2026 NFL Draft: Pick-by-pick analysis for Rounds 4-5

McCoy's long wait mercifully comes to an end, and he has a chance to rewrite his story in a secondary needing a talent influx. His knee carries significant long-term concern, but McCoy looked like a potential CB1 candidate based on his 2024 tape. He's a twitchy cover man with proven ball skills.

The number of draft-worthy tackles remaining is dwindling fast. Bowry had his hands full at the Senior Bowl in one-on-ones, but he has the measurables to project as a possible swing tackle, given his experience at both spots outside.

The massive-framed Jackson is oozing with upside, and he made his impression felt at the Senior Bowl as a mid-week call-up. His measurables don't always equate to production, and there are some wide swings in Jackson's play efficiency, but that rare size and play strength will translate to the league.

And now to the opposite end of the DT spectrum ... Proctor is an undersized, gap-shooting penetrator of a three-technique, winning with effort, quickness and good GPS skills to find the ball. He'll be valuable inside on passing downs.

The Chargers have added one of the draft's fastest players in the diminutive Thompson, who ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash but who played in the 160-pound range last season. He was highly productive for the Bulldogs and has some serious acceleration, but his size could keep him in a specialist's role.

Nwaiwu is a lumber-footed guard only, but he brings some serious pop to the party. The Texans continue to carpet bomb the offensive line, especially the interior, and it would be a shock if they didn't help themselves there, but Nwaiwu might not be instant coffee as a prospect.

Another undersized three-technique to go off the board early in Round 4, Halton gets off the ball as quick as anyone and plays through the whistle. He's a quick penetrator who might not be stout enough to handle three-down duty early on.

Coleman is a short, squatty, tough runner with limited burst, but he contributes readily as a pass protector and has a track record of good ball security. This should help lighten the load on RJ Harvey a bit, but Coleman will have to earn carries with J.K. Dobbins still in place.

Canady will face size questions and might not be able to stack up against longer perimeter targets, but he brings urgency and quick-twitch reactions to a Kansas City secondary whose depth was thinned this offseason.

It makes sense that the Jets would take a flier on a quarterback, and Klubnik was gaining momentum as a prospect prior to a backslide last season. His ceiling might not be as high as we previously thought, but Klubnik will have a chance to infiltrate the Jets' QB depth chart and earn some time eventually.

Casey was a college tackle who best projects inside. He has a naturally big frame and maxes out his physical tools, but his average length and limited short-area quickness should be better covered up inside, where he can play with more power.

Shelton is a large-framed tackle with two-plus years of starting experience on the left side, but he disappoints when asked to anchor down and play with power. His traits are worth developing, including surprising athleticism, but Shelton appears to be a down-the-road prospect.

Farmer is an interior-only blocker, but he boasts an interesting mix of athleticism and brawny power inside. He drives defenders off the ball in the run game and has starter potential. Farmer was a top-100 player for me.

Injuries knocked Moore down to Day 3 of the draft, but he has pro-caliber measurables and clear ball skills on tape. He's missed time in all four college seasons and must get stronger, but this is a worthy gamble on talent in Round 4.

The Ravens double up at receiver after taking Ja'Kobi Lane in Round 3. Sarratt also boasts good length like Lane, but he's a different type of pass catcher: a steady chain-mover and contested-catch stud. Sarratt should be a red zone weapon.

The Bucs add yet another Miami defender to the mix with Scott, who carries a small frame and is approaching 25 years old, but he also is a valuable sub-package defender who brings urgency and great speed to Tampa.

The Chargers are determined to solve their OL issues, and the king-sized Burke is an interesting study. He's prone to handling speed rushers and maintaining leverage, but Burke is tough to get around and a true finisher with a nasty streak when he gets his hands on defenders.

The Lions' second Michigan defender drafted, Rolder is a fiery, shorter-framed defender who might be able to take Alex Anzalone's role eventually. Rolder played with an infectious energy for the Wolverines and will endear himself to Detroit's coaching staff.

Williams is a high-energy defender with short arms and limited burst, but he should upgrade the rotation up front. His history of blocked kicks gives him an added special teams dimension that can't be overlooked.

Great value here to land DDS, a well-proportioned outside rusher with steady sack production and seven forced fumbles over the last three seasons. He's not an advanced rusher technique-wise, but that athleticism will serve him well and should give him a strong floor as a prospect.

Wetjen was a home run-threat return specialist for the Hawkeyes who had fewer than 50 offensive touches over four seasons, but his work as a slot receiver at the East-West Shrine Bowl opened scouts' eyes as to what Wetjen could do on offense in the NFL. He's shifty and dangerous with the ball in open space.

Washington traversed the country -- from Buffalo to New Mexico to Arkansas -- to make himself into an NFL prospect, and now he's bringing his large frame and good speed to Vegas. He might only be a two-down sub for Ashton Jeanty, but this was nice value this late in Round 4.

Woodaz is most likely to find success in the NFL as a coverage linebacker and special teams ace. He ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at his pro day and carries a serious, pro-ready attitude to work with him.

I really thought we would have heard Muhammad's name called far earlier. He's an instinctive, quick-footed and experienced corner with length, even if he's not the most physical guy around. Still nice value for Chicago.

Couldn't love the value or the fit much better. Bell was a top-100 prospect for me, and I think he can play both inside and out in Buffalo. Bell's hands improved significantly over his college career, and he's a YAC stud who should thrive with Josh Allen as his QB.

Elarms-Orr has a good athletic profile and can contribute on defense and has a special-teamer. He might not be truly special in any one way but can blitz and cover pretty naturally and has the work ethic to make it.

Willis is another college tackle who likely will be moved inside in the pros. He plays with good intensity and loves to finish in the run game, but he had trouble at times when exposed outside as a pass protector.

I think Lew had a chance to be C1 in this class had he been healthy. This is a great down-the-road pick for a center who won't turn 21 for a few months and can take most of his rookie year to rehab his ACL injury suffered in October. Lew moves well when healthy and brings coordinated movement in his approach.

There are some losses on his tape, but Lee has long arms, requisite athleticism and some energetic zest in his play style. With good coaching, he has starting potential in time, but the inconsistencies must be ironed out.

It will be interesting to see how he's used in Miami, boasting snaps at both inside linebacker and edge rusher. His shorter frame might make it tough to rush the passer full time, but Moore has the template to be a sub-package defender and special teams stud at minimum.

The first book of the bible and the last line of defense, Smith is a center fielder with range and ball skills. His tackling issues have been well-documented, but he can be a takeaway specialist in L.A.

I kind of like what the Saints are doing so far. Wright brings a lot of pop and mass to the party in the run game, uprooting defenders with regularity. Where he struggles is in space as a pass protector.

Baltimore moved way up to snag Hibner, who emerged as a versatile receiving threat at SMU after years of little action at Michigan. He's not an in-line guy really, but Hibner could help replace what the Ravens lost with Isaiah Likely.

Daniels is a Range Rover-sized linebacker who converted from safety and has some translatable traits that should serve him well in a few areas. He's an intriguing sub-package defender.

A former Ducks baseball player, Boettcher parlayed a solid Senior Bowl week (and strong effort in the game) into a late-Round 4 spot as Indy further upgrades at linebacker. Boettcher's profile suggests he'll be a special teams stud at the very least, but he finds the ball well on defense, too.

Trey Lance's little brother is a perimeter threat with a long frame who tracks the ball very well in the air. It might take Lance a few years to develop his route tree fully, but there's a WR3 role for him to win as a deep-ball recipient for Tyler Shough.

There were debates in the scouting community as to where Overton might best unlock his pro potential, but it appears as if the Cowboys will try him inside more. He has a frame that can carry more bulk and flashes impressive power and quickness at times, but Overton's body of work has been a bit lacking overall.

A Senior Bowl standout, Louis brings terrific coverage potential as an undersized linebacker. He'll have to be well-insulated at barely 6-foot and 220 pounds, but his third-down ability is what sets Louis apart. He's smart and instinctive and can buck the odds because of that.

The Niners love longer corners, and Prysock has a condor-like wingspan and good movement skills. He isn't always adept at locating the ball in the air but has solid potential as an outside corner in a zone-heavier scheme.

Young's limited production and some off-field concerns limited his ceiling as a prospect, but his physical traits are worth trying to mold. He's a big, well-sculpted receiver with some vertical ability, and he'll have a chance to develop over time in Cincinnati.

Ramsey is a decent-sized athlete with some versatility and natural athleticism. He might never become more than a solid performer at safety, and injuries have held him back, but Ramsey checks a lot of boxes.

After three years playing left tackle at San Jose State, Carmona manned left guard for the Hogs -- his most likely NFL position. He's going to give you his best effort, always looking for work as a blocker, but his functional athleticism might keep him in a reserve role.

Virgil was flirting with cracking my top-100 prospects list, but he fell just outside it. He's a long, leaner-framed outside threat who glides downfield and tracks the ball pretty well, but drops were an issue at times.

Considering where some of the other centers were taken, this feels like strong value from Dan Morgan and Co. Hecht might always have to fight his lack of elite traits, but he's tough, competitive and smart and handled his business well at the Senior Bowl. A solid eventual starter at center, but that looks like his one NFL position.

It took Barrett four years to earn a start for the Gamecocks, but he developed into a captain and reliable contributor in his final season in Columbia. He plays hard and will be an interesting project who might have more upside than is apparent.

An undersized center who was limited to zone-scheme teams, Brailsford played in several big games at Washington and Alabama, and his intriguing movement skills could make him a nice fit in Cleveland.

Josephs' pass-rush skill is what could be his calling card in the NFL. With long arms and a high-energy rush approach, Josephs has some tools to work with, even though he's underpowered and has never really been a full-time player.

Injuries held Stephens back early at Iowa, but he put together a strong final two seasons at left guard. He has the smarts and power to overcome a lack of length and relative quickness.

Jefferson is undersized and might need to be brought along gradually while he absorbs an NFL defensive scheme and learns to disengage better from blocks, but he has great pursuit ability and could be tried as a blitzer or QB spy.

The forgotten man in Arizona's secondary, Johnson is a three-year starter and developed into more of a playmaker his final season. He has good speed, can play multiple roles and is willing to tackle, but Johnson's small frame and lack of take-on strength could limit him.

I earnestly expected Wheatly to be off the board at least 50 picks ago. He has an NFL build, reads and reacts well and is willing to smack ball-carriers in the hole. Wheatley has limitations in coverage but has lower-end starting potential.

Another player I expected to go far earlier, Joly can fit the role as the "Joker" tight end in Sean Payton's offense. What Joly lacks in length and mass he makes up for in versatility, underneath receiving ability and utility as a "wham" blocker.

A broad-framed blocker with intriguing athleticism, Burton doesn't always anchor down and remains in the developmental phase as a prospect given how he's been moved around the interior of Kentucky's offensive line.

Dugger is a body-beautiful prospect who elevated from Georgetown safety to Louisiana linebacker and turned himself into an NFL prospect with his 35-inch arms and surprisingly explosive athleticism. 

Four of the Bucs' five picks so far have been on defense, and Capehart addressed the interior need. He has a long, NFL-quality body and good athletic traits for the position, but off-field concerns, limited production and a semi-lengthy injury history capped his draft value somewhat.

Gumbs opened eyes with his combine testing, having previously spent time as a receiver and tight end at Northern Illinois. His positional comfort remains raw, but Gumbs is a worthy investment as a developmental rusher.

I'll need to call around after the draft to find out why Abney fell because I thought he deserved to be a top-100 pick. A quality athlete in a limited frame, Abney might be pushed inside because of size concerns, but he's an urgent athlete with two years of solid ball production to his name.