2026 NFL Draft Grades: Day 2 Picks By Team
Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft has come to a close, and we had some anomalies. Zero QBs or RBs got drafted in round 2. CB Jermod McCoy, my top overall CB but someone with a serious knee concern, fell out of day 3 entirely. Numerous teams had just 1 pick each after previously made trades. Other squads hoarded a bunch of these selections. Some filled needs, while others went purely with the best players available. Either way, you expect several starters from these rounds. Here you’ll find my grades for how the teams did on day 2. I’ll try to touch on every player taken. If you’re looking for my round one grades, head to this link.
All team picks are grouped together, and the teams are listed in reverse order of their records (i.e., what the order would have looked like if no picks were ever traded). Each player is accompanied by a value in parentheses such as (2-44). In this case, the player was picked in the 2nd round with the 44th overall selection. I also add an up arrow ↑ if the team traded up for the player, and I add a down arrow ↓ if the team traded down before making their pick. * means that the team acquired the pick in a pre-draft trade or a draft-day trade for a player.
1. Las Vegas Raiders – CB Treydan Stukes, Arizona (2-38↓); EDGE Keyron Crawford, Auburn (3-67); C Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M (3-91↑): B+
One of the late risers made his way to the Raiders, and they got him while trading down. Stukes has been a popular name in league circles. He’ll either play safety or nickelback, but he has speed to burn. Crawford is a prototypically build DE who can learn from Maxx Crosby; he has upside. It took a while for Las Vegas to add some help for #1 pick Fernando Mendoza, but they found a new guard in Zuhn. He was listed as a center, but that’s very clearly Tyler Linderbaum’s job, and Zuhn is versatile. Protecting Mendoza is a top priority, so I like that they circled back to him. Overall, this is a pretty solid group.
2. New York Jets – CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana (2-50↓): A-
New York had just 1 pick because they made 3 yesterday, but they used it on one of their remaining positions of need. Ponds is undersized, but he doesn’t play that way. He’s a big hitter and a very sticky cover man, always exuding physicality. The Jets traded Sauce Gardner and needed a replacement. I wouldn’t call Ponds a similar player by look due to the size difference between them, but their styles line up. If anything, I’d call Ponds the better ball hawk, though Gardner has better physical traits. Either way, Ponds was one of the better CBs remaining at a rapidly depleting position, so that makes this pick look even better.
3. Arizona Cardinals – G Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M (2-34); QB Carson Beck, Miami (3-65): C-
Apparently Arizona only cares about its offense, even though their worse unit was the defense. Even so, only one of their two picks was any good. Bisontis could’ve gone in round 1. He’s a stout guard with the ability to kick out to tackle if necessary. Putting him in front of Jeremiyah Love will be a good combination. Beck is more perplexing. After 6 years of college, his decision-making is still suspect, and his deep ball is terrible. Maybe the Cardinals reached because the Rams took Ty Simpson in a surprise, but Beck is purely a backup prospect to me. With Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, Arizona already has two of those.
4. Tennessee Titans – LB Anthony Hill Jr, Texas (2-60↑): B
Another one-pick team, but again, it was a quality pick. Tennessee needed help at all levels of their defense coming into this draft. Hill is one of this draft’s better coverage linebackers. He’s incredibly fast, which also helps him blitz. My one problem with this move was the trade up. A 5th-round pick wasn’t too much of a cost to move up 9 spots, but a team with this many holes needs as many picks as possible. After moving up yesterday for Keldric Faulk, staying patient would’ve been ideal. I do like the player they took though, and Hill should give the defense a lot of energy. Quality over quantity.
5. New York Giants – CB Colton Hood, Tennessee (2-37); WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame (3-74↑): C
This tale of two picks had very different results. The Hood pick was exceptional. He made it into my final mock and those of many other analysts because he’s a smooth cover corner with no real weaknesses. I anticipate him being a plug-and-play starter, who NYG got at a great value. Fields is a different story. His speed was alarmingly bad at the Combine, so I don’t see him separating from pro DBs. Making matters worse, the Giants sent Cleveland 4th- and 5th-round picks PLUS a 2027 4th-rounder to move back into the third round to get Fields. That’s an enormous cost for a WR who’s basically just a big body.
6. Cleveland Browns – WR Denzel Boston, Washington (2-39); S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo (2-58↑); OT Austin Barber, Florida (3-86↑): A
I have to say it: the Browns are killing this draft. Yesterday, I said that I liked Boston better than KC Concepcion for Cleveland. Little did I know that they’d land both! Boston is a great value at 39; he’s a big WR with great deep speed. McNeil-Warren’s draft fall is going to require an autopsy. He could’ve gone in round 1 without complaint, yet he was available at 59. I don’t even care about the trade up; the Browns had to stop his fall. The trade up for Barber was a blemish. I didn’t have a day-2 grade on him, so moving up wasn’t necessarily. Even so, I respect the O-line focus. Now if only Cleveland had a QB…
7. Washington Commanders – WR Antonio Williams, Clemson (3-71): B-
To those clamoring for Washington to get Jayden Daniels a weapon, they listened. They used their only day-2 pick (the Laremy Tunsil trade burnt their 2nd-rounder) on a solid receiver. Williams isn’t a special athlete or elite at any one thing, but his route-running is crisp, and he produces. His hands are a little suspect, and he might be relegated to the slot, but he brings a solid floor. The main issue I have is that players with great ceilings, including Ja’Kobi Lane and Chris Brazzell, both would’ve been superior picks. I don’t have an issue with the position Washington went after, but they didn’t take the optimal prospect.
8. New Orleans Saints – DT Christen Miller, Georgia (2-42); TE Oscar Delp, Georgia (3-73): C+
Like the Commanders before them, the Saints went after the right position by taking a DT, but they took the wrong player. Lee Hunter was definitely the better prospect, especially against the run. Miller has athleticism, but I’m wary of guys who are all traits and no production. New Orleans went back to the Georgia well in round 3, and they did better this time around. Delp didn’t do much during the leadup to the draft because of an injury, so many teams forgot about his upside. He’s big and physical TE who can do a bunch of things well; he was just underutilized by the Bulldogs. One for two it seems for this haul.
9. Kansas City Chiefs – DE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma (2-40): C
I was curious where Thomas would go. As a pass rusher, he brings a relentless motor and an array of moves. He’s undersized as a run defender though, so he might not be able to play as much on early downs. Kansas City was definitely in need of an edge rusher, but this will be the third consecutive team I say this about: they chose the wrong guy. Cashius Howell was the more productive sack artist, while Zion Young has the frame to play all 3 downs. I like Thomas and think he can be a productive pro, but DC Steve Spagnuolo will need to get creative to protect him. Otherwise, teams will run right at him.
10. Cincinnati Bengals – DE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M (2-41); CB Tacario Davis, Washington (3-72): B
Howell is the edge rusher that the Chiefs should’ve taken, but the Bengals are glad they didn’t. He was the SEC DPOY last year, and his production was superb. Arm length was the bane of his existence (or “Bain”, as Rueben actually has longer arms than Howell’s). Still, he had some first-round love in mocks, so this is a good bargain. Davis is another need pick, so I like it in that respect. He brings good size and speed too. However, his hips aren’t very good, so double moves and other fast-twitch routes will give him major trouble. I was hoping the Bengals might take a swing on Jermod McCoy here, but nobody did.
11. Miami Dolphins – LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (2-43); WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech (3-75); TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State (3-87); WR Chris Bell, Louisville (3-94*): D+
Miami tied for the most day-2 picks made, and it was a mix of quality and quantity. Rodriguez starred at TTU and projects as a really good 3-down LB. In a vacuum, getting him at 43 is great, but he plays one of the only positions the Fins DIDN’T need. Douglas and Kacmarek were both reaches, and I had 5th-round grades on both. Douglas is a slow receiver who struggles to separate, while Kacmarek is just a blocking TE. Bell is much more intriguing. He possesses a first-round skill set, but a torn ACL tanked his stock. I love that a rebuilding team took a chance on him, because that could really pay off.
12. Dallas Cowboys – EDGE Jaishawn Barham, Michigan (3-92*): A-
Luckily the Cowboys can call Quinnen Williams their 2nd-round pick, because they had just one pick all night. Barham played both LB and edge rusher at Michigan, with the latter suiting him better. He has athleticism (especially burst), but he lacks instinctiveness at the second level. Allowing him to come off the edge will simply things greatly for him, so I’m glad Dallas listed him as such. It isn’t a coincidence that the Cowboys have spent 3 straight picks on defense. Their offense is great. The team knew where it needed work, and they’ve acted accordingly. Jerry Jones has some things to celebrate coming out of this draft.
13. Atlanta Falcons – CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson (2-48); WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia (3-79): A
Staying in state for their two picks, Atlanta started with a feel-good story. Terrell, brother of current Falcons CB1 AJ Terrell, will join his bro as the likely nickelback. The family is from the Atlanta area, making this a lot of fun. As a player, Terrell is a first-round cover man whose height caused him to slip. Make no mistake though: he plays bigger than his size. Branch is even shorter, so he’ll be stuck in the slot on the offensive side. He has great burst and change-of-direction skills, with the ability to take any touch the distance. That includes on special teams, where he offers great return chops. Both of these picks went well to me.
14. Baltimore Ravens – DE Zion Young, Missouri (2-45); WR Ja’Kobi Lane, USC (3-80): A+
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Baltimore did it again. Without making a single trade, they used their two original draft picks on strong values as the board came to them. Young was projected to go in the 30s at the very latest, especially after his great Senior Bowl. He is a high-upside player who’s just learning how to maximize his talents. Lane is a similar story. He brings height (6’4″) and speed (4.42-s 40), along with some flashes of production. The Ravens swung for the fences here, but their picks also have good baseline capabilities. This was my favorite day-2 haul of any team in the draft.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri (2-46); WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State (3-84↓): C
So much for Tampa being smitten with CJ Allen. The Bucs had a chance to snag the one-time first-round prospect at a great value, but they chose an inferior player instead. Trotter is a 2-down LB who struggles in the passing game. He has the range to succeed there but not the instincts. Hurst is a receiver who showed out at the Combine and made people re-evaluate his tape. He’s a size-and-speed specimen with good hands, but he needs to expand his route tree. While I appreciate Tampa Bay targeting their needs, they really missed a great opportunity with their second-round pick, and my grade reflects that.
16. Indianapolis Colts – LB CJ Allen, Georgia (2-53↓); S AJ Haulcy, LSU (3-78): A
Take everything I said about the value CJ Allen provides and paste it here. Then add the fact that the Colts traded down and nabbed him 7 picks later. Allen is a powerful LB from a school that produces them annually, and he’ll really set the tone for Indy’s defense. Why he fell this far is a mystery to me. Haulcy is bring brought in to replace Nick Cross, and they’re actually similar players. He profiles as a strong safety who spends much of his time in the box against the run and TEs. This was an appropriate slot for him to be drafted. All in all, this is a good pair of defenders for DC Lou Anarumo.
17. Detroit Lions – DE Derrick Moore, Michigan (2-44↑): D
Each of the past couple of years, Detroit has made a pick that made me go “huh?” They’re definitely consistent, and that includes their love of Michigan edge rushers. When the Lions traded up for Moore, I actually thought they were moving ahead of Baltimore to get Zion Young. That’s not who they chose though, and that wasn’t the right choice. Moore is a fine player with good college production, but he doesn’t have the requisite upside to be chosen with such a high pick. He’s unlikely to completely bust, but Detroit squandered resources to get a player they could’ve easily chosen with their original pick.
18. Minnesota Vikings – LB Jake Golday, Cincinnati (2-51↓); DT Domonique Orange, Iowa State (3-82); OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern (3-97); S Jakobe Thomas, Miami (3-98↓): D+
Despite making a bunch of picks, I don’t know that the Vikings got all that much better. Their best selection by far was Tiernan. The last member of his O-line tier, Tiernan was expected to go earlier. Instead, Minnesota got him for cheap. The other 3 picks were reaches. Golday makes sense because of his upside, but his technique needs work. Orange is a nose tackle, which would be fine if they hadn’t already reached on a DT in round 1. Thomas is an average player who fills a need, but the Vikings messed that position up too because they passed on Dillon Thieneman. That first-round blunder keeps coming back to haunt them.
19. Carolina Panthers – DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech (2-49↑); WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee (3-83): A
Give the Panthers credit: they’re not necessarily filling their biggest needs, but they’re adapting to the board. Each time they come up, the positions they should want most aren’t strong values. Instead of reaching, they’re taking the excellent bargains staring them in the face instead. Hunter was my favorite DT in this draft. He provides a great floor with his elite run defense, but I also think he has room to grow as a rusher. Brazzell has one of the best skill sets among this draft’s receivers, but Tennessee WRs don’t always translate to the NFL. He’s worth a shot at pick 83 though. A foundation is being built in Carolina.
20. Green Bay Packers – CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina (2-52); DT Chris McClellan, Missouri (3-77↑): A-
Without a first-round pick, Green Bay needed to hit on their day-2 selections. I think they nailed their first one. Cisse once appeared in my first-round mock draft. He’s big and athletic, and his only real flaw is that he needs some development. That can be arranged. McClellan was a quality pick as well. The third round is a good place to take a nose tackle, and the Packers needed one. Free agency shredded their run defense, so adding some size up front was warranted. I can nitpick about the trade up, but GB only spent a 5th-round pick to do it. I think the Packers used their limited draft capital wisely.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Germie Bernard, Alabama (2-47↑); QB Drew Allar, Penn State (3-76*); CB Daylen Everette, Georgia (3-85); G Gennings Dunker, Iowa (3-96↑): B+
So close! Pittsburgh nearly went 4 for 4 with their day-2 picks. Trading up for Bernard was necessary; offensive players were in short supply at that point, and he was the last 2nd-round WR remaining. He easily makes him for being punked by the Eagles for Makai Lemon. Everette is a physically gifted corner who needs to become more consistent, but the tools are all there. I love Dunker and believe he was worth Pittsburgh’s second trade-up of the night. Allar was an awful pick. I’m not at all a believer in his pro prospects and would rather the team just start Will Howard. The Steelers’ grade hangs on though because of the other picks.
22. Los Angeles Chargers – C Jake Slaughter, Florida (2-63↓): C-
What you’re witnessing here is the definition of a Jim Harbaugh draft. Each of their two picks thus far has dealt with the line of scrimmage. Slaughter is an odd choice though. Tyler Biadasz just signed to be the team’s center, so it seems like LA plans to play Slaughter at guard. The problem is, we’ve never seen him do that, so the Bolts are just guessing. It’s not like there were no guards available either; Emmanuel Pregnon and Gennings Dunker were both on the board. I like Slaughter, just as a center. The team fit is highly questionable though. I give slight bonus points for the trade down that preceded this pick.
23. Philadelphia Eagles – TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt (2-54); OT Markel Bell, Miami (3-68*): A
Howie Roseman has a type doesn’t he? He LOVES top-tier athletes with unique physical traits, and he took two of them here. Stowers is a former QB who exploded during Combine testing. He was my favorite TE in the draft, and he ensures that Jalen Hurts has no more excuses. Bell is fascinating at 6’9″ and 346 lbs. Francis Mauigoa got all the attention, yet Bell manned the LT spot and gave up 0 sacks in 2025. It should also be noted that Philly traded their other 3rd-rounder in a deal for Jonathan Greenard, who is far more talented than anyone they could’ve drafted with that pick. Trader Howie strikes again.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars – TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M (2-56); DT Albert Regis, Texas A&M (3-81); G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon (3-88*); S Jalen Huskey, Maryland (3-100*): D
Thanks to the Travis Hunter trade last year, the Jags had no first-rounder. They made a flurry of picks on night two though, but three of them weren’t ideal. Boerkircher is a blocking TE who belonged in the 5th round. Regis is an undersized DT who isn’t twitchy enough to compensate for that. Pregnon was a fantastic pick, as I had him graded in the mid-30s. The Jaguars went back to reaching with Huskey, who isn’t likely to become a starter due to physical limits. Jacksonville can’t even blame the poor Hunter trade for their woes. They had 4 premium draft picks and blew three of them. That’s not good drafting.
25. Chicago Bears – C Logan Jones, Iowa (2-57); TE Sam Roush, Stanford (3-69↑); WR Zavion Thomas, LSU (3-89): B+
Chicago started with the center we all knew they needed. Drew Dalman’s retirement put the Bears in a bind, but Jones will be a great replacement. His run blocking is more advanced than his pass protection at present, but he can work on that. Luckily, they added the draft’s best blocking TE in Roush. Unlike the other blocking TEs though, he can actually catch the ball a bit. Thomas is a fun gadget player who runs a 4.28. He’ll probably be a returner, but Ben Johnson is one of the coaches I trust the most to get some offensive production out of him. I expected more defensive help, but this is a good group of players.
26. Buffalo Bills – DE TJ Parker, Clemson (2-35↑); CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State (2-62↑): C+
After trading down repeatedly last night until they were out of the first round entirely, Buffalo moved up twice in round 2. Their first strike was good, as Parker could’ve gone late in round 1. Like many Clemson players this past year, Parker underperformed relative to his traits. His pedigree is great though, so perhaps the Bills can mold him. Trading up for Igbinosun was weird. He has physical talent and size, but he was a PI machine at Ohio State. If he can’t stop grabbing opposing receivers, he’ll be unplayable. Buffalo can justify trading up because of their status as contenders, but they have to do it for the right players.
27. San Francisco 49ers – WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss (2-33↓); EDGE Romello Height, Texas Tech (3-70↓); RB Kaelon Black, Indiana (3-90*): C-
Possibly trying to outdo Buffalo, San Francisco traded down THREE times to exit round 1. Once they finally made their pick, they reached badly on a WR. Stribling is basically Jauan Jennings, but the latter is still available to re-sign. If they wanted Jennings, they should’ve kept him. Height is a better choice given SF’s league-low 20 sacks in 2025. He’s a liability in run support though. It wouldn’t be a Kyle Shanahan draft if he didn’t draft a mid-round RB. They took the only one on day 3 and actually chose one I like. I say this every year though: Shanahan can extract good RB play from UDFAs, so why spend so much draft capital on the position?
28. Houston Texans – DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State (2-36↑); TE Marlin Klein, Michigan (2-59): C+
The Texans found themselves in an enviable position: with all of the tackles off the board, they didn’t really have any needs to address in round 2. Therefore, they moved up and took a sliding player with great talent. McDonald only started for 1 year at OSU, but he was a monster run defender who can grow in the pass rush department. As great as that pick was though, the Klein selection was poor. He wasn’t one of the 5 best TEs remaining on my board, and he’s so raw that he doesn’t help a contending team whatsoever. If Houston really had no other options, they should’ve just traded down and amassed picks.
29. Los Angeles Rams – TE Max Klare, Ohio State (2-61); OT Keagen Trost, Missouri (3-93): B
With all the perplexing TE picks we saw tonight, it was nice to see a sane one. Klare is a balanced TE who catches the ball and blocks well. I didn’t think LA needed another TE, but perhaps HC Sean McVay will start running 14 personnel. He at least helps the team now (unlike their Simpson pick). The same can be said of Trost. Already 25 years old, he’s ready to play immediately, even if his upside is capped. Trost performed well in the SEC, which is no small feat. If LA put this much effort into supporting their Super Bowl-caliber team in round 1, their draft would be viewed so much differently right about now.
30. Denver Broncos – DT Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M (3-66↓): B
The very last team to make a pick, Denver wasn’t scheduled to make a selection until the end of round 2. However, they traded back and acquired their first rookie in the third frame. I think they went for the right position after losing John Franklin-Myers in free agency. Onyedim is similar in style to his predecessor, particularly against the run. I’d much rather have Franlin-Myers as a pass rusher, but obviously Onyedim comes at a drastically different price point. Moving down is fine to a degree, but Denver really needs to make some quality picks now to supplement their roster if they want to win the AFC.
31. New England Patriots – EDGE Gabe Jacas, Illinois (2-55↑); TE Eli Raridon, Notre Dame (3-95): B+
Contenders have the flexibility to strategically trade up and go after specific players. That’s because they have fewer holes and need to address their limited weaknesses. New England did that with Caleb Lomu in round 1, and now they addressed another hole. Jacas is a polished edge rusher who also plays the run well, and he’s a perfect fit for Mike Vrabel’s defense. Raridon is an additional asset for the blocking unit who offers a tiny bit of pass catching potential. A year after making the Super Bowl but losing it thanks to their pass protection, the Raridon selection makes sense. Both of these are solid picks.
32. Seattle Seahawks – S Bud Clark, TCU (2-64); CB Julian Neal, Arkansas (3-99↓): A-
Once again, Seattle stuck and picked at #64. They found themselves an ideal Coby Brant replacement, making this the second pick in a row where they directly substituted for a free agency loss. Clark has some of the best ball skills in the class. His run defense is suspect, but that won’t be his role with Nick Emmanwori as his fellow safety. Seattle went for another like-for-like replacement in Neal, a big CB like the departed Tariq Woolen (though Woolen is faster). Neal is a developmental prospect, but HC Mike Macdonald is adept at working with such players. I like that the Seahawks finally traded down before that pick.