2026 NFL Draft: Pick-by-pick analysis for Rounds 2-3

The Niners get on the board with one of the fastest-rising prospects in Stribling, who ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at 207 pounds. Learning from Mike Evans will be an added boost, but it was interesting the Niners favored Stribling over Denzel Boston.

I thought Bisontis had a shot at Round 1, so the Cardinals get good value in adding some beef in front of Jeremiyah Love. This offense needs continued reinforcements, and Bisontis is a rock-steady guard with early starting potential, even though he's been a little flag-happy in his career.

After trading down three times Thursday (and gaining good value with each of them), the Bills draft a borderline first-round prospect in Parker, who is a well-built penetrator with a pro-ready body. Can he stand up and rush in the Bills' new scheme? We'll see, but this was a solid choice to help the front.

I paired McDonald with the Texans in one mock draft because it fills a big need for a two-gap run stuffer. That's what McDonald is: one of the stronger run defenders in the draft. McDonald isn't all power, either. He's got some real quickness off the ball.

Hood's teammate, Jermod McCoy, must wait longer, but this is a very respectable pluck early in Round 2 for the Giants, who are off to a strong start in this draft. Hood has long arms, covers with patience and has a strong competitive spirit. He's leaner and hasn't been a ballhawk, but this upgrades the secondary.

Vegas slid back two spots to nab Stukes, who had generated some Round 1 speculation late in the draft process. He's likely destined for nickel duty for the Raiders but could be tried outside. Stukes is an older prospect who turns 25 early in the regular season, but he should be ready for action with strong instincts and a history of ball production.

Even after taking KC Concepcion in Round 1, there's plenty of room for the services of Boston, a long-framed smooth mover with deceptive speed. He doesn't separate readily but is one of the better contested-catch receivers in this class.

Thomas is a hell-on-wheels rusher in a smaller package. His measurables may have kept him out of Round 1, but Thomas is a tenacious defender who also fares well against the run, even with his lack of length and bulk. He's been praised for his character and approach to the game.

It's back-to-back undersized rushers with the short-armed Howell sliding out of Round 1 despite his exciting burst. At the very least, Howell should be able to juice up the Bengals' pass rush, but I think he has the all-around game to develop into a full-time starter in time.

The Saints had a need up front, and Miller is a respectable choice. Like the Jordyn Tyson pick, Miller doesn't have a perfectly clean medical history, and his production was limited in Georgia's deep D-line rotation. But Miller has intriguing skills and could be a better pro than he was in college.

The new Dolphins regime is off to a strong start, landing one of my favorite prospects in this class. Rodriguez has gone from a running QB at Virginia to one of the most instinctive linebackers in the country in a shockingly short span, and he'll bring his specialty -- taking the football away -- to a South Beach defense that needs it.

I personally viewed Moore as more of a Round 3 prospect, but he is a safe selection who should upgrade Detroit's front. Moore appears to be a very businesslike rusher and quality run defender with a somewhat limited upside but a higher floor.

The Ravens just let the draft come to them, eh? It's uncanny how value players of need seem to fall in their laps. Young might never burn up the edges as a pass rusher, but he has a knack for timely sacks and sets a consistently hard edge. He also talks a big game and backs it up.

Consecutive Mizzou guys go off the board with the pick of Trotter, who gives the Bucs another enforcer on defense. The son of the great Eagles linebacker is a better prospect than his older brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and an absolute hammer in the run game, but he must develop his coverage skills.

The Steelers couldn't quite squeeze Makai Lemon on Thursday night, but they come back with a very on-brand pick. Bernard is a very balanced, competitive receiver with no true superpower but a lot of positive traits. He'll do the dirty work, too, as a blocker.

Brothers reunited! After a Round 1 tumble, Terrell poetically lands with the team that employs his brother, A.J. Terrell, and lacked a first-rounder after the James Pearce Jr. trade a year ago. Terrell has size limitations, didn't test great and feels destined for the slot, but his competitiveness shines on tape.

Carolina traded up for a polarizing prospect in Hunter, who is a heavy-handed nose tackle with disruptive qualities, but he tested poorly, especially in terms of explosiveness. Hunter might be something of a unitasker, and this was a shade earlier than I thought he'd go, but he does his job well.

The Jets' fourth selection in the top 50 is a heck of a pick. Ponds is an Aaron Glenn clone in some ways: a small, scrappy, highly instinctive and competitive DB who has too many positive traits to fail. I liked the Jets' earlier picks, but I love this one. Every defense could use a D'Angelo Ponds.

I love the pairing of Golday and Brian Flores and could see the Cincinnati product grabbing a starting spot at some point as a rookie. He's a rangy, well-built and fairly versatile linebacker who can do a little of everything fairly well. Golday is a self-made player with some untapped ability.

Welcome to the draft, Green Bay. Cisse falls a little below the Packers' standard benchmarks for corners in terms of length and size, but he makes up for it with speed to carry vertical receivers and strong man-coverage skills. 

And welcome, Colts! Indianapolis might have lacked a first-rounder, but like the Falcons, it ended up with a prospect who received some Round 1 buzz early on. Allen lacks splash plays on tape, but he's highly instinctive and steady and has the earmarks of a 10-year starter. A classic Chris Ballard pick at a need position.

The Eagles were rumored to be in play for Kenyon Sadiq, so it makes sense that they'd pivot to the freakishly athletic Stowers. The former QB is not an NFL blocker at this stage, but he can glide to the second level with ease and be a red zone threat.

This feels like a terrific value and fit for the Patriots, adding the workhorse Jacas to their edge room. Jacas might not be the true speed rusher the Patriots talked about wanting, but he's a strong, tenacious defender with some real pop.

This is one of the bigger reaches in my mind, even if Boerkircher is an intriguing and versatile piece. But he's the kind of player I thought you could get later in this draft. Was this a massive need for the Jaguars? He played in-line in college but must add bulk and strength.

I predict this will kick-start a mini run on centers. The highly athletic Jones is pretty maxed out physically, but he brings a pro-ready set of intangibles and should be a good fit in Ben Johnson's system. Nice insurance for Garrett Bradbury, even if Jones went about a round higher than I imagined.

I was never quite on board with the idea of EMW going in Round 1, but with one of the later picks in Round 2? Sign me up. McNeil-Warren was a ball magnet in college, and he brings some terrific traits to the Browns, even with some limitations in coverage now. The Browns nailed the draft last year, and they're off to a terrific start this year.

But first, a mini run on tight ends. I'm not quite this optimistic on Klein, even if he was held back in Michigan's offense. He's tough, surprisingly athletic and gives terrific effort as a blocker but might never develop into more than a TE2.

This is exactly the kind of rangy, athletic and tone-setting linebacker Robert Saleh needs in Tennessee. Hill needs to tackle more consistently and can fall for the cheese at times while diagnosing, but he's a candidate to start on a remade defense.

Oh, another tight end for the Rams? Les Snead marches to his own beat, and it's worked pretty darned well for him and the team, but this one feels like overkill. I love Klare's skill set as a detached weapon who can threaten the seam, but the Rams are pretty loaded at this spot.

Igbinosun is a long, physical corner who has played in a lot of big games and faced some elite receivers. He can get a bit grabby and lose phase in coverage, but he has a very good starter's kit of NFL traits.

Interestingly, the Chargers are listing him as a guard, although that might only mean so much. I scouted Slaughter as a center and liked what I saw as a solid, no-frills pivot, and graded him about a round lower than this. With the way linemen are flying off the board, I get it. Slaughter's best traits: smarts and competitiveness.

OK, here we go: a terrific fit between team and prospect. Clark just feels like a Seattle DB with his incredible ball skills (15 INTs), outstanding instincts and few wasted steps in his approach. He'll patch up the back end of the secondary nicely.

Once Ty Simpson went 13th overall to the Rams, Beck to the Cardinals felt like an obvious match. Is Beck guaranteed to be an NFL success? That's a stretch. But he's got a lot of what teams look for at the position, both tangible and intangible. If Beck can dispel the late-game gaffes, he has a chance to make it.

Although Onyedim fell just outside my top 100, his traits really are intriguing. He's long and pretty strong and moves well for his size, but I personally just didn't see a lot of disruptive plays from him. He feels like a higher-floor, lower-ceiling player, but a solid one.

Pretty solid choice here. The Raiders must still continue adding pressure pieces, and Crawford can learn from Maxx Crosby on how to disengage better and stay in his lanes. But Crawford is athletic and has massive potential after joining football later in life.

The Eagles will always gamble on unusual OL traits, and Bell is one of the unicorns of this year's crop at a whopping 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds. His 2025 season was eye-opening, and Philly feels like a great place for Bell to flourish, even with Jeff Stoutland no longer on staff.

Of all the recent tight end picks, I might like this fit the best. He's a true in-line blocker who can become a blue-collar star for Ben Johnson. What does this mean for Cole Kmet? I don't know, but it's interesting. I'm a little surprised that Chicago hasn't taken an edge rusher yet.

Height paired with David Bailey in college, and now he'll join a talented rush group that was badly beat up and underpowered last year. He turns 25 years old soon and lacks typical bulk to play in the trenches, but Height is a twitchy rusher who finds his way into the backfield.

Williams is a highly competitive YAC threat who lacks a true fastball in his game. But with some versatility as a runner and thrower, too, he's another useful, reliable piece for Jayden Daniels.

The Bengals continue adding reinforcements to their defense, adding the long-armed Davis to the secondary. He's a scheme-specific player with some limitations in coverage, but his eye-opening traits give him a chance.

The perpetually overlooked Delp flashed some big-play potential in college but never fully developed at Georgia. He might have to wait for more chances in New Orleans right away, but Delp also shows promise as a blocker. His pro day workout could be a taste of something fascinating.

I cooled on Fields a bit as the draft process wore on, but he's a physically strong chain-mover and a friendly target for Jaxson Dart. Fields will also do the dirty work in the run game. The Giants have ping-ponged between defense and offense and are making really smart, solid choices.

This is exactly the type of long, twitchy, athletic wideout the Packers have been drafting for nearly a decade, so it naturally makes sense that Douglas would land with new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan. I thought Douglas didn't play up to his traits enough and looked more like a fourth-round player, but I see what they like about him.

Well, how about this? Allar going to the in-state Steelers makes it a feel-good story, and Allar has all the physical traits you're looking for at quarterback. Mike McCarthy can work with him for sure -- and the Aaron Rodgers drama adds a different layer of intrigue to the pick -- but Allar hasn't yet shown the feel or touch needed for the NFL.

McClellan is a huge-framed disruptor up front, and he will flash some unexpected quickness at times. He's best playing over the center but turned himself into a very reliable defender the past two seasons.

I thought their second-round pick, C.J. Allen, could have come off the board earlier, and I love the value even more here with Haulcy. He's a physical player with a proven nose for the ball and a great fit for the Colts defense if he can tighten up his tackling a bit.

The Falcons will gamble on the electric Branch, who has game-breaking skills in a small frame. On turf, he might be a nice complementary piece on offense, but his recent arrest raised questions about maturity and character.

A long, lean target with a huge radius and nice athleticism, Lane still leaves some meat on the bone as a prospect. He's more of a flash player and might never be more than a WR3, but that could work in Baltimore.

Regis is a sawed-off interior plugger who wins with effort, quickness and strong technique. He's able to disrupt, gain leverage and defy his lack of length and mass.

The Vikings' DT remake is well underway. With Caleb Banks manning the three-technique, Orange is your nose. "Big Citrus" will never be a pass rusher (one sack in 50 games), but he does his job -- occupy gaps and muddy rush lanes -- well when he's motivated.

The Panthers have drafted a terrific array of athletes so far, and the linear Brazzell gives Bryce Young another basketball-type receiver -- and Brazzell has serious range. If teams try to double Tetairoa McMillan, Brazzell can roast single coverage on the other side. He's still raw, and recent Vols receivers such as this haven't panned out, but I like the gamble here.

The Bucs are having a pretty strong draft. Hurst was one of my favorite WR prospects to study this draft season, and I think he can win as an outside vertical threat in time. He produced in tough circumstances at GSU the past two seasons on a 4-20 team, and Hurst stood tall in Senior Bowl practices.

Everette checks off a lot of boxes for what teams look for in a cornerback, and he plays a reliable level of football most of the time. He's a bit slow to react in coverage and can get handsy, too, but the tools are there.

The Browns are listing Barber as a tackle, which was his college position, but some teams viewed him as a guard. He has the traits and grit to start as a swing tackle who can one day elevate to starting duty.

One of the sneaky strengths of this draft was the tight end position, and Kacmarek -- the second Buckeyes TE to be drafted -- is evidence of that. He's the opposite of Max Klare, however, as a block-first prospect with limited upside as a receiver.

Pregnon is likely a guard-only prospect, but this feels like strong value here. The Jaguars have had a few interesting picks prior to this, but I can get behind a powerful, tone-setting guard late in Round 3, even if he's an older prospect and somewhat limited.

A speedball with meager production in college, Thomas could be a home run threat in the Bears offense, even if the scope of his role feels small. If there's anyone who can scheme open deep shots for Thomas, it's Ben Johnson. This feels like a big reach to me.

Black was an underrated piece for the national champs, churning out crucial yards and converting several key plays. He's rocked up in a shorter build and has some wear and tear after six years in college, but Black has make-it qualities.

Zuhn is sort of the perfect fit for the Raiders because he can cross-train at multiple spots if needed. They list him at guard, which interestingly is the one spot he didn't play in college, lining up mostly at tackle, with spot duty at center. He's got a long frame and limited athleticism but plays to the hilt and has been hailed as a gritty winner.

Barham was one of my favorite studies this draft season, physical and fearless in pursuit. Finding out his best role will be important, as there's a wild quality to Barham's play at times. He can blitz, chase and even drop in coverage well.

Trost made himself some money last season at Mizzou, becoming in some ways its most reliable blocker. One scout described him to me as the kind of player you make sure can't play tackle before you move him inside. He lacks ideal OT length but has made himself into an NFL-caliber blocker via the long road of a seven-year college career.

A fantastic union of need and value, Bell is a futures stock that could pay off big down the road. He could very well be a PUP list candidate coming off a December ACL injury, but he displayed top-50 tools (albeit with some rawness) prior to getting hurt.

Raridon started showing his receiving chops last season, and he flashed strong athletic traits at the NFL Scouting Combine. He offers value as a blocker and shows some intriguing body control on off-target throws. The run on tight ends continues.

Dunker was this year's ruby-headed, wood-chopping interior fan favorite. The Steelers moved up for Dunker, who played mostly tackle in college but figures to be a guard in Pittsburgh. He has the temperament to make it inside with his latch-and-drive style.

Even with his short arms and a somewhat unusual build, I figured Tiernan would have gone well before this. He'll give up his chest too often, but Tiernan is a workmanlike technician with solid reliability.

If there was ever a Brian Flores DB in this draft, it's Thomas -- a fiery competitor who rides the line between what's allowed in the rulebook and what isn't. He is always in attack mode and carries a special teams demeanor into the pros, either as a safety or a nickel.

Neal has the crude matter to succeed at corner, and he plays with the right mentality, but he's also a bit raw in some areas. If he can cut down on grabby penalties and some occasionally sloppy tackling, Neal is a big, gifted athlete who can move.

Huskey was a solid, reliable performer with light feet, and he showed a knack for making interceptions in college, even if it felt like a few of them were thrown right to him. Either way, Huskey offers solid value to upgrade the safety room.