The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is already in the books, and with teams heavily prioritizing the trenches on Day 1, what kind of fireworks could we see on Day 2?
The 2nd and 3rd rounds of the NFL Draft are always loaded with intrigue, and in a draft class like this, it really feels like this is where teams are going to find the most value.
Just when you though the mock drafts were over, we're going to hit you with another one. We're going to take a look at Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft and every pick in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. How will teams around the league capitalize on the depth of this class and find some gems after the 1st round?
2026 NFL mock draft: Complete 2nd-round predictions
33. San Francisco 49ers: TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
The 49ers kick off Day 2 of the draft by addressing their defensive front. Even with Nick Bosa out for most of the year, it was stunning to see this team's lack of sack production. They were dead last in the NFL last season in sacks (20).
34. Arizona Cardinals: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, SAF, Toledo
The Cardinals saw how well it worked for Seattle last year to take a big, athletic safety like Nick Emmanwori, and they steal one of their own here with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren still on the board.
35. Buffalo Bills (from Titans): Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Even after picking up DJ Moore in a trade with the Chicago Bears, the receiver position could still be addressed with Denzel Boston sitting there for the taking. The Bills could turn around and try to flip Keon Coleman in a trade as the draft goes along, or just load up at a position that's been a problem for them.
36. Las Vegas Raiders: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
The Raiders have to address the interior defensive line, and Kayden McDonald might be the best run-stuffing defensive lineman in this draft. Even if he doesn't have top-tier pass rush traits, he's going to boost this team's toughness against the run immediately.
37. New York Giants: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
The Giants have one of the most ridiculous assemblies of pass rushers in the entire NFL right now after using the 5th overall pick on Arvell Reese. They need some additional playmakers for the secondary to take advantage of that.
38. Houston Texans (from Commanders): Christen Miller, DL, Georgia
Once one defensive tackle comes off the board on Day 2, we might start to see a little bit of a run. The Houston Texans upgraded their offensive line in the 1st round and they flip over to the defensive side with this pick, stealing Christen Miller. He might be one of the top values left on the board for Day 2.
39. Cleveland Browns: Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
One of the hottest names in the days leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft was Arizona defensive back Treydan Stukes. He's an older incoming prospect at 24, but he's got outstanding ball production and can play in the slot as well as float to safety. He's going to be coveted for his athletic traits and nose for the football.
40. Kansas City Chiefs: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The Chiefs traded up for Mansoor Delane in the 1st round, then followed that pick up by taking Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. As they continue to revamp their defense, they land one of the top slot corners in the class in Avieon Terrell, who would fill in nicely for Trent McDuffie, who is now with the Rams.
41. Cincinnati Bengals: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
The Bengals make it back-to-back years taking a linebacker in the second round, and this pick is desperately needed. After investing as much as they did to get Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Jonathan Allen for that defensive front, they have to have playmakers behind them at the second level. Jacob Rodriguez had 7 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions last season at Texas Tech.
42. New Orleans Saints: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
Gabe Jacas wasn't getting a lot of hype in the pre-draft process, but he probably should have been. He was extremely productive off the edge at Illinois and showed off his athletic traits and size in the pre-draft process. He could be the Saints' answer after saying goodbye to grizzled veteran Cameron Jordan in free agency.
43. Miami Dolphins: Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
After the Dolphins let go of Bradley Chubb, they need some bigger bodies on the defensive front. They have former first-round pick Chop Robinson to continue developing, but they need some additional players to complement him.
44. New York Jets (from Cowboys): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Jets have already made three first-round picks, and Jermod McCoy is somewhat like an honorary fourth. If his medicals check out, McCoy could be the best cornerback in this draft. He played like it in 2024 at Tennessee. This is a worthwhile risk at this point for the caliber of player McCoy is.
45. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
We've got back-to-back picks here with teams taking some risks on guys recovering from major injuries. And we've seen the Ravens take risks like this in the recent past. Chris Bell is a YAC monster with outstanding size who could be a great fit for Baltimore's offense when he's physically ready to play.
46. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
In the first round, the Buccaneers watched as Rueben Bain just fell right into their laps. They get another version of that here in the 2nd round with CJ Allen falling right to them. Allen could come in and help replace a franchise legend in Lavonte David.
47. Indianapolis Colts: D'Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
With rumors of Kenny Moore II potentially getting traded, the Colts go with a local product and National Champion in D'Angelo Ponds to take over in the slot. Ponds is one of the top playmakers in this draft class and looks like he'll carve out a long NFL career with a lot of ball production.
48. Atlanta Falcons: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
The Falcons definitely need some additional help at receiver to take pressure off of Drake London, and Germie Bernard is such a fun potential option for Kevin Stefanski. Bernard is going to be able to hit the ground running when he gets to the NFL with his hands, route running, and knack for creating offense.
49. Minnesota Vikings: AJ Haulcy, SAF, LSU
This year's safety class is pretty outstanding at the top end. The Vikings were projected almost all offseason to go with a safety in the 1st round, then they took defensive tackle Caleb Banks. They still need to address that position, and AJ Haulcy is the best available. He's got throwback safety toughness with outstanding range and ball skills.
50. Detroit Lions: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Lions got their new starting right tackle in the 1st round with Blake Miller falling into their laps at 17 overall. They know they have to add more juice off the edge and Cashius Howell can bring that immediately. He may not be a finished product as an edge defender, but he can bring the heat.
51. Carolina Panthers: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
When you look at the Panthers, you can easily see a team that is on the cusp of making a lot more noise. They are just a couple of pieces away, and Eli Stowers could be one of the missing pieces. The Panthers struggled to get much production at all in the passing game out of their tight ends last season, and Stowers has high upside as a weapon at the next level.
52. Green Bay Packers: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina
At 6-feet, 190 pounds, Brandon Cisse might not have the "ideal" size but he is big enough to play outside corner at the next level. It's going to be fun to see what the Packers do with their top pick in this year's draft after the way last season ended. The cornerback position has been neglected a little bit in recent years by GM Brian Gutekunst.
53. Pittsburgh Steelers: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the phone telling Makai Lemon that they were picking him before the Eagles jumped ahead of them and sniped him. It's clear that this team wants a playmaker who has a little bit of an edge to him, and Antonio Williams could be a nice consolation.
54. Philadelphia Eagles: Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
With rumors of retirement in the future for both Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson, the Eagles have to start doing some future planning on the offensive line. Chase Bisontis has no business still being available in this slot, but he'd be a great steal for Philly.
55. Los Angeles Chargers: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
The Chargers make it back-to-back guard picks here with Emmanuel Pregnon out of Oregon. The Chargers went with one of the oldest prospects in the 1st round of the draft (Akheem Mesidor, Miami), and get another here in Emmanuel Pregnon. He's an NFL-ready presence at the guard position, and the Chargers lost former 1st-round pick Zion Johnson to the Browns in free agency.
56. Jacksonville Jaguars: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
I love the idea of the Jaguars replacing the production and range of Devin Lloyd (Panthers) with someone like Anthony Hill Jr. Hill has to prove he can get back to the form he showed in 2024, but he's got the tools in his game to hit the ground running in a defense that will amplify his playmaking instincts.
57. Chicago Bears: R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma
The Bears need to continue adding pieces to the defensive front who excel at getting to the quarterback. R Mason Thomas has great quickness off the ball and could come in and contribute right away to the Bears' defense in a rotational role.
58. San Francisco 49ers: Gennings Dunker, OL, Iowa
The 49ers could have gone with an offensive lineman with their top pick, but Gennings Dunker is a phenomenal value here late in the 2nd round. He's started at right tackle for the Hawkeyes, but he projects well at the next level as either a tackle or guard.
59. Houston Texans: Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech
Even after snagging Christen Miller earlier in the round, the Texans come right back around and land another stud run defender for the interior defensive line in Lee Hunter. This team knows its identity is playing dominant defense, and a couple of talented players on the interior would make them even scarier.
60. Chicago Bears (from Bills): Domonique Orange, DL, Iowa State
The Bears obviously have to upgrade their defensive front in multiple ways, but upgrading the interior defensive line and run defense should be considered mission-critical. They would probably love to see a situation where "Big Citrus" is available in the later portion of the second round, because stopping the run is his forte.
61. Los Angeles Rams: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
The Rams don't have a ton of needs, and the value at receiver doesn't seem to match up with this pick here. Jake Golday is a freakish athlete and pressure player at the off-ball linebacker position who could add some more juice to an already-stacked defense.
62. Denver Broncos: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
The Broncos didn't get the production in 2025 that they'd hoped for from Evan Engram, so they try again here with Max Klare. Engram is still on the roster, but is a free agent in 2027 and could be on the chopping block if he doesn't perform up to his contract. To be fair, the Broncos have to make sure they actually use him...
63. New England Patriots: Keyron Crawford, EDGE, Auburn
The Patriots had the worst sack differential in the NFL last season, and need to find ways to upgrade off the edge. Keyron Crawford is an underrated pass rusher in this class and versatile option for a team that values that trait.
64. Seattle Seahawks: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
Dani Dennis-Sutton is a bet on big-time traits here at the back end of the 2nd round. He had some 1st-round hype at one point, but the production just wasn't quite there. Still, NFL teams are going to believe they can get the best out of a guy who checks in at 6-foot-6, 256 pounds, and posted a 9.96 on the RAS scale.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Complete 3rd-round predictions
65. Arizona Cardinals: Travis Burke, OT, Memphis
66. Buffalo Bills (from Titans): Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan
67. Las Vegas Raiders: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
68. Philadelphia Eagles (from Jets): Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
69. Tennessee Titans (from Giants): Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
70. Cleveland Browns: Kyle Louis, SAF/LB, Pittsburgh
71. Washington Commanders: Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
72. Cincinnati Bengals: Keionte Scott, DB, Miami
73. New Orleans Saints: Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State
74. Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs): Romello Height, EDGE, Texas Tech
75. Miami Dolphins: Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee
76. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Cowboys): Logan Jones, OL, Iowa
77. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss
78. Indianapolis Colts: Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
79. Atlanta Falcons: Gracen Halton, DL, Oklahoma
80. Baltimore Ravens: Jake Slaughter, C, Florida
81. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Lions): Bud Clark, SAF, TCU
82. Minnesota Vikings: Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
83. Carolina Panthers: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
84. Green Bay Packers: Jaishawn Barham, LB/EDGE, Michigan
85. Pittsburgh Steelers: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
86. Los Angeles Chargers: Tyler Onyedim, DL, Texas A&M
87. Miami Dolphins (from Eagles): Jalon Kilgore, SAF, South Carolina
88. Jacksonville Jaguars: Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
89. Chicago Bears: Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
90. San Francisco 49ers (from Dolphins): Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
91. Houston Texans (from Bills): Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State
92. Dallas Cowboys (from 49ers): Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
93. Los Angeles Rams: Skyler Bell, WR, UConn
94. Miami Dolphins (from Broncos): Jalen Farmer, OL, Kentucky
95. New England Patriots: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
96. Seattle Seahawks: Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
97. Minnesota Vikings: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
98. Philadelphia Eagles: Zakee Wheatley, SAF, Penn State
99. Pittsburgh Steelers: Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee
100. Jacksonville Jaguars: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska