As always, we were treated to an exciting first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, like the LA Rams throwing their locker room into turmoil by selecting the heir-apparent to Matthew Stafford, who happens to be the reigning NFL MVP. With the first round now in the books, here is how I see Day 2 unfolding later today:
33 - San Francisco 49ers: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, OregonThe 49ers were content to trade down and bank extra draft capital after New England traded up for Utah T Caleb Lomu. Pregnon steps right in to stabilize the interior of San Francisco’s line and help give extra security to QB Brock Purdy.
34 - Arizona Cardinals: Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri 35 - Buffalo Bills: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington 36 - Las Vegas Raiders: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State 37 - New York Giants: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo 38 - Houston Texans: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
39 - Cleveland Browns: Jermod McCoy, CB, TennesseeCleveland stops McCoy’s free fall out of the first round, as rumors persist that McCoy’s surgically repaired knee that cost him all of the 2025 season is still not fully healed.
40 - Kansas City Chiefs: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville 41 - Cincinnati Bengals: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee 42 - New Orleans Saints: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson 43 - Miami Dolphins: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
44 - New York Jets: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas TechWhile the Jets are still searching for their future franchise signal caller, they filled some key areas of need with TE Kenyon Sadiq, Edge David Bailey and WR Omar Cooper. Rodriguez serves to reinforce the middle of a retooling NYJ defense that could use an assignment sound, shot-calling middle linebacker.
45 - Baltimore Ravens: Christen Miller, DL, Georgia 46 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
47 - Indianapolis Colts: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&MHowell had consistent first round mock draft capital until the Combine rolled around and revealed that Howell has one of the shortest pairs of arms of any Edge defender in recent memory. Both he and Miami Edge Rueben Bain dropped from their initial projections due, in some part, to their stubby length.
48 - Atlanta Falcons: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson 49 - Minnesota Vikings: Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State 50 - Detroit Lions: Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech
51 - Carolina Panthers: Eli Stowers, TE, VanderbiltWhile his blocking acumen leaves much to be desired, Stowers blew away the Combine with a gravity-defying 45.5” vertical (99.9th%) and 11’3” broad jump that is a perfect 100th% mark for the TE position. Stowers would join 2025 first round WR Tet McMillan as another potent weapon for QB Bryce Young to target down the seam and take some of the playmaking responsibility away from Tet.
52 - Green Bay Packers: Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina 53 - Pittsburgh Steelers: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama 54 - Philadelphia Eagles: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
55 - Los Angeles Chargers: Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&MAs a SoCal resident, I was subjected to the lamentations of the Chargers’ faithful regarding their complete inability to protect QB Justin Herbert. While LA chose to boost their defensive pressure production with Mesidor in Round One, Bisontis would be an absolute dream scenario at this pick, stabilizing a leaky interior line that should level out with injured tackle starters Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater slated to return.
56 - Jacksonville Jaguars: Gracen Halton, DL, Oklahoma 57 - Chicago Bears: R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma
58 - San Francisco 49ers: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSUIf there’s anything GM John Lynch knows how to do, it’s evaluate safety play. The long-limbed ball-hawk Haulcy’s physicality and aggression will help to fortify the back end of SF’s secondary with a tone setting presence in the middle of the field.
59 - Houston Texans: Darrell Jackson Jr., DL, Florida State 60 - Chicago Bears: Connor Lew, C, Auburn 61 - Los Angeles Rams: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa 62 - Denver Broncos: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
63 - New England Patriots: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn StateNew England was able to cobble together a respectable pass rush thanks to free agent acquisitions K’Lavon Chaisson and Jarvis Landry. However a more cost effective and youthful complement is needed for depth and developmental purposes. Dennis-Sutton was a potential first rounder heading into the 2025 campaign and would be a victory for the Pats to acquire late in the second round. 64 - Seattle Seahawks: D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
65 - Arizona Cardinals: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern 66 - Buffalo Bills: Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri 67 - Las Vegas Raiders: Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M 68 - Philadelphia Eagles: Markel Bell, OT, Miami (FL) 69 - Tennessee Titans: Kage Casey, OT, Boise State 70 - Cleveland Browns: Carson Beck, QB, Miami (FL) 71 - Washington Commanders: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson 72 - Cincinnati Bengals: Domonique Orange, DL, Iowa State 73 - New Orleans Saints: Brian Parker II, OT, Duke 74 - Cleveland Browns: Jalen Farmer, G, Kentucky 75 - Miami Dolphins: Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee 76 - Pittsburgh Steelers: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU 77 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Beau Stephens, G, Iowa 78 - Indianapolis Colts: Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh 79 - Atlanta Falcons: Skyler Bell, WR, Connecticut 80 - Baltimore Ravens: De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Mississippi 81 - Jacksonville Jaguars: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State 82 - Minnesota Vikings: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington 83 - Carolina Panthers: Rayshaun Benny, DL, Michigan 84 - Green Bay Packers: Billy Schrauth, G, Notre Dame 85 - Pittsburgh Steelers: Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State 86 - Los Angeles Chargers: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana 87 - Miami Dolphins: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State 88 - Jacksonville Jaguars: Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas 89 - Chicago Bears: Zxavian Harris, DL, Mississippi 90 - San Francisco 49ers: Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan 91 - Houston Texans: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford92 - Dallas Cowboys: Keionte Scott, CB, Miami (FL) 93 - Los Angeles Rams: Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State 94 - Miami Dolphins: Trey Zuhn III, OT, Texas A&M 95 - New England Patriots: Treydan Stukes, CB, Arizona 96 - Seattle Seahawks: Romello Height, EDGE, Texas Tech 97 - Minnesota Vikings: Bud Clark, S, TCU 98 - Philadelphia Eagles: Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State 99 - Pittsburgh Steelers: Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State 100 - Jacksonville Jaguars: Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
Here's hoping your team fills a few needs today.
Early next week we'll be back with a first look at the 2027 NFL Draft.