27. San Francisco 49ers: TJ Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Even after using a top pick last year on Mykel Williams, the San Francisco 49ers were at the bottom of the league in the sack department. Considering they had Robert Saleh calling the defense, that is a shocking fact, even with the injury to Nick Bosa a clear factor. This team needs help on the defensive front and getting after the quarterback is essential to success in the postseason.
The 49ers will be in an interesting position here and have already been rumored as a possible Maxx Crosby trade destination. We’ll see what ends up happening, but one of the things we know about Mykel Williams is that he can play multiple spots on the defensive front, so they could get creative with personnel groupings.
The bottom line here is that TJ Parker might be the best bang for your buck as well. His stock is down after a tough year in 2025 at Clemson, but he was considered a lock for the top 10 picks going into the season based on his 2024 tape.
28. Houston Texans: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
The Houston Texans, at least from my seat, are one of the easiest teams to predict in the 2026 NFL Draft. If they don’t take a big man for either the offensive or defensive line here in round one, it would be a shocker.
The Texans have a number of veterans set to hit free agency on the defensive line, and their offensive line was a renovation project that only started to take shape last offseason. It just makes sense for them to raise the level of talent on both lines of scrimmage and get some more rookie contract players in at those positions.
Kayden McDonald probably isn’t going to come in and sell a bunch of jerseys for this team, but what can they do to make life easier on Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter off the edge? Get some guys who take up space on the interior and occupy attention from the inside out.