Legendary rapper and actor Ice Cube wanted to make one thing clear about April 29 – it was, indeed, a good day.
The west coast rapper closed day two of the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas with a live show where he ran through some of his most popular tracks like “You Can Do It,” “Check Yo Self” and “Friday,” all leading up to his most iconic track.
“Do you know why you’re having a good time?” Cube, the long-time Las Vegas Raiders fan, dawning a No. 1 Raiders jersey, asked the crowd. “You having a good time because today was a good day.”
NFL fans of all backgrounds and ages then began to groove, dance and sing along to Cube’s “Today Was a Good Day” for the next five minutes to close the night.
Day two of the draft was also a good day for many of the most notable players who fell down the boards as well. Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean fell from a potential first-round pick to the 83rd overall spot to the Philadelphia Eagles. Dean reportedly denied getting shoulder surgery, a claim Dean he retracted after getting drafted.
The most puzzling reasoning for a player dropping on Day 2, however, was for Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. The play-caller projected to go as early as late first round, but more so in the second round, fell to the Carolina Panthers at 94 overall in the third round.
“The Carolina Panthers football-wise thought Matt Corral had the best film hands down, but this is about a lot more than that,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said. “There’s a lot of work required here to make sure they are comfortable off the field with the person that dealt with a multitude of issues including alcohol and related issues. He admitted publicly to battling depression. He has had unreliable behavior off the field and he really has struggled in some interviews with some teams. That said, the talent is enough for the Carolina Panthers to take a shot with Corral here.”
Another slide was Malik Willis, the Black quarterback from Liberty from Atlanta. His hometown Falcons passed up on him multiple times, solidifying they weren’t drafting him after selecting Desmond Ridder from Cincinnati at 74, who’s also another Black quarterback who slid down draft boards. Willis became the second Black quarterback selected this year when the Tennessee Titans picked him at 86. Willis was surrounded by loved ones in a white t-shirt when the pick was announced, a far cry from the suit he wore to the red carpet with his grandmother on the red carpet at the draft in Las Vegas on night one.
