114, in a must-win Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Tyrese Maxey added 25 points for the Sixers, who cut New York’s series lead to 2-1.

In the first half, though, the big man was frustrated, and he let it show. It was Embiid at his worst, David Murphy writes. Then came a virtuoso performance in the second half.

There was news before the game as a league source confirmed that Kelly Oubre Jr.’s Lamborghini was involved in a crash following Game 2.

Next: Game 4 of the Knicks-Sixers series is Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center (1 p.m., 6abc).

The Arizona Cardinals decided to use the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft to select a Heisman Trophy finalist with a Hall of Fame father. Marvin Harrison Jr., the former St. Joseph’s Prep star, made 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns at Ohio State last season. Next up, he’ll be hauling in passes from Kyler Murray with the Cardinals.

Next: Day 2 of the NFL draft begins at 7 p.m. (ESPN, NFL Network).

Bryce Harper returned from the paternity list after the birth of his daughter and answered a few Cincinnati hecklers Thursday by hitting a home run. Zack Wheeler walked four Reds but allowed only one hit in six efficient innings. It all added up to a 5-0 Phillies victory over the Reds.

Struggling at the plate, Bryson Stott took a seat for two games as the Phillies faced two Cincinnati left-handers. Stott returned for the matinee game and smacked a triple and a single.

Next: The Phillies open a three-game series against the Padres in San Diego tonight (9:40 p.m., NBCSP). Aaron Nola (3-1, 3.16 ERA) is slated to face San Diego’s Joe Musgrove (3-2, 5.74).

The Penn Relays produce any number of compelling stories, and the 128th edition is no different. Pittsburgh’s Devin Nugent, a former standout at North Penn, captured the 400-meter hurdles title on the opening day. He follows in the footsteps of his sister Leah, an Olympian who won the hurdles championship at Franklin Field in 2010.

Competitors carry the spirit of the event into their 70s and beyond. The sprinters from Houston Elite had a successful run at the carnival in the 70-and-up category. “The crowd is always behind you, whether you’re first or last,” one runner says.

Friends’ Central star Avery Lewis captured the long jump and ran in the 4x100 relay Thursday at Franklin Field. She’ll compete at Southern Cal next season.

Next: Day 2 of the Penn Relays begins at 9 a.m. today.

We asked you: Who is the best first-round draft pick in Eagles history and why? Among your responses:

There are so many, Chuck Bednarik, Steve Van Buren, Jay Berwanger and Sam Francis. That is my ordering of the Eagles’ number one picks. — Fred B.

In my opinion, the best Eagles’ all-time first-round draft choice goes way back, Chuck Bednarik. In more recent times, both Lane Johnson and Fletcher Cox were great choices. — Tom E.

I think the two BEST were Chuck Bednarik from Penn in 1949 and Bob Brown from Nebraska in 1964. Both were the very best at their positions and both are in the Football Hall of Fame. One draft choice who I hated, but later learned to love, was the late, great Jerome Brown member of the outstanding Bringing the Heat Eagles defense. Hated him when he was the leader of the loudmouth Miami Hurricanes who thought they would crush my Penn State Nittany Lions but of course did not. Loved him as an Eagle and like all fans was so saddened by his tragic death. — Everett S.

There are four first-rounders that could contend for best by the Eagles: McNabb, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, and DeVonta Smith. McNabb holds most the Eagles QB records, but he is not a Hall of Famer in my opinion. Smith may be, but that will take a lot more years of top performance. The best is either Johnson or Cox. By a close margin, I’d give the nod to Lane Johnson, one of the greatest NFL tackles of all time. Johnson has been an All-Pro 4 times and played in 5 Pro Bowls so far in his 11 seasons. Cox was also an All-Pro 4 times with 6 Pro Bowls in his 12 seasons. — Jay W.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, David Murphy, Alex Coffey, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Jeff Neiburg, Jonathan Tannenwald, Lochlahn March, Isabella DiAmore, and Gabriela Carroll.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That’s all from a pretty busy week for Sports Daily. See you Monday when we report on Sixers-Knicks Game 4 and much more. — Jim